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.
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.