PRESYON

 

Photo from PABLO's IG

PRESYON

This song stands out the most in Pablo's recent album, ALON. It is full of anger, but not towards anyone. The anger is directed at oneself for all the bad things happening in one's life. It feels personal, like a true battle between a person's conscious and subconscious minds. People may think that Pablo is coming for someone specific or perhaps his haters, but knowing him, he never holds a grudge. He is a good person, so much so that he would rather analyze his own actions and think if he did something to provoke such hostility. In this song, he unleashed his anger towards himself for putting himself in that dark situation.

Kumusta na? Kay tagal ko nang nag-oobserba

Gabi-gabing nagtataka, ba't ba gano'n-gano'n na lang sila?

Tinanong ko sa kaniya, ang sabi niya

"'Di ko alam pero magbabayad sila"

Mm, pasensya na, matindi'ng dinanas niya

Pinulupot ang lubid sa leeg ng kaniyang kaluluwa't

Sinabit sa puno ng pamantayan nila

Habang pasan ang bigat ng bawat panghuhusga, dama mo ba?

In this part, he is talking about himself. He'd been observing himself as negativity was thrown at him from all corners. It happens to people who are aware of how they allow bad treatment and disrespect from others, perhaps because they thought they deserved it or simply because they have little self-respect. We would ask ourselves why people treat us that way. We would wonder if we truly deserve it. At some point, when the pain and anger get too much, we become vengeful and resentful. When we try to fit into the world's standards and live by what others want us to be, it feels like both literal and metaphorical suicide. We would feel dead inside, going on about life just because we have to, but not because we want to.

Oh, sige, 'eto na, umpisa pa lang meron na 'kong babala

'Di ko kasalanan ang sunod na kaganapan, kayo rin naman ang nagpunla

Tuwid ay binaliko, nag-balat kayo sa kabila ng mga pasang mala-tattoo

Nang sa ga'no'y walang dumanak na dugo, galing sa inosente na pikit-bulag kuno

Kasinungalingan, mga paratang na wala namang kabuluhan

Galing sa boses na walang paninindigan

Kahit pa ituring mong kaibigan

Pipiliting paghaluin ang balat sa mga tinalupan, pwes

Ito na'ng oras ng paniningil, 'di na muling pasisiil

Magpipigil lang kung katotohanan na ang kikitil

For this verse, he could be talking about his haters, the people who hurt him both mentally and emotionally, but he is still directing his anger towards himself. He now has awareness about what people are doing to him. He finally knows how they are hurting him and finally decides that enough is enough. He finally vows never to let anyone treat him that way for he finally sees his worth. He now knows he never deserved the disrespect and, therefore will never allow anyone to do it to him again. Haters are unhappy people. They are full of insecurity and frustration about themselves and how meaningless their lives are. They direct their anger toward others because they are envious. If we allow ourselves to be affected by their negativity, we are only giving them power over us.

Mata sa mata (Mata sa mata)

Pangil sa pangil

Pinsalang ginawa

Ngayon ay harapin

This pre-chorus is a nod to an old saying about getting even. There's no anger, basically no more emotions, just about getting even, and this is the scariest part. In real life, when you do something bad to people and they get angry, we know what to expect. They will retaliate and try to get revenge, but if the person no longer shows anger, it's hard to predict their next move. It will make you paranoid as you look over your shoulders all the time.

Ramdam na ba ang presyon?

Ramdam na ba ang presyon?

Handa ka na ba sa mga bunga ng 'yong aksyon?

Ramdam na ba ang presyon?

Ramdam na ba ang presyon?

Wala ka nang magagawa pa

This chorus is the perfect follow-through, asking the listeners if they could feel the pressure. When you do something bad to someone, you will literally feel pressured because you know something is about to happen. The anticipation could literally kill you for you know that at one point, you're about to get what's coming to you and there's nothing you can do about it.

Lumipas ang araw, nanatili sa'king kahon

Ilang taong nakagapos, naghihintay sa panahong

Ako ay makalaya sa sariling pagkakakulong

'Di ko kailangan ng tulong kasi mas kailangan niyo 'yon

Pinili kong manahimik kahit ang kaluluwa'y gutom

Nilayo ang sarili dahil nga alam na alam kong

Wala akong ideya sa kung hanggang sa'n kaniyang tugon

Ngayong basag na'ng katahimikan, damhin mo ang presyon

In this part, we have the truth about Pablo. He literally boxed himself despite the fact that he has so much to offer as a soloist. He shackled himself and sank into the shadows waiting for the right moment for his inner power to be unleashed, and we are finally experiencing it. This man settled for being behind great songs that millions of people love, one of which is Gento. For a long time, his fans wished, almost begged for him to finally be who he was supposed to be.

Malugod akong kinawit, kasunod noo'y panlalait

Hugot-saksak sakaling pumagitan pa ang langit

Mga ganid, ba't sa halip tuldukan kahihiyan at ang pasakit?

Alulod ko'y pinuno niyo ng galit

Ang tugon, 'lang katapusang panunumbalik

Ah, malala, ang lagay niyo ngayong nakawala

Na 'ko sa'king tanikala pati saklolo balewala

Wawasakin tronong tinayo niyo na gawa sa mga hinanakit ko

Balahibo tatayo sa gagawin ko

'Etong hatol ng 'di hurado kung 'di ng isang pinagkanulo

At this point, Pablo finally realizes the power he holds and is now willing to go at it. Everything that's been holding him back is now gone, and he is ready. What people say about him doesn't matter anymore because he is now completely and utterly in his zone. There's no stopping him anymore, and all we can hope for is that he continues to hang on to that realization.