Surface Pressure

Surface Pressure, Encanto

Jessica Darrow, 2021

Writer: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Producer: Lin-Manuel Miranda

Label: Walt Disney

(Click here for transposable, simplified version)

 
Em 
 
I’m the strong one, I’m not nervous,  
D 
 
I’m as tough as the  
C 
crust of the Earth is.
 
Em 
I move mountains, I move churches,  
D 
 
and I glow, ’cause I  
C 
know what my worth is.
 
Em 
I don’t ask how hard the work is  
D 
 
got a rough indes
Cm 
tructible 
 
surface.
 
B 
Diamonds and platinum, I find ’em, I flatten ’em
 
I  
B/D# 
take what I’m handed, I break what’s demanded.
 
But  
Em 
under the surface,
 
I feel berserk as a  
D 
tightrope walker in a  
C 
three-ring 
 
circus.
 
Em 
Under the surface, was Hercules  
D 
everlike, “Yo, I don’t  
C 
wanna fight Cerberus?”
 
Em 
Under the surface, I’m pretty sure I’m
 
D 
worthless if I can’t be of  
C 
service.
 
A  
B 
flaw or a crack, the straw in the stack,
 
that  
B7/D 
breaks the camel’s back, what breaks the camel’s back?
 
It’s  
Em 
pressure like a drip, drip, drip
 
that’ll never stop,  
C 
whoa. 
 
 
D 
 
Em 
Pressure that’ll tip, tip, tip
 
’til you just go pop,  
G/D 
whoa, 
 
 
D/F# 
oh, 
 
oh.
 
Em 
”Give it to your sister, your sister’s older,
 
C 
give her all the heavy things we can’t shoulder.”
 
Who  
G/D 
am I if I can’t run with the ball?  
B 

If I fall to

 
Em 
pressure like a grip, grip, grip,
 
and it won’t let go,  
C 
whoa. 
 
 
D 
 
Em 
Pressure like a tick, tick, tick
 
’til it’s ready to blow,  
G 
whoa, 
 
 
D 
oh, 
 
oh.
 
Em 
”Give it to your sister, your sister’s stronger,
 
C 
see if she can hang on a little longer.”
 
Who  
G/D 
am I if I can’t carry it all?  
B 
 
If I  
B/D# 
falter
 
Em 
Under the surface, I hide my nerves and it
D 
worsens,
 
I worry some
C 
thing is gonna hurt us.
 
Em 
Under the surface, the ship doesn’t  
D 
swerve,
 
has it heard how big  
C 
the iceberg is?
 
Em 
Under the surface, I think about my
D 
purpose,
 
can I somehow pre
C 
serve 
 
this?
 
Line  
B 
up the dominoes, a light wind blows,
 
you  
B/D# 
try to stop it tumbling, but on and on, it goes.
 
But  
G 
wait, if I could shake  
Bm 
 
the crushing weight  
Bm7b5 
of 
 
expecta
C 
tions,
 
would that free  
Cm7 
some room up for  
G 
joy
 
or relax
Bm/F# 
ation, or simple plea
G7/F 
sure?
 
Instead, we mea
C 
sure 
 
 
Cm7/Eb 
this growing  
Em 
pressure
 
Keeps  
G/D 
growing, keep  
Am 
going
 
Cause  
B7 
all… we… know… is…
 
Em 
Pressure like a drip, drip, drip
 
that’ll never stop,  
C 
whoa. 
 
 
D 
 
Em 
Pressure that’ll tip, tip, tip
 
’til you just go pop,  
G 
whoa, 
 
 
D 
oh, 
 
oh.
 
Em 
”Give it to your sister, it doesn’t hurt, and
 
C 
see if she can handle every family burden.”
 
Watch  
G 
as she buckles and bends but never breaks,  
B 
no 
 
mistakes.
 
Just  
Em 
pressure like a grip, grip, grip,
 
and it won’t let go,  
C 
whoa. 
 
 
D 
 
Em 
Pressure like a tick, tick, tick
 
’til it’s ready to blow,  
G 
whoa, 
 
 
D 
oh, 
 
oh.
 
Em 
”Give it to your sister and never wonder
 
if  
C 
the same pressure would’ve pulled you under.”
 
Who  
G 
am I if I don’t have what it takes?  
B 
 
No  
B/D# 
cracks, no  
B7 
breaks,
 
no mistakes, no  
Em 
pressure.