When I'm Gone
★ Eminem Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah, it's my life
My own words, I guess

Have you ever loved someone so much
You'd give an arm for
Not the expression, no
Literally give an arm for
When they know they're your heart

And you know you are their armor
And you will destroy anyone who would try to harm her
But what happens when karma
Turns right around and bites you
And everything you stand for turns on you to spite you
What happens when you become the main source of her pain
"Daddy look what I made"
"Dad's gotta go catch a plane"
"Daddy where's mommy?
I can't find mommy, where is she?"
"I don't know, go play, Hailie baby, your daddy's busy
Daddy's writing a song, this song ain't gon' write itself"
I give you one underdog, and you gotta swing by yourself
Then turn right around in that song and tell her you love her
And put hands on her mother who's the spittin' image of her
That's Slim Shady, yeah baby Slim Shady's crazy
Shady made me
But tonight, Shady's rock-a-bye baby

And when I'm gone just carry on don't mourn
Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice, just know that
I'm lookin' down on you smilin'
And I didn't feel a thing so baby, don't feel no pain, just smile back

And when I'm gone just carry on don't mourn
Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice, just know that
I'm lookin' down on you smilin'
And I didn't feel a thing so baby, don't feel no pain, just smile back

I keep havin' this dream
I'm pushin' Hailie on a swing, she keeps screamin', she don't want me to sing
"You're makin' mommy cry, why, why is mommy cryin'"
"Baby, daddy ain't leavin' no more, daddy you're lyin'
You always say that, you always say this is the last time
But you ain't leavin' no more daddy, you're mine"
She's pilin' boxes in front of the door tryin' to block it
"Daddy please, daddy, don't leave, daddy, no, stop it"
Goes in her pocket, pulls out a tiny necklace locket
It's got a picture, "This will keep you safe daddy, take it with ya"
I look up, it's just me standin' in the mirror
These fuckin' walls must be talkin', 'cause man I can hear 'em
They're sayin', "you got one more chance to do right
And it's tonight, now go out and show 'em that you love 'em before it's too late"
And just as I go to walk out of my bedroom door
It turns to a stage, they're gone and the spotlight is on and I'm singin'

And when I'm gone just carry on don't mourn
Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice, just know that
I'm lookin' down on you smilin'
And I didn't feel a thing so baby, don't feel no pain, just smile back

And when I'm gone just carry on don't mourn
Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice, just know that
I'm lookin' down on you smilin'
And I didn't feel a thing so baby, don't feel no pain, just smile back

Sixty thousand people all jumpin' out their seat
The curtain closes, they're throwin' roses at my feet
I take a bow, and thank you all for comin' out
They're screamin' so loud, I take one last look at the crowd
I glance down, I don't believe what I'm seein'
"Daddy, its me, help mommy, her wrists are bleedin'"
But baby we're in Sweden
How did you get to Sweden?
"I followed you daddy
You told me that you weren't leavin'
You lied to me dad, and now you made mommy sad
And I bought you this coin, it says number one dad
That's all I wanted, I just want to give you this coin"
"I get the point, fine, me and mommy are goin'"
"But baby wait, it's too late dad, you made your choice
Now go out there and show 'em that you love 'em more than us
That's what they want
They want you, Marshall
They keep screamin' your name
It's no wonder you can't go to sleep
Just take another pill, yeah I bet you you will!
You rap about it, yeah word, kid keep it real"
I hear a applause, all this time I couldn't see
How could it be, that the curtain is closin' on me
I turn around, find a gun on the ground
Cock it, put it to my brain, scream "die Shady!" And pop it
The sky darkens, my life flashes
The plane that I was supposed to be on, crashes, and burns to ashes
That's when I wake up
Alarm clock's ringing, there's birds singin'
It's spring and Hailie's outside swingin'
I walk right up to Kim and kiss her tell her I miss her
Hailie just smiles and winks at her little sister almost as if to say

And when I'm gone just carry on don't mourn
Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice, just know that
I'm lookin' down on you smilin'
And I didn't feel a thing so baby, don't feel no pain, just smile back

And when I'm gone just carry on don't mourn
Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice, just know that

I'm lookin' down on you smilin'
And I didn't feel a thing so baby, don't feel no pain, just smile back

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of ★ Eminem's song When I'm Gone are about the struggles of maintaining a career in the music industry while also being a father and husband. The song starts with Eminem reflecting on his life and the challenges of being a parent. He talks about the sacrifices he made for his daughter Hailie and the lengths he would go to protect her. However, the song takes a dark turn when Eminem admits to harming the people around him, including Hailie's mother. As a result, Eminem's daughter becomes distant from him which causes him to question his actions and persona as Slim Shady. The chorus of the song serves as a message to his loved ones to carry on after he is gone and know that he will always be looking down on them.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah, it's my life
This song represents my own personal experiences and emotions.

