Eminem Darkness... A Breakdown

Started by Slyk, Jan 20, 2020, in Eminem Add to Reading List

  1. Slyk
    Posts: 8,493
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    Slyk God made a prophet.

    Jan 20, 2020
    Been doing a lot of reading, genius'ing, listening/watching the video/song on repeat, etc., and there's so much going on in this song that a breakdown is warranted.

    imo, this is Eminem's most clever/intelligent track he's ever made (and possibly the lyrically deepest layered track oat tbph)...

    It took me several times of listening before I started to pick on on the parallels between the dual meanings of the song, so if ya haven't listened to the track a few times and seen the video yet, then prolly stop reading this now and go listen & watch (in that order)..

    throughout the first 2 verses + chorus, Eminem draws a close parallel between his fears/anxieties/experiences as an aging artist (or possibly when he was a new/struggling artist), and links them to the Las Vegas 2017 mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay hotel, by Stephen Paddock. According to wiki, 22,000 people were in attendance to the country music festival; Paddock killed 59 people (including himself), and hit 413 others. Thousands of rounds of ammunition were fired; 23 rifles (mostly all with bump stocks) + 1 pistol were found in his room thereafter; it was a highly calculated attack and the deadliest shooting in u.s. history

    the entire track (save for a handful of bars at the end) tell 2 stories with the same lyrics + the dual metaphors within each line...this track is absolutely crazy

    i'm going to breakdown the dualities/double entendres of each bar between Eminem + Paddock

    I don't wanna be alone, I don't wanna be
    I don't wanna be alone in the darkness
    I don't wanna be alone in the darkness
    I don't wanna be alone in the darkness anymore
    Eminem: interpretation is that Em doesn't want to lose what he's had throughout his career. Fear of being left behind and/or losing his fame, or more-narrowly as depicted in the lyrics to follow, he's afraid of nobody showing up to his performance and the venue being dark/empty.
    Less likely, given the rest of the content of the track, but this could also be interpreted as more of a personal-life fear of his: being alone with his emotions, dying alone, not finding love, etc..

    Paddock: these bars hit harder on mental illness and/or the bottling up of thoughts of committing such an atrocity as doing what Paddock later did.

    Here I am, alone again
    Can't get out of this hole I'm in
    It's like the walls are closin' in
    You can't help me, no one can
    Eminem: depression

    Paddock: more on his potential mental illness, thoughts of killing, etc.

    I can feel these curtains closin'
    I go to open 'em
    But something pulls 'em closed again
    Eminem: fear of the curtains closing on stage and on his career; losing control of what he once had in his prime; possible depression/anxieties here as well -- as soon as he sees a light at the end of the tunnel, that tunnel extends and he's s----d back into his dark thoughts

    Paddock: more on the mental darkness/issues (similar to eminem's description above of being unable to escape the feelings) + also interpretation of him sitting in the hotel room, pulling open and close the curtains of his window overlooking the festival. Eminem's physically putting himself in the shoes of paddock at this point, envisioning the possibility that paddock was contemplating his decision and questioning if he should or shouldn't go through with it

    Feels like I'm loathing in Las Vegas
    Haven't got the vaguest why I'm so lost
    Reference to the film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
    2nd line is a play on words of Vegas (vaguest) and Las (lost) + also emphasizes the lack of control that both Eminem & the shooter have in their own lives

    ...this also starts to tie in the double entendre of the track even closer: it sets the scene in Las Vegas where the shooting occured

    But I'd make you this small wager
    If I bet you I'll be in tomorrow's paper
    Who would the odds favor?
    continuation of the Las Vegas reference, placing a bet (wager)

    Paddock: the odds are finally in his favor -- he knows what he's about to do and there's nothing anybody can do to stop it.

    I'm so much like my father, you would think that I knew him
    Eminem: no surprises here -- eminem never knew his father and has held a chip on his shoulder throughout most of his life due to this

    Paddock: Stephen Paddock's father, Benjamin Paddock was arrested when he was just 6 years old for a bank robbery and was sentenced to prison, where he later escaped and was placed on the FBI's top 10 most wanted list for some time. At the time of his initial arrest, Stephen's mother told him that his father was dead.
    There was a quick 1-second clip of a man wearing prison orange in handcuffs in the video + finger prints being taken, representing Paddock's father here.

    ...neither Eminem nor Stephen knew their fathers, and yet they turned out so much like them

    I keep pacin' this room, Valium, then chase it with booze
    One little taste, it'll do
    Maybe I'll take it and snooze, then tear up the stage in a few
    Eminem: pacing, heart racing, drug use in the green room of his venue; typical behavior of his prior to performing a show;
    "tear up the stage" = crushing his performance

    Paddock: pacing in his hotel room, popping pills, mentally preparing himself for what he's about to do -- "tear up the stage in a few" = shooting up the stage/crowd

    f--- the Colt 45, I'ma need somethin' stronger
    If I pop any caps, it better be off of vodka
    Eminem: his abuse with substances... Colt 45 = malt liquor; says he's gonna need something stronger than beer

    Paddock: Colt 45 = a .45 pistol; saying a pistol won't be enough for what he's about to do...

