[Pressure]
I feel like I’ve been here before
Real life or dreaming, unsure
When all my travels could all unravel
In a heartbeat or a thought
Here we go again. Big stuff told straight, no punches held back! I have had many moments where I have felt like, “Here I go again.” Lately it’s been all about writing. I did my first writing course when I was only 19/20 years old, went to University and got a Diploma in writing, wrote feature pieces while in Richmond and Dumbalk, wrote lots of Picture Book ideas while in Mt Martha … Each time I came to a point where I chose a different path! I let it unravel only to return again later in my travels.
And if my legacy’s abolished
Then whatever we accomplished
Did it for the pedigree, I don’t see an enemy
Then to me y’all are potentially accomplice
People can struggle to achieve something their whole life to watch it be taken from them or feel like the result wasn’t worth the sacrifices. Pressure is saying that he worked hard on his music for the type of person that he has become. The next line is so beautiful and something I have always felt: There are no real enemies! We may want slightly different things but I believe that it is possible in this life to have outcomes where everyone is a winner. We don’t have to take down the “opposition” while we are all working toward different goals. We are all in this together and can all be positive accomplices in other people’s endeavours.
‘Cause some men rise above
Some men fight enough
Until their struggling becomes them and are defined as such
Who the fuck then divided us
The first three lines recognise the effort required to achieve your goals and that this effort shapes the person you become. With this thought in mind: why does the world feel so divided?
It’s like I’m born every morning, die every evening
War at my door, reviving my demons
The war at my door can be the frustration I feel when seeing how some people live. Thoughts about the greed of world leaders and selfish acts by the general public. I like the idea that we can start fresh each morning but it’s sad to think that the weight of the world can kill that new energy by the end of the day. The good news is that the sun will come up again tomorrow.
I’d rather die with my convictions than live a life with no meaning
This line could be an affirmation that appears on coffee mugs and bumper stickers or be written up on a whiteboard in someone’s office! Some of the most powerful advice that I’ve heard or read regarding living a good life is to live by your own values and convictions. We get guidance as to what these might be from lots of sources but have to define our own values and make our own choices. When faced with our biggest decisions we should always stick by our values, this shows our true character.
So I hold court like the king of the mountain hall
I had to look up this reference: so worth it! This music is so famous and so good:
Look up: “In the Hall of the Mountain King”
The story has a fantasy Troll King holding court. This phrase today means to have everyone’s attention.
Everyone, everything, is accountable
Face the music and embrace the truth of all that makes us human
Then I think I’d be proud of y’all
In the end we are all accountable for our actions. Our decisions through life affect not only our life but also those around us. Sports commentators love using the term ‘accountable’ when discussing individual performances within a team and this idea true in life. Facing the music means to accept responsibility for our actions. If we can embrace all that it means to be human, not just the happy stuff, then we will be better people. Nice to think that someone would be proud of us for doing this!
If I am all I said I am
And we are, all in together and
From where I stand I’m just trying to get a plan
To build a better man for this Neverland
Still keeping with the idea that we all can be in it together. Neverland is the mythical world of Peter Pan. Essentially it is made up of the best things from the point of view of a child. In Pressure’s view the world is good and he is focussing on improving himself rather than change the world. This is also advice that comes up again and again: work on your self and the world presents for you your best life!
Maybe a dreamer, make-believer, try escape the ether
All these ideas may be a dream, something beyond the real world as it is, beyond how we see it.
But the great deceiver lives inside to feed a basic need for
Identity of own, set me in stone
near my legacy to grow, then I’ll never be alone
It’s the music that will ferry me to home
The great deceiver is the doubt that is inside all of us. I’ve read that doubt exists to keep the status quo, to stop us changing our circumstances. If we are alive, our subconscious is saying, “Best to leave things as they are because change could expose us to new dangers we can’t handle.” Pressure’s legacy is his willingness to grow, to become a better version of himself through his passion. The vehicle he uses to grow is his music. Find your own passion to use as a ferry to take you to your best self.
[Chorus, Pressure and Suffa]
I’m not lost, I’ve been following my own path
You can never be lost following your own road map.
Not blind, been looking at my future not past
We can learn from the past but it is always better to spend more time focussing on what you are doing now that can impact your future.
Ain’t done, staring into the abyss daily
Life can feel like a constant, daily challenge. From a creative point of view this is even more so. From all I’ve read and heard any creative endeavour takes starting again every day even when working on a big project. This can feel overwhelming at first but is the only path to achievement.
