8 Mile
Eminem/Eminem/Eminem Lyrics

Sometimes I just feel like Quitting I still might
Occasionally, I feel like giving up on my career, and there's a good chance that I might.

Why do I put up this fight? Why do I still write?
I struggle to understand why I keep fighting to succeed in the rap industry, despite all the obstacles I face.

Sometimes it's hard enough just dealing with real life Sometimes I want to jump on stage and just kill mics And show these people what my level of skill's like But I'm still white
Navigating the challenges of everyday life can be overwhelming at times, but I sometimes fantasize about performing my music and displaying my talent to the world. However, I still face discrimination due to my race.

Sometimes I just hate life Something ain't right Hit the brake lights Case of the stage fright Drawing a blank like Dah, dah, dah, dah
Occasionally, I despise my existence, get an uneasy feeling that things aren't as they should be, stop everything, get anxious at the idea of being on stage, and forget what I wanted to say.

It ain't my fault Great then I fall My insides crawl And I clam up I just slam shut I just can't do it My whole manhood's just been stripped I have just been ripped So I must then get Off the bus then split Man fuck this shit
It feels unfair that I fail despite my best efforts, and it makes me feel physically ill. I shut down and can't perform. I feel like I've lost my masculinity and have been broken down, so I leave the situation.

Yo, I'm going the fuck home World on my shoulders as I run back to this 8 Mile Road
I'm going back home to 8 Mile Road in Detroit, where I feel safe and can escape the stress and pressure of my life as a rapper.

I'm a man I'm a make a new plan Time for me to just stand up and travel new land Time for me to just take matters into my own hands Once I'm over these tracks, man I'ma never look back (8 Mile Road) And I'm gone
I'm taking control of my life and making a new plan. It's time for me to stand up and travel to new places and opportunities. Once I leave 8 Mile Road, I'm never going to look back and I'll leave all my problems behind.

I know right where I'm going Sorry, momma, I'm grown I must travel alone Ain't gon' follow no footsteps I'm making my own Only way that I know how to escape from this 8 Mile Road
I have a clear direction of where I want to go, and even though I love my mother, it's time for me to be independent and make my own choices. I won't follow anyone's path – I'll make my own. Leaving 8 Mile Road is the only way I know how to get away from my problems.

Walking these train tracks Tryin' to regain back The spirit I had 'fore I go back to the same crap To the same plant And the same pants Tryin' to chase rap Gotta move ASAP Get a new plan Momma's got a new man Poor little baby sister, she don't understand Sits in front of the TV buries her nose in her pad And just colors until the crayon gets dull in her hand While she colors her big brother, her mother and dad Ain't no telling what really goes on in her little head Wish I could be the daddy that neither one of us had But I keep running from something I never wanted so bad
I'm walking on the train tracks, trying to get back to the mentality I had before returning to the same drug dealing and low-paying job at the factory. I need to come up with a plan quickly because my mother has a new man and my little sister doesn't understand our situation. She's always drawing and coloring on her own, but I wish I could be a better role model and a father figure for her. Even though I'm constantly escaping from this life, it's not what I truly desire deep down.

Sometimes I get upset 'cause I ain't blew up yet It's like a grew up but I ain't grow me two nuts yet Don't got a rep, my step Don't got enough pep The pressure's too much, man I'm just tryin' to do what's best And I try Sit alone and I cry Yo I won't tell no lie Not a moment goes by That I don't pray to the sky
I get frustrated because I haven't achieved the level of success that I want in my music career. I feel like I'm not man enough or don't have the same reputation and energy as my peers. The pressure of it all is too much, and I'm just trying to do what's right for me. I cry alone sometimes, but I won't admit it to others. I pray to God every day for guidance and strength.

Please, I'm beggin' you God Please don't let me be pigeon holed in no regular job Yo I hope you can hear me homie wherever you are Yo, I'm telling you dog I'm bailing this trailer tomorrow Tell my mother I love her, kiss baby sister goodbye Say whenever you need me, baby, I'm never too far But yo I gotta get out there the only way I know And I'ma be back for you the second that I blow On everything I own I'll make it on my own Off to work I go Back to this 8 Mile Road
I'm pray to God to not get stuck in a regular job and to be successful with my music. I'm leaving my trailer behind, saying goodbye to my family, and promising that I'll always be there for them. However, I need to pursue my music, and I'll come back to them once I'm successful. I'm going to work hard to make my own way in the world, and it starts with leaving 8 Mile Road to achieve my goals.

