I think the literal meaning of this is song is obvious. Perhaps there is a little subtle message that Eminem is trying to say that the stuff he says in this lyrics about wanting to hurt himself and others shouldn't be taken seriously, and if you do take it seriously, you're fucking insane, just like Stan. I honestly think the entire song is about Eminem trying to express that not everything he says should be taken as gospel. The fact that in the end he lets his "1# fan" down, and thus inadvertantly causes his death, is kind of like symbolically Eminem is trying to say, "I'm just human like everyone else! I make mistakes! Don't worship me or take what I say seriously!" Perhaps as an emotional response to this incredible amount of fame and perhaps as a response to all the hate he seems to get from parents convinced he's brainwashing their kids. (I don't think the message is to the parents, I think it's to the kids. In the music video, the "Mom" of Stan looks at the boy and it looks like she's trying to convince the 6 year old not to follow in Stan's footsteps...I'm not sure, but it seems like she's probably cursing out Stan and Eminem and telling the boy not to be like them).
The irony at the end, that Eminem actually does reply back to Stan in the end, makes me think...maybe he's trying to say, "I'm human, I make mistakes, but I always try to come through for my fans."
I think the literal meaning of this is song is obvious. Perhaps there is a little subtle message that Eminem is trying to say that the stuff he says in this lyrics about wanting to hurt himself and others shouldn't be taken seriously, and if you do take it seriously, you're fucking insane, just like Stan. I honestly think the entire song is about Eminem trying to express that not everything he says should be taken as gospel. The fact that in the end he lets his "1# fan" down, and thus inadvertantly causes his death, is kind of like symbolically Eminem is trying to say, "I'm just human like everyone else! I make mistakes! Don't worship me or take what I say seriously!" Perhaps as an emotional response to this incredible amount of fame and perhaps as a response to all the hate he seems to get from parents convinced he's brainwashing their kids. (I don't think the message is to the parents, I think it's to the kids. In the music video, the "Mom" of Stan looks at the boy and it looks like she's trying to convince the 6 year old not to follow in Stan's footsteps...I'm not sure, but it seems like she's probably cursing out Stan and Eminem and telling the boy not to be like them).
The irony at the end, that Eminem actually does reply back to Stan in the end, makes me think...maybe he's trying to say, "I'm human, I make mistakes, but I always try to come through for my fans."
It's definately one of Eminem's best songs.