I can feel the heat risin'
Everything is on fire
Today is a painful reminder
Of why we can only get brighter
The further you put it behind ya
But right now I'm on the inside
Lookin' out, 'cause

I'm standin' in the flames
And it's a beautiful kind of pain
Settin' fire to yesterday
Find the light, find the light, find the light
Standin' in the flames
And it's a beautiful kind of pain
Settin' fire to yesterday
Find the light, find the light, find the light

Yesterday was the tornado warning
Today's like the morning after
Your world is torn in half
You wake in its wake to start the morning process
And rebuilding, you're still a work in progress
Today's a whole new chapter, it's like an enormous ass, uh
Thunderstorm has passed ya
You weathered it and poked its eye out with the thorn bush that ya
Used to smell the roses, stopped to inhale, can't even tell your nose is stuffed
So focused on the bright side, then you floor the gas pedal
And hit the corner faster, more assertive
Never looking back, may hit the curb
But every day's a new learning curve as you steer through life
Sometimes you might not wanna swerve but you have to
To avert a disaster, lucky, no permanent damage
'Cause they hurt you so bad, it's like they murdered your ass
And threw dirt on your casket, but you returned from the ashes
And that hurt that you have, you just converted to gasoline
And while you're burning the past, standin' at inferno and chant

I'm standin' in the flames
And it's a beautiful kind of pain
Settin' fire to yesterday
Find the light, find the light, find the light
Standin' in the flames
And it's a beautiful kind of pain
Settin' fire to yesterday
Find the light, find the light, find the light

You're so familiarized with
What having to swallow this pill is like
It happens all the time, they take your heart and steal your life
And it's as though you feel you've died
'Cause you've been killed inside
But yet you're still alive which means you will survive
Although today you may weep 'cause you're weak and
And everything seems so bleak and hopeless
The light that you're seeking, it begins to seep in
That's the only thing keepin' you from leapin' off the motherfreakin' deep end
And I'm pulling for you to push through this feeling
And with a little time that should do the healin'
And by tomorrow you may even feel so good that you're willing
To forgive 'em even after all that shit you been put through
This feeling of resilience is building and the flames are burning
Quick as fire would through this building, you're sealed in
But you're fireproof, flame retardant, you withstood it
And as you climb up to the roof, you're just chillin'
You look down 'cause you're so over 'em
You could put the heel of your foot through the ceilin'

As time passes, things change everyday
But wounds, wounds heal
But scars still remaining the same
But tomorrow, today's goin' down in flames
Throw the match, set the past ablaze

So feel the fire beneath your feet
As you barely even perspire from the heat
Exhale deep and breathe a sigh of relief
And as you say goodbye to the grief
It's like watching the walls melt in your prison cell
But you've extinguished this living hell
Still a little piece of you dies as you scream

I'm standin' in the flames
And it's a beautiful kind of pain
Settin' fire to yesterday
Find the light, find the light, find the light
Standin' in the flames
And it's a beautiful kind of pain
Settin' fire to yesterday
Find the light, find the light, find the light

I feel the burn, watch the smoke as I turn
Rising, a phoenix from the flames
I have learned from fighting fights that weren't mine
It's not with fists, but with wings that I will fly

And I'm standin' in the flames
And it's a beautiful kind of pain
Settin' fire to yesterday
Find the light, find the light, find the light
Standin' in the flames
And it's a beautiful kind of pain
Settin' fire to yesterday
Find the light, find the light, find the light


Lyrics submitted by jpj rocks, edited by EsaGirl, MusicChica, DeanWinchester

Beautiful Pain Lyrics as written by Marshall Mathers Sia Furler

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Beautiful song meanings
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  • +4
    General Comment

    Eminem said this was a track he wrote in Rehab, right before he got sober. He wrote the first half in rehab and finished it when he got out. For me this song has very special meaning because it describes the times I am going through with my struggles in my addiction recovery. So below I have written my interpretation as if he were writing this about entering recovery, and using the mic and rap as references to drugs, here is how I saw it before I knew what was behind it:

    1) In the first few lines when he speaks of being depressed and needing to get out of a slump, I took that as his feeling before he hit rock bottom, that he needed to find another way besides drugs to get him feeling better again, written right before he got clean.

    2) In the second lines he is saying he took his hits (im not referencing hits of drugs and neither was he) and got back up, but even though he was getting through things he wasn't getting through them sober, so where he references he needed a spark, maybe he is saying he needs a spark to get him to pick his life back up again, and get clean.

    3) When he says he doesnt know how he ended up in the situation he is in, that he was feeling distant again, I could see that being he is feeling distant from himself, not knowing the real him because he had been hiding behind substance for so long. So he picked up the pen, started to do step work from the 12 steps.

    4) He up and tried to vent, speaking up in meetings and talking about his addiction, and seeing that he needs to come to grips with his addiction and accept he is done with drugs, and find a new way of life and living.

    5) By saying he is a tough act to follow he is saying he had a horrible and trifling addiction, that many havent been through, and walking in his shoes is saying it is hard to feel that you fit in with those around you in recovery, and by switching places he could feel what they feel clean, because he wants what they have.

    As addicts we have a very low self confidence and low self respect, so he is saying that dont let anyone put you down because of your struggles, dont let them tell you that you arent good enough, but that your strong and beautiful inside. The man servant could be referring to his sponsor, the telling people his tale could be him sharing his struggles with the room. Him not going into these rooms for attention but to get clean and begin a new way of life. By referring to his dad not showing up, this could be an admittance of where his addiction began was the constant abandonment and lack of love. Or referring to fitting in and he did stupid things such as drugs to fit in with the cool kids.

    The most touching part of this song is when he is referencing the cards we are dealt, I have felt that because of my addiction and the things I have done, I feel like I have always been dealt the shitty hand, but he is saying that take what you have and deal with it, sober, because god gave us a place in this world for a reason, so flip em and figure it out, and do it sober, it will mean more.

    I am seeing this song from an addicts perspective, I am 3 weeks clean and can relate to this song as if I wrote it, with the mic and rap representing life and drugs, he has proven himself once again with this song, it is one of his best he has ever produced.

    Sorry if I babbled, or offended anyone, but this song is deep, and for any other addicts in recovery out there, I think this really hits close to home.

    boxofrain0905on September 09, 2009   Link

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