Gotta make a new plan You gotta live it to feel it You didn't, you wouldn't get it Or see what the big deal is Why it was and it still is To be walking this borderline of Detroit's city limits It's different and it's a certain significance A certificate of authenticity You'd never even see But it's everything to me It's my credibility
I have to come up with a new direction for my music career. You have to experience and live the life to understand the significance of walking this borderline of Detroit city limits. It's a unique situation that only a few people can relate to. To me, this authenticity is everything and the foundation of my credibility as a rapper.

You'd never seen, heard, smelled or met a real mc Who's incredible or on the same pedestal as me But yet still unsigned Having a rough time Sit on the porch with all my friends and kick dumb rhymes Go to work and serve MC's in the lunch line
You've never encountered an MC like me – someone who is truly talented and worthy of being on the same level as the best rappers out there. But I'm still unsigned and going through a rough patch. I hang out with friends and mess around with silly rap rhymes, before going to my job at a fast-food restaurant and serving rappers in the lunch line.

When it comes crunch time Where did my punch lines go? Who must I show? To bust my flow Where must I go? Who must I know? Or am I just another crab in the bucket Cause I ain't having to run with this little rabbits but fuck it
When it's time to perform, I lose inspiration and can't come up with good punchlines. I'm not sure who I need to impress or what I need to do to improve. I might just be another insignificant person in the rap industry, but I won't dwell on it.

Maybe I need a new outlet I'm starting to doubt shit I'm feeling a little skeptical who I hang out with I live like a bum, yo my clothes ain't about shit At the Salvation Army trying to salvage an outfit And it's cold
Perhaps I need to try something else, as I'm starting to lose faith in the rap industry. I'm starting to question who I hang out with and don't feel like I'm respected. I live like a pauper, and my clothes are nothing special. I have to buy new clothes from the Salvation Army just to keep warm.

Trying to travel this road Plus I feel like I'm always stuck in this battling mode My defenses are so up The one thing I don't want Is pity from no one This city is no fun There is no sun
I'm trying to navigate through the difficulties of my life as a rapper, but I always feel like I'm battling something. I'm always defensive and don't want anyone's pity. It's tough to live in this city since there's no joy and no sunlight to be found.

And it's so dark Sometimes I feel like I'm being pulled apart From each one of my limbs By each one of my friends It's enough to just make me want to jump out of my skin
The bleakness of my surroundings is sometimes overwhelming and makes me feel like I'm being torn apart. It's as though my friends are pulling me in different directions, and it's enough to make me lose my mind.

Sometimes I feel like a robot Sometimes I just know not What I'm doing, I just blow, my head is a stove top I just explode, the kettle gets so hot Sometimes my mouth just overloads the ass that I don't got
There are times when I feel like a machine, going through the motions and not sure what I'm doing. My head is so full of thoughts that it's like a boiling kettle that explodes. Sometimes, I say things that I shouldn't.

But I've learned It's time for me to u-turn Yo it only takes one time for me to get burned Ain't no fallin' on next time I'll meet a new girl I can not only play stupid or be immature I got every ingredient all I need is the courage Like I already got the beat all I need is the words Got the urge Suddenly it's a surge Suddenly a new burst of energy has occurred Time to show these free world leaders the three and a third I am no longer scared now, I'm free as a bird
But I've learned that it's time to change the way I'm doing things. I can't keep making the same mistakes. I'll have to be more mature and approach things differently. I've got all the components that I need to succeed – all I need is the courage and the right words. The inspiration hits suddenly like a bolt of energy. It's my time to shine and prove myself to the world. I'm not afraid anymore.

Then I turn and cross over the median curb Hit the burbs and all you see is a blur I'm 8 Mile Road
I make a quick U-turn and cross over the median curb, and everything goes by in a blur as I head towards 8 Mile Road.