[Instrumental Intro] [Verse 1] Eighteen fifty-three, Ships on the sea, Commodore Perry Came knocking with three— No, FOUR warships, Steel and steam, Opening Japan To America's dream! Fillmore's letter, A message to trade, Japan said wait, But the pressure stayed. Fifty-four, back once more, Kanagawa opened up two ports! East meets West, A new connection, Trade and power, A new direction! [Instrumental Break] [Chorus] PEACE! POWER! PRESSURE! Who's got the upper hand? PEACE! POWER! PRESSURE! Across the sea to Japan! Shake hands, make plans, But keep your fleet in command! Peace at the table, Power on demand! [Instrumental Interlude] [Verse 2] Fast-forward, nineteen-oh-four, Russia and Japan, Ready for war! Man-churia's riches, A prize to claim, Two rising powers Playing the game. Warships clash, Cannons roar, Japan wins battles, Russia wants no more! Teddy Roosevelt, Steps on the scene, Talking peace Between the two regimes. Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Nineteen-oh-five, Treaty gets signed, Diplomacy arrives! Roosevelt's reputation Rising worldwide, A peacemaker's prestige, American pride! [Instrumental Break] [Chorus] PEACE! POWER! PRESSURE! Who's got the upper hand? PEACE! POWER! PRESSURE! Across the sea to Japan! Shake hands, make plans, But keep your fleet in command! Peace at the table, Power on demand! [Instrumental Solo] [Verse 3] But peace got problems, Tensions grew, Japanese immigrants Faced prejudice too. San Francisco, Nineteen-oh-six, Sep-uh-rit schools? Roosevelt says, "Fix!" Gentlemen's Agreement, A diplomatic trade, Schools reintegrated, Immigration delayed. Japan felt slighted, Relations strained, The promise of peace Was under strain. Then the Great White Fleet, Sixteen ships strong, Sailed around the world, Showing power all along! Battleships gleaming, Across the blue, A message of might For the world to view! [Instrumental Build] [Bridge] Peace through words, Power through steel, Diplomacy's promise, But the tension was real! Treaties and trade, Warships and pride, Two Pacific powers, Side by side! [Instrumental Crescendo] [Final Chorus] PEACE! POWER! PRESSURE! Who's got the upper hand? PEACE! POWER! PRESSURE! Across the sea to Japan! Shake hands, make plans, But keep your fleet in command! Peace at the table, Power on demand! PEACE! POWER! PRESSURE! The world begins to see, America's growing influence Across the Pacific sea! [Instrumental Outro] [Outro] From Perry to Portsmouth, From treaties to fleets, Diplomacy and power Where the oceans meet. Peace... Power... Pressure... [End]
