Eminem's new song, “Darkness” has no shortage of emotion and depth. Like many of his songs, the background sounds and lyrics combined create more than just a song, but rather a story that is being told. The lyrics tell the story of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting from the perspective of the shooter. The harrowing music builds tension as the rapper recites the internal dialogue of the shooter leading up to the incident. One of the most interesting parts of the song in my opinion is the familiar tribute to Simon and Garfunkel’s song , “Hello Darkness My Old Friend.” I think the familiar tune and famous lyrics really add a layer of familiarity to the song, which I think eludes to the familiarity many people have with the internal struggles with “darkness” that the artist is portraying the song.
The song starts by repeating the line “I don't want to be alone in the darkness” which is a window into mental health struggles because most people do in fact feel alone in their own personal darkness. Followed by the “hello darkness my old friend” line, this paints the picture that although he feels alone, the darkness seems to be the only “friend” or constant companion in the shooters life.
My personal opinion of the song is that it is a very disturbing look at what is behind the devastating mass shootings we see all too often in our world today. In typical Eminem fashion, the song is bold and brash and brutally honest. He writes and produces lyrics that most people are not willing to say. I think the sound effects of guns and screaming and news reports in the background bring a harsh and numbing sense of reality to the song. I think that this song is devastating and disturbing but it paints a brutal and real picture of the mind of a modern day murderer.
Eminem's new song, “Darkness” has no shortage of emotion and depth. Like many of his songs, the background sounds and lyrics combined create more than just a song, but rather a story that is being told. The lyrics tell the story of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting from the perspective of the shooter. The harrowing music builds tension as the rapper recites the internal dialogue of the shooter leading up to the incident. One of the most interesting parts of the song in my opinion is the familiar tribute to Simon and Garfunkel’s song , “Hello Darkness My Old Friend.” I think the familiar tune and famous lyrics really add a layer of familiarity to the song, which I think eludes to the familiarity many people have with the internal struggles with “darkness” that the artist is portraying the song.
The song starts by repeating the line “I don't want to be alone in the darkness” which is a window into mental health struggles because most people do in fact feel alone in their own personal darkness. Followed by the “hello darkness my old friend” line, this paints the picture that although he feels alone, the darkness seems to be the only “friend” or constant companion in the shooters life.
My personal opinion of the song is that it is a very disturbing look at what is behind the devastating mass shootings we see all too often in our world today. In typical Eminem fashion, the song is bold and brash and brutally honest. He writes and produces lyrics that most people are not willing to say. I think the sound effects of guns and screaming and news reports in the background bring a harsh and numbing sense of reality to the song. I think that this song is devastating and disturbing but it paints a brutal and real picture of the mind of a modern day murderer.