My own words, I guess
These lyrics reflect my own thoughts and feelings about a specific situation.

Have you ever loved someone so much
Did you ever feel such a deep love for someone?

You'd give an arm for
You would be willing to make any sacrifice for that person.

Not the expression, no
I don't mean this in a metaphorical sense.

Literally give an arm for
I would physically give up a part of my body for them.

When they know they're your heart
When they understand how important they are to you.

And you know you are their armor
You protect them from any harm.

And you will destroy anyone who would try to harm her
You are willing to go to extreme lengths to protect them from any danger.

But what happens when karma
However, what occurs when the consequences of your actions come back to haunt you?

Turns right around and bites you
When the results of your deeds come back to harm you.

And everything you stand for turns on you to spite you
All the principles and values you believed in now work against you.

What happens when you become the main source of her pain
What occurs when you become the primary cause of her suffering.

"Daddy look what I made"
"Father, look at what I created."

"Dad's gotta go catch a plane"
"Dad has to leave and catch a flight."

"Daddy where's mommy?
"Father, where is mommy?

I can't find mommy, where is she?"
"I can't find her, where is she?"

"I don't know, go play, Hailie baby, your daddy's busy
"I'm not sure, go and play, my dearest Hailie, your father is occupied

Daddy's writing a song, this song ain't gon' write itself"
I am currently composing a song, but it requires my full attention and effort.

I give you one underdog, and you gotta swing by yourself
I provide you with a challenge or difficult situation, and you have to face it alone.

Then turn right around in that song and tell her you love her
But then, in the same song, you express your love for her.

And put hands on her mother who's the spittin' image of her
And you physically harm her mother, who looks just like her.

That's Slim Shady, yeah baby Slim Shady's crazy
This behavior represents my alter ego, Slim Shady, who is known for being unstable.

Shady made me
Slim Shady is a part of me and influences my actions.

But tonight, Shady's rock-a-bye baby
But tonight, Slim Shady is in a vulnerable state, like a baby being rocked to sleep.

And when I'm gone just carry on don't mourn
When I am no longer here, continue with your life and don't grieve.

Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice, just know that
Find joy in hearing my voice, knowing that I am still with you in spirit.

I'm lookin' down on you smilin'
I am watching over you from above with a smile on my face.

And I didn't feel a thing so baby, don't feel no pain, just smile back
I didn't experience any pain, so don't let yourself feel any either. Just keep smiling.

I keep havin' this dream
I continue to have this recurring dream.

I'm pushin' Hailie on a swing, she keeps screamin', she don't want me to sing
In the dream, I am pushing Hailie on a swing, but she is screaming because she doesn't want me to sing.

"You're makin' mommy cry, why, why is mommy cryin'"
"Your actions are causing mommy to cry, why? Why is she crying?"

"Baby, daddy ain't leavin' no more, daddy you're lyin'
"Darling, I promise I won't leave anymore. Daddy is not lying."

You always say that, you always say this is the last time
You frequently make this promise, claiming it will be the final occurrence.

But you ain't leavin' no more daddy, you're mine"
But this time, you truly won't leave anymore because you belong to me.

She's pilin' boxes in front of the door tryin' to block it
In the dream, she is stacking boxes in front of the door, attempting to prevent my departure.

"Daddy please, daddy, don't leave, daddy, no, stop it"
"Father, please don't go. Daddy, no! Stop leaving."

Goes in her pocket, pulls out a tiny necklace locket
She reaches into her pocket and takes out a small necklace pendant.

It's got a picture, "This will keep you safe daddy, take it with ya"
The pendant contains a picture and she says it will protect me, asking me to take it with me.