    Round after round after round, I'm gettin' loaded
    That's a lot of shots, huh?
    Eminem: substance abuse (alcohol)

    Paddock: physically "loading" bullets (rounds) into his rifles in the hotel room

    And I don't wanna be alone in the darkness
    I don't wanna be alone in the darkness
    I don't wanna be alone in the darkness anymore

    Now I'm starin' at the room service menu off a benzo
    I can hear the music continue to crescendo
    I can see the whole f---in' venue from my window
    That's when you know you're schizo
    'Cause I keep peekin' out the curtain from the hotel
    The music is so loud
    But it's almost as though I don't hear no sound
    Eminem: placing himself pre-stage-appearance still; mentally preparing himself to perform a show

    Paddock: pre-shooting actions in the hotel room. he's listening from his window, hearing the festival begin, peeking in and out between the curtains still in anticipation

    both individuals are in their own minds so deep at this point that they aren't fully aware of their surroundings

    more mentions of the hotel at this point, starting to shift from purely a double entendre and now focusing on paddock's events

    I should get ready for the show now
    Wait, is this the whole crowd? I thought this s--- was sold out
    But it's only the opening act, it's early, don't overreact
    Then something told me relax
    And just hope for the show to be packed
    Eminem: anxiety with one day (or possibly in his early stages) having his shows not sell out, have empty seats, and him acknowledging that he's washed up and done

    Paddock: anxiety that his plan will fall apart entirely if nobody shows up to the festival, or if there's even just a mediocre crowd

    Don't wanna hit the stage before they fill each row to the max
    'Cause that'd be totally wack
    You can't murder a show nobody's at
    But what if nobody shows? Panic mode
    'Bout to snap and go motherfuckin' wacko at any second
    Eminem: Waiting behind the curtains, refusing to go on stage until the venue is packed; he deserves more than a non-sold-out show
    "hit the stage" = go on stage
    "can't murder a show nobody's at" = if nobody is there to see you crush a show, then it's as if it didn't even happen

    Paddock: waiting in his hotel room until the venue hits is high point
    "hit the stage" = s---t up the crowd
    "can't murder a show nobody's at" = the obvious: he's fixing to k--- as many people as possible

    'Bout to cancel the show just as fans below rush the entrance
    Plan is a go to wreck s---, cameras in all directions
    Eminem: contemplating not even going on stage for his performance and canceling the show entirely since there aren't enough people there to fit his liking/standard/stardom. in the final moments, however, the crowd rushes in and he gives himself the greenlight to perform.
    "cameras in all directions" = the fans' camera phones + media that will now be playing witness to his performance of a lifetime

    Paddock: contemplating calling the whole thing off if there aren't enough targets
    "cameras in all directions" = paddock actually did place a camera in the hallway so he could monitor law enforcement as they approached his hotel room door

    The press is 'bout to go ape s---, bananas on all the networks
    ape s--- + bananas = play on each other

    Eminem: the venue's now at capacity, he's hyped tf up, and is about to go put on the performance of his lifetime. the news/blogs tomorrow will be raving (going bananas) of how much he spazzed (went ape s---)

    Paddock: the venue's at capacity, he knows what's about to happen next: the news will be going crazy (go bananas) about what he's about to do (go ape s---).
    "bananas on all the networks" also has a triple entendre, as bananas = banana clips. Paddock knows that this will spark gun reform discussion, and banana clips, semi-automatic rifles, bump stocks, etc., will be across all news networks

    Commando with extra clips, I got ammo for all the Hecklers
    Eminem: "ammo for all the hecklers" = will silence the critics with his performance
    Paddock: "ammo for all the Hecklers" = Heckler & Koch, which is a gun manufacturer... Paddock has ammo for all of his weapons

    I'm armed to the teeth, another Valium, fall off the bed
    Hit the ground and crawl to the dresser

    Alcohol on my breath as I reach for the scope
    per the video, this double entendre is Eminem reaching for Scope mouthwash, while Paddock is reaching for a scope for one of his rifles..

