Eminem
Cleanin Out My Closet
[Intro]
Where's my snare?
I have no snare in my headphones - there you go
Yeah.. yo, yo
[Eminem]
Have you ever been hated or discriminated against?
I have; I've been protested and demonstrated against
Picket signs for my wicked rhymes, look at the times
Sick as the mind of the motherfuckin kid that's behind
all this commotion emotions run deep as ocean's exploding
Tempers flarin from parents just blow 'em off and keep goin
Not takin nothin from no one give 'em hell long as I'm breathin
Keep kickin ass in the morning and takin names in the evening
Leave 'em with a taste as sour as vinegar in their mouth
See they can trigger me, but they'll never figure me out
Look at me now; I bet ya probably sick of me now ain't you momma?
I’m a make you look so ridiculous now
[Chorus: Eminem]
I'm sorry momma!
I never meant to hurt you!
I never meant to make you cry; but tonight
I'm cleanin out my closet (one more time)
I said I'm sorry momma!
I never meant to hurt you!
I never meant to make you cry; but tonight
I'm cleanin out my closet
[Eminem]
Ha! I got some skeletons in my closet
and I don't know if no one knows it
So before they throw me inside my coffin and close it
I’m a expose it; I'll take you back to '73
before I ever had a multi-platinum sellin CD
I was a baby, maybe I was just a couple of months
My faggot father must have had his panties up in a bunch
cause he split, I wonder if he even kissed me goodbye
No I don't on second thought I just fuckin wished he would die
I look at Hailie, and I couldn't picture leavin her side
Even if I hated Kim, I grit my teeth and I'd try
to make it work with her at least for Hailie's sake
I maybe made some mistakes
but I'm only human, but I'm man enough to face them today
What I did was stupid, no doubt it was dumb
But the smartest shit I did was take the bullets outta that gun
Cuz I'da killed him; shit I woulda shot Kim and them both
It's my life, I'd like to welcome y'all to "The Eminem Show"
[Chorus]
[Eminem]
Now I would never diss my own momma just to get recognition
Take a second to listen for who you think this record is dissin
But put yourself in my position; just try to envision
witnessin your momma poppin prescription pills in the kitchen
Bitchin that someone's always goin throuh her purse and shit's missin
Goin through public housin systems, victim of Munchausen's Syndrome
My whole life I was made to believe I was sick when I wasn't
'til I grew up, now I blew up, it makes you sick to ya stomach
doesn't it? Wasn't it the reason you made that CD for me Ma?
So you could try to justify the way you treated me Ma?
But guess what? You're gettin older now and it's cold when your lonely
And Nathan's growin up so quick he's gonna know that your phony
And Hailie's gettin so big now; you should see her, she's beautiful
But you'll never see her - she won't even be at your funeral!
See what hurts me the most is you won't admit you was wrong
Bitch do your song - keep tellin yourself that you was a mom!
But how dare you try to take what you didn't help me to get
You selfish bitch; I hope you fuckin burn in hell for this shit
Remember when Ronnie died and you said you wished it was me?
Well guess what, I AM dead - dead to you as can be!
[Chorus] - repeat 2X
Useful Vocab and notes
snare (drum): a small drum with metal strings across one side that make a continuous sound when the drum is hit –
part of the modern drumkit
take names: be insulted
If someone has a skeleton in the closet, they have a dark, shameful secret in their past that they want to remain
secret.
faggot: pejorative for male homosexual
he split: the father left the mother
shit: slang (underground language) for ‘thing’
diss: slang (rapper’s language): to show a lack of respect for somebody, especially by saying insulting things to them:
“If he disses me again, I’ll hit him.”
Münchausen syndrome is a term for psychiatric disorders known as factitious disorders wherein those affected feign
disease, illness, or psychological trauma in order to draw attention or sympathy to themselves.
phony: not genuine or real
your: you’re
Eminem: his real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III
Debbie Mathers: Eminem’s mother released “Set the Record Straight”, a CD to tell her vision of their relationship.
Hailie: (Hailie Jade Scott) the singer’s daughter
Kim: (Kimberley Anne Scott) the singer’s wife (twice married and divorced), mother of Hailie
Nathan: Nathan Mathers is Debbie's second son with Fred Samra Jr and Eminem's half brother.
Ronnie: (Ronnie Dean Polkingharn) was Eminem’s 2-month-older uncle. He introduced his nephew to hip-hop.
QUESTIONS
Please feel free to extend on any question or on the text.
1. “Tempers flarin from parents just blow 'em off and keep goin” –
“I bet ya probably sick of me now ain't you momma?” –
“I’m a make you look so ridiculous now”
Please correct the language and write proper British English. [What needs to be corrected is
underlined.]
2. What is the effect of such a language?
3. Eminem is white and has been extremely successful, in particular with this song. Can you
extend question 2?
4. “I’m cleaning out my closet” What is the meaning of this line? What is the intent of the singer?
5. “cause he split…” to “…at least for Hailie's sake” How is Eminem comparing his life with his
parents’? His choices with his father’s?
6. “But the smartest shit I did was take the bullets outta that gun” [Note : “outta” = out of] I
believe this line has a very strong meaning. In the video clip of the song, you can see Eminem
himself digging a tomb for his own mother. Do you think the song has this meaning? Do you
think Eminem is trying to kill his parents with this song?
7. “Take a second to listen for who you think this record is dissin” Can you make an opinion on
who should be the real victim of this text?
8. “you should see her, she's beautiful” What sort of family relationship is the singer referring to?
9. “You selfish bitch” What is Eminem essentially blaming his mother of?
10. “I AM dead” What does this mean?
11. [Intro]: The song appears to be highly autobiographical, Eminem obviously willing to “set
things right”. The text of the introduction sets another context, though. What is your opinion?