Under Pressure

I think this song is about depression and suicide. It seems to switch back and forth between someone dealing with depression, and a friend watching them deal with it.

"Pressure pushing down on me Pressing down on you no man ask for Under pressure that brings a building down Splits a family in two Puts people on streets"

This means the pressure of life effects everyone. The repeating of "under pressure" throughout the song is the constant bombardment of stress and pressure in life.

"It's the terror of knowing What the world is about Watching some good friends Screaming 'Let me out'"

Seeing the horrors of the world. Of a friend try to kill themselves.

"Pray tomorrow gets me higher Pressure on people people on streets"

Always hoping tomorrow will make you feel better. Always hoping you can get out of this rut. Again pressure of life effects everyone "people on streets".

"Chippin' around - kick my brains around the floor These are the days it never rains but it pours"

Suicide by gun to the head and depression because everything seems worse than it really is. It's really raining, but you think it's pouring.

"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"

Trying to ignore the horror of the world. Siting on the fence is no knowing what to do. So you do nothing, but it's not working in making you feel better. Or doing nothing didn't work in saving someone from suicide. Trying to connect to a person with depression with love, but your love you try to give them just ends up getting mutilated by their world.

"Love love love love love Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking 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"

I think "love" means "love of self" in some ways. People keep trying to help us, and we keep trying to help ourselves, but Insanity (depression) laughs as we're breaking. We break under pressure. Why can't we give love of ourselves, others, and life another chance?

"'Cause love's such an old fashioned word"

Love is something old fashioned because we haven't felt it in a long time. Love is something that isn't common anymore.

"And love dares you to care for The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night And loves (People on streets) dares you to change our way of Caring about ourselves"

Love for other people makes you reach out for people on the edge of the night Night means death or suicide. Love for others dares you to care about yourself. Self preservation.

"This is our last dance This is our last dance"

The last time you see someone before they kill themselves. Or the last time you have ever felt happiness.

"This is ourselves"

This is ourselves. This is you, and you only. Meaning we are by ourselves. We are alone dealing with this alone. You can't change yourself. You feel hopeless. (Ever hear the expression no one can change you but you?) But only you can change your outlook on life.

"Under pressure Under pressure Pressure"

I think this is the moment someone is on the verge of killing themselves, but it seems ambiguous to me whether or not they go through with it. The song of life is "under pressure". Perhaps death is giving into "pressure". Or perhaps the person has decided that they are no longer under pressure (depression) and that there is just pressure in the world.

I know queen did another song on suicide, but this is my interpretation, and the lyrics line up pretty good I think. I listened to it extensively when my life was at it's worst. Music was the only thing that made me feel better. But only when I got out of depression, did I realize the meaning of this song and why it had such a connection to me.