Released: October 26, 1981

Songwriter: David Bowie John Deacon Brian May Roger Taylor Freddie Mercury

Producer: David Bowie Queen

[Intro: Freddie Mercury]
Mmm num ba de
Dum bum ba be
Doo buh dum ba beh beh

[Verse 1: David Bowie & Freddie Mercury]
Pressure pushing down on me
Pressing down on you, no man ask for
Under pressure that burns a building down
Splits a family in two
Puts people on streets

[Bridge: Freddie Mercury]
Um ba ba be
Um ba ba be
De day da
Ee day da- that's okay

[Chorus: David Bowie & Freddie Mercury]
It's the terror of knowing what this world is about
Watching some good friends screaming, "Let me out!"
Pray tomorrow gets me higher
Pressure on people, people on streets

[Verse 2: David Bowie & Freddie Mercury]
Day day de mm hm
Da da da ba ba
Okay
Chipping around, kick my brains around the floor
These are the days it never rains but it pours
Ee do ba be
Ee da ba ba ba
Um bo bo
Be lap
People on streets
Ee da de da de
People on streets
Ee da de da de da de da

[Chorus: David Bowie & Freddie Mercury]
It's the terror of knowing what this world is about
Watching some good friends screaming, 'Let me out'
Pray tomorrow gets me higher, high
Pressure on people, people on streets

[Bridge: David Bowie & Freddie Mercury]
Turned away from it all like a blind man
Sat on a fence but it don't work
Keep coming up with love but it's so slashed and torn
Why, why, why?
Love, love, love, love, love
Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking

[Verse 3: Freddie Mercury]
Can't we give ourselves one more chance?
Why can't we give love that one more chance?
Why can't we give love, give love, give love, give love
Give love, give love, give love, give love, give love?

[Outro: David Bowie]
Because love's such an old-fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night
And love (People on streets) dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves under pressure
Under pressure
Under pressure
Pressure

Queen & David Bowie

In 1982, rock giants David Bowie and Queen got together to record the single, “Under Pressure” that would appear on Queen’s 1982 album, Hot Space. After the single they reportedly recorded an unreleased version of the song “Cool Cat” with backing vocals from Bowie, but there were no other official collaborations between them.