"Surface Pressure" lyrics
(originally by Jessica Darrow)
I'm the strong one
I'm not nervous
I'm as tough as
The crust of the earth is
I move mountains
I move churches
And I glow 'cause I know
What my worth is
I don't ask how hard the work is
Got a rough
Indestructible surface
Diamonds and platinum
I find 'em I flatten 'em
I take what I'm handed
I break what's demanding
But
Under the surface
I feel berserk as
A tightrope walker
In a three-ring circus
Under the surface
Was Hercules ever like
"Yo I don't wanna fight
Cerberus"
Under the surface
I'm pretty sure I'm worthless
If I can't be of service
A flaw or a crack
The straw in the stack
That breaks the camel's back
What breaks the camel's back
It's pressure like a drip drip drip
That'll never stop whoa
Pressure that'll tip tip tip
'Til you just go pop whoa
Give it to your sister
Your sister's older
Give her all the heavy things
We can't shoulder
Who am I if I can't run
With the ball
If I fall to
Pressure like a grip grip grip
And it won't let go whoa
Pressure like a tick tick tick
'Til it's ready to blow whoa
Give it to your sister
Your sister's stronger
See if she can hang on
A little longer
Who am I if I can't carry it all
If I falter
Under the surface
I hide my nerves and it worsens
I worry something is
Gonna hurt us
Under the surface
The ship doesn't swerve
As it heard
How big the iceberg is
Under the surface
I think about my purpose
Can I somehow preserve this
Line up the dominoes
A light wind blows
You try to stop it tumbling
But on and on it goes
But wait
If I could shake
The crushing weight
Of expectations
Would that free some room up
For joy
Or relaxation or simple pleasure
Instead we measure
This growing pressure
Keeps growing keep going
'Cause all we know is
Pressure like a drip drip drip
That'll never stop whoa
Pressure that'll tip tip tip
'Til you just go pop whoa-oh-oh
Give it to your sister
It doesn't hurt
And see if she can handle
Every family burden
Watch as she buckles
And bends but never breaks
No mistakes just
Pressure like a grip grip grip
And it won't let go whoa
Pressure like a tick tick tick
'Til it's ready to blow whoa
Give it to your sister
And never wonder
If the same pressure
Would've pulled you under
Who am I if I don't have
What it takes
No cracks no breaks
No mistakes no pressure
I'm not nervous
I'm as tough as
The crust of the earth is
I move mountains
I move churches
And I glow 'cause I know
What my worth is
I don't ask how hard the work is
Got a rough
Indestructible surface
Diamonds and platinum
I find 'em I flatten 'em
I take what I'm handed
I break what's demanding
But
Under the surface
I feel berserk as
A tightrope walker
In a three-ring circus
Under the surface
Was Hercules ever like
"Yo I don't wanna fight
Cerberus"
Under the surface
I'm pretty sure I'm worthless
If I can't be of service
A flaw or a crack
The straw in the stack
That breaks the camel's back
What breaks the camel's back
It's pressure like a drip drip drip
That'll never stop whoa
Pressure that'll tip tip tip
'Til you just go pop whoa
Give it to your sister
Your sister's older
Give her all the heavy things
We can't shoulder
Who am I if I can't run
With the ball
If I fall to
Pressure like a grip grip grip
And it won't let go whoa
Pressure like a tick tick tick
'Til it's ready to blow whoa
Give it to your sister
Your sister's stronger
See if she can hang on
A little longer
Who am I if I can't carry it all
If I falter
Under the surface
I hide my nerves and it worsens
I worry something is
Gonna hurt us
Under the surface
The ship doesn't swerve
As it heard
How big the iceberg is
Under the surface
I think about my purpose
Can I somehow preserve this
Line up the dominoes
A light wind blows
You try to stop it tumbling
But on and on it goes
But wait
If I could shake
The crushing weight
Of expectations
Would that free some room up
For joy
Or relaxation or simple pleasure
Instead we measure
This growing pressure
Keeps growing keep going
'Cause all we know is
Pressure like a drip drip drip
That'll never stop whoa
Pressure that'll tip tip tip
'Til you just go pop whoa-oh-oh
Give it to your sister
It doesn't hurt
And see if she can handle
Every family burden
Watch as she buckles
And bends but never breaks
No mistakes just
Pressure like a grip grip grip
And it won't let go whoa
Pressure like a tick tick tick
'Til it's ready to blow whoa
Give it to your sister
And never wonder
If the same pressure
Would've pulled you under
Who am I if I don't have
What it takes
No cracks no breaks
No mistakes no pressure
Writer(s): Lin-manuel Miranda
