Slim Shady in All of Us: 10 life tips from Eminem’s lyrics

Sometimes when I listen to Eminem, I imagine my English classroom. That is, when I’m not busy backing that thing up. I hear his voice and think, “This man was in some English teacher’s hands at some point. How did she treat him? Did she recognize his talent? Was he just another name on her roll?” Since he didn’t finish high school, I can’t imagine his experiences in English class were very good. I try to remember this as often as I can during school day.

Eminem has a discernible philosophy running through his music, the most interesting of which is that he seems to view himself as playing an instigator role to stir up shit that desperately needs stirring. He’s the dirt that creates the pearl.

Some useful things I’ve gleaned from his lyrics include these:
One: Everyone doubts themselves sometimes. If he struggles to make it, why should I be different?

Sometimes I just feel like, quitting — I still might

Why do I put up this fight, why do I still write?
Sometimes it’s hard enough just dealing with real life

Two: Sometimes anger is right – even necessary. Eminem is an emotional midwife — the guardian of a gritty truth. I would be suspicious of anyone who could go through what he has and not be angry. When you’re telling the truth about cruelty and injustice, you better be passionate about it.

No more games, I’m a change what you call rage
Tear this mother fucking roof off like two dogs caged

Three: Don’t expect hypocrites to face the truth about their actions. Hypocrites will always blame someone else for their own bullshit.

When a dude’s getting bullied and shoots up his school
and they blame it on Marilyn and the heroin
Where were the parents at? And look where it’s at
Middle America, now it’s a tragedy
Now it’s so sad to see, an upper class city
having this happening
then attack Eminem cause I rap this way
But I’m glad cause they feed me the fuel that I need for the fire
to burn and it’s burning and I have returned

Four: Don’t change who you are to please people. Eminem tells it the way he sees it and has never pretended otherwise. We make of it what we will.

I don’t mean to mean but it’s all I can be
It’s just me

And I am
Whatever you say I am
If I wasn’t, then why would I say I am?
In the papers, the news, everyday I am
Radio won’t even play my jam

Five: The unexamined life is not worth living. Vital people examine themselves. They grow.

Have you ever loved someone so much
You’d give an arm for her?
Not the expression
No, literally give an arm for her?
When they know they’re your heart
And you know you were their armor
And you will destroy anyone who would try to harm her
But what happens when karma
Turns right around to bite you
And everything you stand for turns on you despite you
What happens when you become the main source of her pain?

Six: Take responsibility for your actions. When you make a mistake, admit it. Then make it right.

“Daddy look what I made”
Dad’s got to go catch a plane
“Daddy where’s mommy?”
“I can’t find mommy, where is she?”
“I don’t know, go play, Hailey baby, your Daddy’s busy”
“Daddy’s writin’ a song, the song ain’t gon’ write itself”
“I’ll give you one underdog, and you got to swing by yourself”
Then turn right around in that song, and tell her you love her
And put hands on her mother who’s a splittin’ image of her
That’s Slim Shady
Yeah baby Slim Shady’s crazy
Shady made me
But tonight, Shady’s rock-a-bye-baby.

Seven: Use those mistakes to learn something. Nothing is irreversible. Make a U-turn if necessary.

But I’ve learned, it’s time for me to U-turn
Yo it only takes one time for me to get burned
Ain’t no fallin on next time I meet a new girl
I can no longer play stupid or be immature
I got every ingredient, all I need is the courage
Like I already got the beat, all I need is the words
Got the urge, suddenly it’s a surge
Suddenly a new burst of energy is occured
Time to show these free world leaders the three and a third
I am no longer scared now, I’m free as a bird
Then I turn and cross over the median curb
Hit the burbs and all you see is a blur from 8 Mile Road

Eight: People can be mean. No point lamenting it. Accept it and move on.

We ain’t nothing but mammals
Well, some of us cannibals
Who cut other people open like cantaloupes

Nine: The establishment doesn’t know how to handle individuality. Don’t let it stop you.

So the FCC won’t let me be
Or let me be me so let me see
They tried to shut me down on MTV
But it feels so empty without me

Ten: Some people really do just need to fuck off. Telling these people to fuck off is a public service.

And it seems like the media immediately points a finger at me
So I point one back at ‘em
But not the index or the pinky or the ring or the thumb
It’s the one you put up when you don’t give a fuck
When you won’t just put up with the bullshit they pull
Cause they full of shit too

So there you have it. Some of my reasons for refusing to stop listening to Eminem in spite of admonitions that educated people “don’t.” I’ve really enjoyed writing about him, and I’m going to miss it. But I promise to stop for a while. This isn’t the all-Eminem-all-the-time channel. Deuce.