Eminem: Not Afraid Meaning
Song Released: 2010
Not Afraid Lyrics
I’m not afraid to take a stand
Everybody come take my hand
Let's walk together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just let you know that, you’re not alone
Holla if you feel like you’ve been down the same...
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I THINK EMINEM IS DOING HIS BEST TO CHANGE. AND TO MAKE HIS FUN'S PROUD OF HIM.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I believe he is standing up what he believe in it rap about a bad kid life and drugs.
He just want to break free form a real nightmere. -
It's all about self discovery; one tired of sitting on the fence of cloudy surroundings. Though it has clear links to The Illuminati, it can still be unconnected to it. For now,i'm moved by its musicality and rhythm and not to pull off my hairs over the source.
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I definitely know he is talking about him breaking Out of the. Illuminati if you actually listen to the song carefully and try to figure out what he's really trying to tell u its all In his songs u really have. To pay attention to what he. Says and how he says it believe me or not why don't u do ur own research on all of his songs he has one where he actually says he was in the illuminati also the reason y he sold his soul to the devil was bc Satan tricks u n says that he will give u anything and
everything and want if u just giv him ur soul bc Satan wants to be more powerful then god and receive more of people's souls bc to Satan by gettin more people. To do what he wants them to lik lie cheat steAl etc and so on and so forth he also try's to decve u by making a deal to give u everything that most people want lik money fame and all that bullshyt but in case u dont kno eminem is not the first to join the illuminati but he has been in it longer then lil Wayne n TI which he tells them that in anthr song from the relaps album my pOint is that at first when u join the illuminati u sell ur soul to the devIl in exchange for what u want in return n yea it works but not forever lik Satan promises you it will n they begin to see that after a while that he was luring to hem just get wat he wants their souls and Alot of new artist and ppl not just artist believe the promise for everlasting youth life money fame n so on but it takes time for them to realize. That they were being foold all along even some presidents and x presidents n govrs too have join in the illuminati well I could go on about this and even show you written documents of things to prove what I'm sayin but still I can't make u bel -
I think this song is dedicated to all the people who are going through rough times and are struggling. In this particular song Eminem is trying to let those people know that they're not alone.He telling them to be brave, face their fears, and NEVER give up! Which I think is a great message for people. I really luv this song.
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I think that Eminem is taking his fans back to 2005 when his album Encore came out. During this time, he was battling a drug addiction and his relationship with his family was torn. A few years later, his best friend (proof) was shot to death at a club in Detroit. Eminem hit rock bottom after Proof was murdered and em's drug problem became worse. Eminem stopped rapping and checked himself in to rehab. In rehab, he continued to write but he was mainly self loathing. If you listen to his previous album "relapse" you can def. hear a lot of self loathing. "Not Afraid" was his first single off of the album recovery. This song is symbolic to his whole album because of his attitude being more upbeat but still recognizing he has a lot of problems in his life that he needs to fix. One line in "not afraid" is "it was my decision to get clean, i did it for me, admittedly i probably did it subliminally for you so i could come back a brand new me, you helped see me through, And dont even realize what you did". This is saying to everyone who has stuck with him that he got clean and recognized that he needs to change his life
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I think that he joined the alumitati but he made a honest mistake and he wants to get out of it "but They said that if you joined the aluminati you can not get out of it if you do the aluminati will kill you" thats why he created this song to stand up thats why if you read the brigde part it says "IMMA FACE MY DEMON" but still go Eminem!
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The music video starts with the hook playing over the intro lyrics. We’ll focus on the hook further on, but for now let’s take a look at the intro lyrics:
Yeah, it’s been a ride
I guess I had to go to that place to get to this one
Now some of you might still be in that place
If you’re trying to get out, just follow me
I’ll get you there
“That place” refers to his ‘cage’ and period of drug-addled depression, which inspired his rebirth. Eminem’s drug addiction became strong when his best friend, DeShaun (aka Proof) died. Eminem was still taking drugs, such as sleeping pills well before his friend’s passing. In the last three lines, he is calling out to other celebrities who are going through the same phase as he did not too long ago. It also applies to his fans.
