|
I don't understand all the Recovery bashing that goes on as if to say Eminem has fallen off, when, in reality, this album is lyrically not only the best album he's put out but probably one of the best in hip hop, period. My only guess is that most of these lyrics just went over your head, so with that being the case, I decided to grab some lyrics from the album and break them down so you simpletons could actually understand and hopefully appreciate them.
#1
"I'm standin’ on my Monopoly board. That means I'm on top of my game" -No Love
Lyrical breakdown: Monopoly is a classic board game published by Parker Brothers. By saying he is standing on his Monopoly board he is essentially claiming to be on the top of a game, his game specifically. Being on top of one's game would imply they are at their highest level of said game. Eminem is saying he is rapping the best he's ever rapped before.
#2
"I'm strong enough to go to the club or the corner pub and lift the whole liquor counter up / Cause I'm raising the bar" -Not Afraid
Lyrical breakdown: For those not old enough to understand, a club or a corner pub is an establishment that serves alcoholic beverages. The main area in a club or a pub is the area where you will be able to obtain these alcoholic delights. We call these areas "the bar" which Eminem hints at by describing it as the liquor counter. That being said, by lifting the liquor counter he is "raising the bar" or, in other words, setting a higher standard.
#3a
"Stick my dick in a circle, but I'm not fucking around" - Cold Wind Blows
Lyrical breakdown: Metaphors, similes, etc in hip hop are typically used in more than one instance, especially the great ones. So what does that say about two "circle/a 'round'" lines being used not only by the same artist, but on the same ALBUM? Well, they are just that good. First, Marshall explains that though he is sticking his penis in a circle he is not fucking around. If one were to stick his dick in a circle they would be technically "fucking" a circle. A circle as a shape, more specifically a "round shape. Therefore by sticking one's dick in a circle they would be fucking a "round". Em is claiming to be very serious by saying he's not fucking around, and clearly one is very serious if they are sticking their penis in shapes.
#3b
"Cause I ain't playing around / There's a game called circle and I don't know how" -Not Afraid
Lyrical breakdown: This lyric combines the cleverness of the lyric in #3a as well as the lyric in #1. Once again, Eminem is not playing around, and to explain this further he claims to not know how to play a game called "circle". If one does not know how to play a game called circle, they would not be playing it, thus, they would not be playing a 'round', or, around
#4
"Listen garden tool, don't make me introduce you to my power tool, you know the fuckin’ drill" -Won't Back Down
Lyrical breakdown: When you are introduced to someone in life you now, to a limited degree, know them. When Eminem introduces his garden tool to his power drill, the garden tool would now know his power tool. The power tool in the blossoming relationship described is a power drill, therefore, the garden tool knows the "fuckin" drill. An expression exists in which knowing the "fuckin" drill would be to know the rules, what to do, etc.
#5
"My filet is smokin’ weed, yeah faggot the stakes are high" -Cinderella Man
Lyrical breakdown: A filet is a type of steak. In the event of a filet smoking weed, depending on that slab of meat's tolerance, the filet would more than likely become "high" off of the drug. This would result in the steak being high. When the "stakes" are high, a lot of risk and reward is involved. There is a definite risk in eating a steak that has been smoking marijuana. Again, extending this lyric even beyond what someone smart enough to understand the lyric would even think of.
#6
"I'm an uncooked slab of beef layin’ on your kitchen floor / Other words I'm off the meat rack" -Won't Back Down
Lyrical breakdown: Another meat reference that probably went over your heads. Beef is usually stored on what butchers would call a "meat rack". If a piece of beef is laying on the floor it would be off of the meat rack. Marshall is comparing himself to a piece of beef on the floor as he too is off the meat rack, or, in other words, crazy.
#7
"I shoot the gift like I'm hollerin’ 'Die Santa'" -W.T.P.
Lyrical breakdown: Santa Claus is a mythical character who brings children presents, of "gifts", every year for Christmas. If one were to shoot the gift they could very well be aiming for said gift giver, resulting in a fatality. If Em were to be shooting at gifts or the giver of gifts he would be likely to scream out "Die Santa" in the process to ensure he gets his point across. Marshall is "shooting the gift" when he is demonstrating his unique level of rhyming, a level displayed in this lyric itself. A metaphor within a metaphor? Where is Leo when you need him?
#8
"Like a 'fuck you' for Christmas, his gift is a curse" -Not Afraid
Lyrical breakdown: Another reference to Christmas. This time, however, Santa is safe. As said earlier, on Christmas kids, and all people in general, receive gifts. ‘Fuck’ is a curse word, therefore if you were to get a ‘fuck you’ for Christmas, your gift would be a curse. It doesn’t stop there, however. Marshall is explain that his gift, which in this case is his ability to rap, is a curse. His rap career catapulted him to stardom and resulted in a living a life that almost killed him in his 30s. That’s quite the curse right there.
#9
"Okay quit playin with the scissors and shit, and cut the crap / I shouldn't have to rhyme these words in a rhythm for you to know it's a wrap" -Not Afraid
Lyrical breakdown: Two magnificent lyrics for the price of 3 seconds. First, we have Eminem pleading for someone to stop playing with scissors and shit, 2 things that probably should not be played with one at a time let alone together. Scissors cut, and another word for shit would be "crap". If you were to play with scissors and shit at the same time you would be able to cut the crap. However, if one is just "playing" they are not being serious about what they are doing. So if one were to just be playing with scissors and shit they would not be doing what was intended. Here, it's time to stop playing and actually cut the crap. Cutting the crap essentially means to stop playing, so what we have hear is a lyrical infinite loop. Try wrapping your head around that.
The second part of this masterpiece is Em explaining that he should not have to rhyme words in a rhythm for one to know he is rapping. However, he is not only explaining that by rhyming he is rapping, another way of spelling "rap" is "wrap". If something were to be a "wrap" it would be over and done with. Em is claiming that when he raps, it's a wrap. Lyrically he has the ability to end something, be it “the game”, another rappers career or perhaps his own.
#10
"I'll cut my toes off and step on the receipt, before I foot the bill" -Won't Back Down
Lyrical breakdown: If Eminem were to cut all of his toes off there would be nothing left hanging from his angles other than his feet themselves. Stepping on a receipt with said feet would, in a way, be "footing" the receipt. We also call receipts "bills", so he would in turn be "footing" the "bill". However, he's saying that he would cut his toes off, which would be crazy and he is unlikely to do, before he foots a bill. Footing the bill would to pay all costs for something, which according to this lyrics, Eminem would never do. Unless of course he has already cut his toes off, then the question of whether or not he would foot a bill is up in the air. Perhaps a more definitive answer will appear on his next album.
|
Printer-friendly copy 
Email this topic to a friend
The Lesson 