Until that man in the mirror ain’t me
When I hear “man in the mirror” I always think of Michael Jackson’s song. We should make changes in ourselves before we can think about changing the world. Ghandi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” The bible says, “Deal with the log in your own eye before you help someone else with the speck in their eye.” Hilltop are talking about working on themselves so the person they see, or how they perceive themselves, changes for the better.
I’m not lost, I’ve been following my own path
Not blind, been looking at my future not past
Ain’t done, staring into the abyss daily
Until that man in the mirror ain’t me
[Suffa]
(eh!) Feel like I’ve been here before, in the abyss
Looking up to the great expanse
Stars in the sky, stars in my eyes
Won’t stop till they’re stars in my hands
From down in the depths of his troubles and hard work Suffa keeps his eyes on the heavens, on his future. To have stars in your eyes is to think big and he sings about turning those big dreams, those big ideas, into reality.
Feel like I landed on Mars
I feel abandoned in fact
They’re all on Dancing with Stars
Making fun of artists who actually rap
Along the journey to achieving your dreams and holding your own stars in your hands, you may end up on Mars: feeling desolate and distant. I like the phrase, “Aim for the Moon, if you miss you’ll end up among the stars!” The reality is that there is a lot of nothing in space and this may leave you feeling like your getting further from your goals. Maybe the reference to Dancing with the Stars is celebrating real rappers rather than fame seekers.
I lost my confidence
Till I got on my flex
Now can’t tell me nothing, city all Suffering
Tell God he got a Suffa complex
When doubt enters our minds, and it will, we can lose confidence in ourselves and our dreams. Suffa managed to “flex” his muscles and get back his confidence. Critics don’t upset him and he feels so good that he flipped the saying “to have a god complex”. This is a negative term to describe people who are so arrogant that they see themselves as a god. Suffa feels so good that he imagines God wanting to be him.
I’m draped in the belt of Orion
I’m praying the truth rings out
The belt of Orion is a star constellation in the shape of a belt, or ring! He’s not only holding the stars, he’s wearing the brightest constellation!
They’re saying the loud things quiet
We’re saying the quiet things loud
“They” might be critics or other rappers. This is one of the reasons I love Hilltop so much. Hilltop sing about topics that can make a difference in peoples lives. Other rappers sing loudly about money, fame and how tough they are.
I wanna rock right now
Want every single rapper on the block wiped out
Everybody coming at the Hilltop, lights out
You’re running down seconds on the clock, time out
What? Pipe down, we don’t care what you think of us
We’re the shit and you can’t sit with us
Now he’s really getting his flex on! There are times you need to stand up for yourself and say how you feel about your detractors. Most times it is better to ignore negative people, but when action is required this level of self-conviction will be a huge asset.
You trying to fly by clinging to Icarus
Icarus is a character from Greek mythology. He tried to escape from Athens using wings his father, a craftsman and inventor, made out of feathers and wax. His father warned him not to fly too low or the dampness of the sea would make the feathers too heavy and not to fly too high or the sun would melt the wax. Icarus didn’t heed his father’s warning and “flew too close to the sun”, falling to his death! The people Suffa is talking about are clinging onto false hope or dreams that won’t stand up to the tests of life.
I’m trying to drive by liquor and cigarettes
Suffa is trying to live healthier by giving up cigarettes and alcohol.
I’m trying to be a better man
Ask Eddie Vedder man, I’m trying to be Clark
Eddie Vedder wrote a song called “Better Man” about someone who settles in a relationship. Clark could be a reference to his own song Clark Griswald! It could also be a reference to Clarke Kent, the quiet alter ego of Superman.
I feel like Letterman, hiding my venom in
A coffee mug with a broken heart
David Letterman hosted one of the most successful TV talk shows of all time. Despite this success, many reports say that he wasn’t happy.
Open bars probably going to kill me
If all this touring don’t
From the heart sincerely
All I want really, is to watch my children grow
Another reference to drinking too much and also that life on the road touring with a band is hard. Many parents make an effort to provide for their children through working hard and maybe not spending as much time with them as they would like. The right balance is a big challenge.
[Chorus, Pressure and Suffa]
I’m not lost, I’ve been following my own path
Not blind, been looking at my future not past
Ain’t done, staring into the abyss daily
Until that man in the mirror ain’t me
I’m not lost, I’ve been following my own path
Not blind, been looking at my future not past
Ain’t done, staring into the abyss daily
Until that man in the mirror ain’t me
