"Pressure" is a synthesizer-driven song from 1982 by Billy Joel about difficulty dealing with the stress of daily living. The song was a single from the album The Nylon Curtain.
The single version removes the third verse (starting with 'Don't ask for help, you're all alone') and the second bridge. This version of the song was included in the Greatest Hits I & II compilation album, but the full album version was restored for the "Complete Hits Collection" in 1997. Radio stations vary in whether they play the shortened or the full version of the song.
Music video
The music video of the song features the full version, instead of the shortened one. A common motif in the video is the use of water, whether splashed on Joel's shoes, rushing out from school desks, or flooding his apartment. The video is directed by Russell Mulcahy and the clip made its premiered on MTV on September 9, 1982.
The line in the song: "All your life is Channel 13, Sesame Street, what does it mean?" is a reference to New York/New Jersey Public Broadcasting Service station WNET, which broadcasts on channel 13 in the Tri-state region, and the similar sounding line also in the song: "All your life is Time magazine, I read it too, what does it mean?" refers to the famous magazine and was even quoted in its 50th anniversary issue two years later.