The video shows Eminem living two lives. There is a period of quickly alternating shots showing him in a messy, disorganised basement which presumably represents his home and then him on a rooftop where he stands dangerously close to the edge. This segment represents his new found freedom which is being out from his ‘cage box’ to being free and in power. However, while Eminem is standing close to the edge on the rooftop, he takes another step forward after he sings, “And all those who look down on me I’m tearing down your balcony”. My interpretation of this can be seen in two different ways:
1. He gains more confidence in what he’s saying and shows this by stepping forward.
2. By him stepping forward, it symbolises that his words put him in more danger.
[Verse 1]
You can try and read my lyrics off of this paper before I lay ‘em
But you won’t take the sting out these words before I say ‘em
Cause ain’t no way I’mma let you stop me from causing mayhem
When I say I’mma do something I do it, I don’t give a damn
What you think, I’m doing this for me, so fuck the world
Feed it beans, it’s gassed up, if it thinks it’s stopping me
I’mma be what I set out to be, without a doubt, undoubtedly
And all those who look down on me I’m tearing down your balcony
No if ands or buts don’t try to ask him why or how can he
From Infinite down to the last Relapse album he’s still shitting
Whether he’s on salary, paid hourly
Until he bows out or he shits his bowels out of him
Whichever comes first, for better or worse
He’s married to the game, like a “fuck you” for Christmas
His gift is a curse, forget the earth he’s got the urge
To pull his dick from the dirt and fuck the whole universe
The above verse refers to the ‘higher-ups’ who control the music industry. Eminem says they can read the lyrics to the song before it’s released, like they do with every mainstream song, but they won’t be able to take the “sting” out of his words, because the sting is felt when the song is performed and is released to the public. A sting is an injection of a poison via stinger by an animal or plant, so here he is metaphorically implying that this song will sting those higher-ups who try to control him.
He then goes on by saying he won’t let them stop him from causing mayhem and then follows on to say, “When I say I’mma do something I do it, I don’t give a damn what you think, I’m doing this for me”. He doesn’t care about them in regards to what they think, and states he will do and say whatever he wants. The next line then reads, “So fuck the world, feed it beans, it’s gassed up, if it thinks it’s stopping me”. To gas somebody up is to confuse or trick the person, and as many of you already know, beans give people gas. I’m not too sure who Eminem refers to as being tricked, but it could possibly mean the media will feed the public more beans and therefore ‘bloat’ them with lies and fabricated stories about Eminem in the future. He then says, “And all those who look down on me I’m tearing down your balcony”. Again, he is speaking metaphorically, referring to the higher-ups with their “balcony” implying their high level and all-seeing position.
After that he says, “He’s married to the game, like a ‘fuck you’ for Christmas, his gift is a curse”. A “Fuck You” for Christmas is a gift that’s a curse, and this is linked in to the fact that he sometimes thinks of his talent as a curse because of where it where it has gotten him.
[Verse 2]
Ok quit playin’ with the scissors and shit, and cut the crap
I shouldn’t have to rhyme these words
In the rhythm for you to know it’s a rap
You said you was king, you lied through your teeth
For that fuck your feelings
Instead of getting crowned you’re getting capped
And to the fans, I’ll never let you down again, I’m back
I promise to never go back on that promise, in fact
Let’s be honest, that last Relapse CD was “ehhhh”
Perhaps I ran them accents into the ground
Relax, I ain’t going back to that now
All I’m tryna say is get back, click-clack BLAOW
Cause I ain’t playin’ around
There’s a game called circle and I don’t know how
I’m way too up to back down
But I think I’m still trying to figure this crap out
Thought I had it mapped out but I guess I didn’t
This fucking black cloud still follows me around
But it’s time to exercise these demons
These mother fuckers are doing jumping jacks now
When he sings, “And to the fans, I’ll never let you down again I’m back”, he walks onto a busy road narrowly avoiding collisions with cars and buses symbolising how he won’t let anything stop him or get in his way. It’s also interesting to note that one of the buses has a partially visible advertisement with the words “wake up” shown for a fraction of a second. There are 3 plausible explanations for this:
1. It is a coincidence (which I believe it to be).
2. The advertisement is real and the production crew only noticed this during post-processing of the video and decided to keep the “wake up” part only.
3. The “wake up” advert was intentional and planned.
In the basement which Eminem is living in, a puppet can be seen hanging from a structural beam. The puppet is seen throughout the video several times including some close up shots of it, although it is shown quickly and is not so noticeable. The puppet is most clearly displayed when Eminem sings, “Relax, I ain’t going back to that now”. Keep in mind, this music video is visually symbolising how Eminem went from “that place” to get to “this place”. A place from being caged in with drug abuse and depression to being free and in control of himself. “That place” and all its associated evils are no longer with “this place”. In other words, he is no longer a puppet for the higher-ups to control and abuse.
