Under Pressure by Queen & David Bowie
As tabbed by Andrewrocku
This was/still is a great tune and somehow has always reminded me of Christmas. Probably
because of the general message. This theory is obviously not my own because I've heard
it a lot this last year played in Christmas commercials. A brilliant Queen Mercury/Bowie
partnership loaded with hip melody and tons of feeling, this song never received the
noway near exposure and success I feel it deserved. Though it's bass line & hip
clap/snap bottom was stolen by a flash-in-the-pan rapper who had a huge hit with it
... yet denied infringing copyrights claiming his version's bassline included one
"extra" note. I ALWAYS break this one out for the holidays!
[Figure 1] - Bass Line for guitar played with alternating clap to snap (do this
with feet if you do not have four hands)
E-----------------------------------|
B-----------------------------------|
G-----------------------------------|
D-----------------------------------|
A-----------------------------------|
E----10--10--10---10-10-10---5------|
[Figure 2 Played once for INTRO and during VERSE]
E------------5-------|---9------------|----7-----------|---5---------------|
B------7-------------|--------10------|---------8------|--------5----------|
G----7---7-------7---|-9---9-------9--|--7---7-----7---|-6---6----7-6-4----|
D--------------------|----------------|----------------|----------------7--|
A--------------------|----------------|----------------|-------------------|
E--------------------|----------------|----------------|-------------------|
D - or Figure 2
Um boom ba bay
Um boom ba bay
Um Um boom ba bay bay
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
Um ba ba bay
Um ba ba bay
Dee day duh
Ee day duh
bridge
It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friends
Screaming let me out!
Pray tomorrow takes me higher
Pressure on people
People on streets
[Figure 1 bassline x3]
Day day day
da da dup bup bup
Okay
D - or Figure 2
Chippin' around
I kick my brains round the floor
These are the days
It never rains but it pours
Ee do bay bup
Ee do bay ba bup
Ee do bup
Bay bup
People on streets
Dee da dee da day
People on streets
Dee da dee da dee da dee da
It's the terror of knowing
What this world is about
Watching some good friend
Scream let me out!
Pray tomorrow
takes me high high higher
Turned away from it all
Like the 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?
LoveLoveLove!
Insanity laughs under pressure we're cracking
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?
Cause love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care
For the people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way
Of caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last chance
This is ourselves
Under Pressure
[Figure 1 bass line x3]
Under Pressure
Pressure