I look up, it's just me standin' in the mirror
I raise my head and see only my reflection in the mirror.

These fuckin' walls must be talkin', 'cause man I can hear 'em
These walls must be speaking because I can hear voices.

They're sayin', "you got one more chance to do right
The voices are telling me that I have an opportunity to make things right.

And it's tonight, now go out and show 'em that you love 'em before it's too late"
The chance is now, go and demonstrate your love for them before it becomes too late.

And just as I go to walk out of my bedroom door
As I am about to leave through my bedroom door.

It turns to a stage, they're gone and the spotlight is on and I'm singin'
The scene transforms into a stage, and the people I care about are gone. The spotlight is on me, and I am singing.

And when I'm gone just carry on don't mourn
When I am no longer here, continue with your life and don't grieve.

Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice, just know that
Find joy in hearing my voice, knowing that I am still with you in spirit.

I'm lookin' down on you smilin'
I am watching over you from above with a smile on my face.

And I didn't feel a thing so baby, don't feel no pain, just smile back
I didn't experience any pain, so don't let yourself feel any either. Just keep smiling.

Sixty thousand people all jumpin' out their seat
A crowd of sixty thousand individuals rising from their seats.

The curtain closes, they're throwin' roses at my feet
The curtain drops, and the audience shows appreciation by throwing roses at my feet.

I take a bow, and thank you all for comin' out
I acknowledge the audience by taking a bow and expressing gratitude for their presence.

They're screamin' so loud, I take one last look at the crowd
The crowd is screaming loudly as I glance at them one final time.

I glance down, I don't believe what I'm seein'
When I look down, I can't believe what I am witnessing.

"Daddy, its me, help mommy, her wrists are bleedin'"
"Father, it's me. Please help mommy. She is bleeding from her wrists."

But baby we're in Sweden
But sweetheart, we are in Sweden.

How did you get to Sweden?
How did you manage to come to Sweden?

"I followed you daddy
"I followed you, daddy.

You told me that you weren't leavin'
You assured me that you wouldn't leave.

You lied to me dad, and now you made mommy sad
You lied to me, dad, and now mommy is upset.

And I bought you this coin, it says number one dad
I bought you this coin that says 'number one dad.'

That's all I wanted, I just want to give you this coin"
That's all I wanted, to give you this coin as a symbol of your importance to me.

"I get the point, fine, me and mommy are goin'"
"I understand your perspective. Okay, mommy and I are leaving."

"But baby wait, it's too late dad, you made your choice
"But darling, it's too late, you made your decision.

Now go out there and show 'em that you love 'em more than us
Now go and prove to them that you love them more than you love us.

That's what they want
That's what the audience desires.

They want you, Marshall
They want you, Marshall (Eminem's real name).

They keep screamin' your name
The audience continues to scream your name.

It's no wonder you can't go to sleep
No wonder you struggle to fall asleep.

Just take another pill, yeah I bet you you will!
Just take another pill, I'm sure you will!

You rap about it, yeah word, kid keep it real
You rap about your struggles, yeah, that's a fact. Keep it authentic.

I hear a applause, all this time I couldn't see
I hear applause, but for all this time I couldn't see.

How could it be, that the curtain is closin' on me
How is it possible that my time in the spotlight is ending?

I turn around, find a gun on the ground
I turn around and discover a gun lying on the floor.

Cock it, put it to my brain, scream "die Shady!" And pop it
I cock the gun, press it against my head, scream "die, Shady!" and pull the trigger.

The sky darkens, my life flashes
The sky becomes dark, and my life flashes before my eyes.

The plane that I was supposed to be on, crashes, and burns to ashes
The plane I should have been on crashes and is reduced to ashes.

That's when I wake up
And that's when I wake up from the dream.

Alarm clock's ringing, there's birds singin'
I am awakened by the sound of my alarm clock, and birds are singing outside.

It's spring and Hailie's outside swingin'
It's springtime, and Hailie is swinging outside.

I walk right up to Kim and kiss her tell her I miss her
I approach Kim and give her a kiss while telling her that I miss her.

Hailie just smiles and winks at her little sister almost as if to say
Hailie, my daughter, smiles and winks at her younger sister, conveying a message through her expression.