Eminem then says, “All I’m tryna say is get back, click-clack BLAOW, cause I ain’t playin’ around, there’s a game called circle and I don’t know how, I’m way too up to back down”. The words “click-clack BLAOW” are onomatopoeia for a gun cocking a gun and firing it, so this could be indicating how serious he is and what kind of level he is at. The circle game in the music industry is essentially a circular path the Illuminati take with music artists. They build someone up to become very popular and famous for their own use of manipulating and then when that person finishes or dies, they will just get another artist and do the same again. This will keep happening all the time and there are also multiple instances. Eminem is “Way too up to back down” since the higher you get, the harder it becomes to leave the music industry because you are aware of much more than other artists and have much more influence and thus become a threat. This is when the Illuminati may choose to kill the artist, usually as a sacrifice, after keeping them out of the spotlight for a while to reduce their popularity. This process is very gradual and goes almost unnoticed. Eminem has also mentioned this in a few other songs, such as ‘Say Goodbye to Hollywood’:
I never dreamt I’d get to the level that I’m at, this is whack
This is more than I ever could’ve asked
If I could go back, I never would’ve rapped
(continued)
I sold my soul to the devil, I’ll never get it back
I just wanna leave this game with level head intact
Continuing on, Eminem also says, “But I think I’m still trying to figure this crap out, thought I had it mapped out but I guess I didn’t”, indicating that he has previously attempted to get off of the higher-ups’ radar, metaphorically referring to them as the “Black cloud” – still tracking him and monitoring his every move.
As Eminem continues walking, he looks into a car window and sees a reflection with a distorted image of his face. He looks confused and a little surprised, but he carries on walking and ends up in a hall of mirrors. He is spooked by the distorted reflection of his face in each one, which looks like a painted face, representing the image which the higher-ups created for him, reminding him of his alter ego, Slim Shady, the puppet he once was. Slim Shady is also associated with “that place”.
Although he doesn’t mention the mirrors in the lyrics to ‘Not Afraid’, he does mention them in another one of his songs from the same album named, ‘I’m going through changes’:
I’m hatin’ my reflection, I walk around the house tryin’ to fight mirrors
After that, he says, “But it’s time to exercise these demons, these mother fuckers are doing jumping jacks now”. He is referring to the higher-ups as “demons”. This means that the higher-ups already have or are planning to focus on the demise of his career, hence “jumping jack” also commonly known as star jump, signifying that they are making big moves already.
Eminem finds a way to escape the mirrored room by smashing through it, and whilst doing so the scene switches over to the basement where he simultaneously smashes the brick wall after discovering light bursting through a small hole previously created by throwing a chair at it. This is symbolising that Eminem has found the light, he has broken out of his cage and will no longer be controlled, hence the lyrics which are playing whilst this scene is acted out, “I’m breaking out of this cage”.
We’ll skip the bridge and the last verse since it’s so direct and needs no explaining. Let’s now take a look at the hook.
(Hook)
I’m not afraid to take a stand
Everybody come take my hand
We’ll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just lettin’ you know that you’re not alone
Holla if you feel that you’ve been down the same road
The meaning of the hook is very clear. In the last line Eminem is asking other celebrities, who have “been down the same road”, essentially meaning what he has gone or is going through, to raise their voices and take a stand like him. Hence the line, “Holla if you feel that you’ve been down the same road”. While he sings this, he also puts his hand next to his mouth vertically as if to pass on a message quietly and discretely. This is evident by the bridge lyrics to his song, “Talkin’ 2 Myself”:
So why in the world do I feel so alone
Nobody but me, I’m on my own
Is there anyone out there
Who feels the way I feel
If there is, let me hear just so I know I’m not the only one
Conclusion
The very beginning of the video shows Eminem standing on a rooftop ledge telling us how he got to there from “that place”, which he goes on to show by walking through the streets finding himself in a hall of mirrors, where he’s confronted by distorted images of himself before escaping both the basement and mirrored room only to find himself confronted by a far more dangerous edge. He then jumps off the edge and falls some distance before gaining the ability to fly like Superman and guiding himself back onto the rooftop.