    I'm blackin' out, I'm all out of meds
    With them benzodiazepines gone

    Now it's just magazines sprawled out on the floor
    f--- the media, I'm goin' all out, this is war
    Eminem: both of these lines refer to physical hip-hop critic/review magazines (complex, XXL, etc.,); f--- the media -- he's about to prove that he's the goat and get the respect he deserves

    Paddock: magazines = gun clips ("magazines"); f--- what everyone is about to say -- he's about to go to "war" against the innocents in the crowd

    And I don't wanna be alone in the darkness
    I don't wanna be alone in the darkness
    I don't wanna be alone in the darkness anymore


    People start to show up, time to start the show up
    It's 10:05 PM and the curtain starts to go up
    And I'm already sweatin', but I'm locked and loaded
    For rapid fire spittin' for all the concert-goers
    Scopes for sniper vision, surprise from out of nowhere
    Eminem: it's 10:05 and he's going on stage as the curtains rise. he's nervous, but he's ready to crush the show and surprise everyone with his talent/performance

    Paddock: Stephen Paddock started his shooting at 10:05p, and concluded it at 10:15p. it's unclear why the shooting stopped at 10:15p, as his hotel door wasn't breached until much later.

    From here down, the lyrics make a full transition and shifts almost entirely to depict the actions that took place in the hotel room at the Mandalay Bay at the time of the shooting; the parallels/entendres between Eminem as an artist and Paddock as a mass murderer end here

    To further emphasize this train of thought, in the video, Eminem is wearing a similar outfit as the individual in the hotel room (gray hoodie over his head). It isn't until this moment of the hoodie being unveiled that we're exposed to the character not being Eminem, but rather Stephen Paddock. It's at this same point in both the audio & video that the glass shatters, representing the big unveil. This sequence represents that until this point, the story being told was about both individuals (Eminem & Paddock) simultaneously, as we can now depict that the character was intended to represent both of them at the same time, without the audience (us) being in the know. Once revealed, the focal point of the lyrics & visuals are now focused strictly on Paddock and that the two characters are no longer the same person in the narrative moving forward.

    As I slide the clip in from inside the hotel
    Leanin' out the window, going Keyser Söze
    at this point, Paddock smashed the window of his hotel room and started his shooting; Keyser Soze = character's name in the film The Usual Suspects...Keyser was a murderer

    Finger on the trigger, but I'm a licensed owner
    With no prior convictions, so law says sky's the limit
    So my supply's infinite, strapped like I'm a soldier
    enter the political statement Eminem is attempting to make:
    all of Paddock's weapons, ammunition, scopes, & bump stocks were legally purchase. He had no history with the law, so in the US, the sky's the limit for what he's able to legally obtain.

    ...potential reference back to Eminem here though: "supply's infinite" could be a reference to his first album, Infinite.
    + another reference to eminem's discovery with the "i'm a soldier" line, as this was the title of a track on The Eminem Show

    Got 'em hopping over walls and climbing fences
    Some of them John Travolta, staying alive by inches
    456+ of the injuries incurred during the mass shooting were non-gunshot wound inflicted... there were a total of 59 deaths, & 869 injuries; of the 869, 413 were from gunfire, whereas the other 456 were from those attempting to flee the scene, getting trampled by the crowd stampede, etc.

    John Travolta reference = the scene towards the end of Pulp Fiction where John Travolta's character was shot at at close range but every bullet narrowly missed him while he just stood there in disbelief

    Cops are knockin', oh f---, thought I blocked the entrance
    Paddock had screwed shut the emergency doorway down the hall of his hotel room door; the security guard on-site at the Mandalay Bay had noticed this prior to the shooting and had it removed, hence leading to the swat team/enforcement navigating to his hotel earlier than anticipated

    Guess show time is over
    No suicide note, just a note for target distance
    at the scene of the crime, police found a notepad, where they were hoping would be a suicide note or a written motive, however, the only thing scribbled down on it was calculations for how to best attack the crowd: target zones + calculations accounting for his height & distance to the show so that he could calibrate his scope to accurately hit his targets

    But if you'd like to know the reason why I did this
    You'll never find a motive, truth is I have no idea
    I am just as stumped, no signs of mental illness
    Just tryin' to show ya the reason why we're so f-----
    despite there being several indications of mental illness, paddock was never diagnosed with a mental illness. signs are there post-death, however, there was nothing noted in his medical records/history leading up to this;
    interpretation: there was no real driver for the shooting; Paddock did it just to do it, or to just make the statement of showing that he simply could, so he did.

    'Cause by the time it's over, won't make the slightest difference
    probably the most powerful political statement of the song: nothing will change. there will be a cry for gun reform and mental illness prevention, but at the end of the day, the chatter and disbelief of the shooting will quiet down, and no action will be taken. this shooting will only further numb us to future occurrences and will just be one more shooting of the distant past.
     
    Last edited: Jan 20, 2020
    Mar 28, 2024
  2. Slyk
    Posts: 8,493
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    Slyk God made a prophet.

