(Verse 1)
Children, playing in the streets, 
Fire hydrants running bringing down the heat
In the summer, chico¹s playing ball, 
But he hurries up ten flights of stairs 
When he hears his mother¹s call
Mama tells him that she¹s got to go to work
But she swears things will be better soon
As she flashes him a smerk

(Corus)
There¹s a lot of pressure on him
For a young boy of fifteen
He¹s got a few dreams of his own 
But they¹re never heard, never seen

(Verse 2)
Marisela is a local girl, 
She¹s headed down to the "Rising Star"
With her hair all up in curls
Baby¹s screaming, crying as she tries to fold
Then she¹s out the door wrapping up the deal
So it¹s going, gone, gone, sold 
Home to make the meal for the man and pay the bills
But she swears she¹ll open her new salons
As she¹s cleaning up the spills

(Chorus)
There¹s a lot of pressure on her
For a young girl of sixteen
She¹s got a few dreams of her own
But they¹re never heard, never seen

(Bridge)
So many different stories
So many different lives
But in the end the strongest 
Will survive, they will survive

(Piano Solo)

Pedro, plays a mean guitar
And he¹s gigging down at the station house
Hoping soon he¹ll be a star
With a Fender Strat in a hat he collects his rent
Then he¹s headed down to the landlord¹s house
By the time he¹s there it¹s spent
Running dangerous favors for his bario friends
If he makes the drops and avoids the cops
He can meet up all the ends

(Chorus)
There is a lot of pressure on him
Trying hard to keep it clean
Playing streets instead of clubs and 
He¹s never heard, never seen