As Eminem said in an interview with Skyrock FM in Paris, the overall concept is “Basically just being in a dark place and trying to get to the light”. The message Eminem is trying to give us is that he isn’t afraid to face his fears, and being in control of himself, making his own choices and decisions, he’s putting his life back together, whatever the circumstances may be.
When one ‘sells his/her soul to the devil’ and stops playing their part for the higher-ups, they are not allowed to keep their fame and live their luxurious lives. However, due to Eminem’s popularity, and the massively increasing awareness people have about what goes on behind the scenes, it’s becoming much harder to keep him out of the spotlight. Keep in mind that the higher-ups kept trying to destroy Michael Jackson’s image for 17 years. -
I'm not afraid (I'm not afraid)''-Eminem is not afraid of either to accept or denounce been a strong addict of drug abuse or a satanist.
''To take a stand (to take a stand) Everybody (everybody) Come take my hand (come take my hand) We'll walk this road together, through the storm Whatever weather, cold or warm Just lettin you know that, you're not alone Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road (same road)'' - Eminem is calling on his fellow artist to take a strong ground that it is a clarion call for all to get away with this habit, urging for a unity front in the war against or for satanism or drug use that they all should be well armed against the unpleasant actions towards their decision that they are not alone in the fight against or for satanism or drugs.
''Yeah, it's been a ride I guess I had to, go to that place, to get to this one Now some of you, might still be in that place If you're trying to get out, just follow me I'll get you there You could try and read my lyrics off of this paper before I lay 'em But you won't take the sting out these words before I say 'em Cause ain't no way I'ma let you stop me from causin mayhem'' - Eminem affirmed that life is a ride on the sands of time, now is calling on all his fans who are still left out of the life race to come with him and if his fans could read meaning into his lyrics they cant stop him from causing mayhem/uproar.
''When I say I'ma do somethin I do it, I don't give a damn what you think, I'm doin this for me, so fuck the world Feed it beans, it's gassed up, if it thinks it's stoppin me I'ma be what I set out to be, without a doubt undoubtedly'' -Eminen is boasted dat he can do anyting under the influence of drugs or satanism, and he does not give a shit about what you think of his stand that beans can only make him gas but cant stop his actions without any doubts.
''And all those who look down on me I'm tearin down your balcony No if ands or buts, don't try to ask him why or how can he From "Infinite" down to the last "Relapse" album he's still shittin, whether he's on salary paid hourly'' -Eminem is telling his enemies who looked down on him that he is coming fast after them irrespective of his poor albums from ''infinite'' to ''relapse'', he is still waving high on forbes list dont know wether he is been paid hourly
''Until he bows out or he shits his bowels out of him Whichever comes first, for better or worse He's married to the game, like a fuck you for Christmas His gift is a curse, forget the Earth, he's got the urge to pull his dick from the dirt, and fuck the whole universe'' -Eminem is letting his enemies know that wether he is retiring on his music career or he struggles his career way upwards whichever one comes first for better or worst that he is proudly married to the game ( drugs or satanism) that its gift is a curse(celebrity cause) and he forgets the earth and fuck the whole universe( the unbelievers of drug and satanism influences) -
It is about how he was able to succeed despite the crap he had to take from others. It's about how he made it to fame but he realized that the fame has changed him for the worst. So he has worked to change himself again, but this time for the better. He is saying that despite the obstacles and trials he made it and he is a better person than before.
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I believe that Not Afraid is about his battle with drugs...
[the chorus]
I'm not afraid (I'm not afraid)
To take a stand (to take a stand)
Everybody (everybody)
Come take my hand (come take my hand)
We'll walk this road together, through the storm
Whatever weather, cold or warm
Just lettin you know that, you're not alone
Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road (same road)
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And i just can't keep living this way
So starting today, I'm breaking out of this cage
I'm standing up, I'ma face my demons
I'm manning up, I'ma hold my ground
I've had enough, now I'm so fed up
Time to put my life back together right now! (now)
And how he believes that he let his fans down (Relapse & Refill)
And to the fans, I'll never let you down again, I'm back
I promise to never go back on that promise, in fact
Let's be honest, that last "Relapse" album CD was ehh
Perhaps I ran them accents into the ground
Relax, I ain't goin back to that now -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I think that stan is his worst enemy and is trying to get rid of but is unsuccessful.
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