    Jan 20, 2020
    @EminemSXN holla with more detail / disagreeances
     
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  3. OwI
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    OwI I was riding on a bike on a very late night

    Jan 20, 2020
    Slyk>>>>>>Genius
     
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  4. OwI
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    OwI I was riding on a bike on a very late night

    Jan 20, 2020
    Pls make this a series!! So good
     
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  5. aleeex1923
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    Jan 20, 2020
    Wow, you should work for genius and improve their lyrics breakdown. This s--- was amazing to read, thanks!
     
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  6. OwI
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    OwI I was riding on a bike on a very late night

    Jan 20, 2020
    Song is so dark and disturbing tbh! f---
     
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  7. FoolishPride
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    FoolishPride Banned

    Jan 20, 2020
    Genius song and genius thread. Congrats man
     
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  8. RG9
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    RG9

    Jan 20, 2020
    Great post mate, really in depth & highlights the genius Em can be

    I’m pretty sure you’ve caught everything, I certainly can’t think of anything else
     
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  9. JMG
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    JMG Teflon

    Jan 20, 2020
    Great post. The song just makes me nervous Em is about to s---t up his crowd one day. Wouldn't be the first time hes hinted at it. But even though im against gun control I don't mind his message. He did it in a way that wasn't attacking people like me. I love the album but this is the genius and creativity he needs to tap into more of.
     
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  10. RG9
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    RG9

    Jan 20, 2020
    Could also mention that Rapid fire spittin’ is obviously the literal rapid fire from Stephen Paddock’s guns but also Eminem rapping his fast verses
     
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  11. DontKnow
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    Jan 20, 2020
    Great thread man. 3rd verse always breaks my heart, also due to those fire effects in the background.

    Simply a masterpiece.
     
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  12. Colonel Mustang
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    Colonel Mustang it's a terrible day for rain

    Jan 20, 2020
    Amazing post. Crazy how articulate and well written the song is tbh, I can see Stan parallels in terms of ability.
     
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  13. vodkasauce
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    vodkasauce Banned

    Jan 20, 2020
    It's a good effort by Em and it was executed well. The problem with this song though is that it even exists. Violent crime including gun crime in this country is at a 50 year low last time I checked FBI crime stats. As ever most of your gun crime comes from gangs in inner-cities (think Chicago), not the kind of mass shooting depicted in the song which has always happened here and always will. In reality mass shootings of this kind are not up, hysteria about guns is, esp in the hands of law abiding white Americans, while any mention of gun violence from inner-city gangs is dismissed as racist. You have the old guard corporate media to thank for this canard and Eminem gobbled it right up. So much for "giving the media fingers."
     
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  14. Oldboy
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    Oldboy Administrator

    Jan 20, 2020
    @Slyk or someone post tgis on reddit /eminem
     
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  15. JMG
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    JMG Teflon

    Jan 20, 2020
    What's crazy is the liberal media is not pushing the song more. Its perfect for their agenda.. and really what Em was probably going for with making a single.
     
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  16. Slyk
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    Slyk God made a prophet.

    Jan 20, 2020
    i tried, but havent' posted there before so it got auto-removed.

    upload_2020-1-20_20-7-45.png

    anybody able to post? be sure to include a link directly to this thread
     
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  17. RetiredAccount
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    RetiredAccount Big Time Stuntin Like My Daddy

    Jan 20, 2020
    @Slyk I think you’re missing that on the Em side, verse 3 is his concert he’s performing at the end of Encore. Where he shoots the fans and kills himself. From the promo art and closing track.

    great review going over everything with the double meanings and all that! Love content like this.
     
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  18. Slyk
    Posts: 8,493
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    Slyk God made a prophet.

    Jan 20, 2020
    i see where you're coming from when saying this, and i've seen others draw that same conclusion, but i kinda disagree. the purpose of this song/video isn't to depict Eminem as a killer -- hence 2 separate stories being told at the same time: one of the shooter, and one of the artist. it would kinda blur the message being told if Eminem the artist is actually attempting to link himself as an artist as also being a killer here.

    i just added further backing to my interpretation in the op spoiler, but here's what i added (bold part):

     
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  19. GawDEDEDE
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    Jan 21, 2020
    Excellent post. Brilliant breakdown for what really might be his magnum opus of a song.

    Y’all might think this is weird, but I feel like Em’s inspiration for tying the Vegas shooter in with his own career may come from his past. I feel like I haven’t seen anybody draw a parallel to how the outro of Encore played out. The similarities are certainly striking.

    [​IMG]

    This may not be a song comparing Paddock to an “aging” version of Eminem. It may be comparing Paddock to Slim Shady, with all of his paranoias and doubts in mind, who killed his own audience at the end of Encore before giving one last “see you in h---”, and killing himself.
     
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  20. Michael Myers
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    Michael Myers Moderator

    Jan 21, 2020
    d---..... incredible

    Now I need people calling u an idiot or a stupid stan
     
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