Kids
Eminem Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

And everyone should get along
Okay, children, quiet down, quiet down
Children, I'd like to introduce our new substitute teacher for the day
His name is Mr. Shady
Children, quiet down please
Brian, don't throw that (shut up)
Mr. Shady will be your new substitute
While Mr. Kaniff is out with pneumonia (he's got AIDS)
Good luck Mr. Shady

Hi there, little boys and girls (fuck you)
Today we're gonna to learn how to poison squirrels
But first, I'd like you to meet my friend Bob (huh?)
Say hi, Bob (hi, Bob) Bob's thirty and still lives with his mom
And he don't got a job, 'cause Bob sits at home and smokes pot
But his twelve-year old brother looks up to him an awful lot
And Bob likes to hang out at the local waffle spot
And wait in the parkin' lot for waitresses off the clock
When it's late and the lot gets dark and fake like he walks his dog
Drag 'em in the woods and go straight to the chopping blocks (ah)
And even if they escaped and they got the cops
The ladies would all be so afraid, they would drop the charge
'Til one night Mrs. Stacey went off the job
When she felt someone grab her whole face and said not to talk
But Stacey knew it was Bob and said knock it off
But Bob wouldn't knock it off 'cause he's crazy and off his rocker
Crazier than Slim Shady is off the vodka
You couldn't even take him to Dre's to get Bob a doctor
He grabbed Stace' by the legs as chopped it off her
And dropped her off in the lake for the cops to find her
But ever since the day Stacey went off to wander
They never found her, and Bob still hangs at the waffle diner
And that's the story of Bob and his marijuana
And what it might do to you
So see if the squirrels want any, it's bad for you

See children, drugs are bad (come on)
And if you don't believe me, ask your dad (ask him man)
And if you don't believe him, ask your mom (that's right)
She'll tell you how she does 'em all the time (she will)
So kids, say no to drugs (that's right)
So you don't act like everyone else does (uh-huh)
Then there's really nothin' else to say (sing along)
Drugs are just bad, okay?

My penis is the size of a peanut, have you seen it?
Fuck no, you ain't seen it, it's the size of a peanut (huh?)
Speakin' of peanuts, you know what else is bad for squirrels?
Ecstasy is the worst drug in the world
If someone ever offers it to you, don't do it
Kids, two hits will probably drain all your spinal fluid
And spinal fluid is final, you won't get it back
So don't get attached, it'll attack every bone in your back
Meet Zach, twenty-one years old
After hangin' out with some friends at a frat party, he gets bold
And decides to try five, when he's bribed by five guys
And peer pressure will win every time you try to fight it
Suddenly, he starts to convulse and his pulse goes into hyperdrive
And his eyes roll back in his skull
His back starts to, look like the McDonald's Arches
He's on Donald's carpet, layin' horizontal barfin'
And everyone in the apartment starts laughin' at him
"Hey Adam, Zach is a jackass, look at him"
'Cause they took it too, so they think it's funny
So they're laughing at basically nothing except maybe wasting his money
Meanwhile, Zach's in a coma, the action is over
And his back and his shoulders hunched up like he's practicin' yoga
And that's the story of Zach, the ecstasy maniac
So don't even feed that to squirrels class, 'cause it's bad for you

See children, drugs are bad (that's right)
And if you don't believe me, ask your dad (that's right)
And if you don't believe him, ask your mom (you can)
She'll tell you how she does 'em all the time (she will)
So kids, say no to drugs (smoke crack)
So you don't act like everyone else does (that's right)
Then there's really nothin' else to say (but um)
Drugs are just bad, okay?

And last but not least, one of the most humongous
Problems among young people today, is fungus
It grows from cow manure, they pick it out, wipe it off
Bag it up, and you put it right in your mouth and chew it
Yum, yum, then you start to see some dumb stuff
And everything slows down when you eat some of 'em
And sometimes you see things that aren't there (like what?)
Like fat woman in G-strings with orange hair
(Mr. Shady, what's a G-string?) It's yarn, Claire
Women stick 'em up their behinds, go out and wear 'em (huh?)
And if you swallow too much of the magic mushrooms
Whoops, did I say magic mushrooms? I meant fungus
Your tongue gets all swol' up like a cow's tongue (how come?)
'Cause it comes from a cow's dung (gross)
See drugs are bad, it's a common fact
But your mom and dad, know that's all that I'm good at (oh)
But don't be me, 'cause if you grow up and you go and O.D.
They're gonna come for me and I'ma have to grow a goatee
And get a disguise and hide, 'cause it'll be my fault
So don't do drugs, and do exactly as I don't
'Cause I'm bad for you

See children, drugs are bad (come on)
And if you don't believe me, ask your dad (put that down)
And if you don't believe him, ask your mom (you can ask)
She'll tell you how she does 'em all the time (and she will)
So kids, say no to drugs (say no)
So you don't act like everyone else does (like I do)
Then there's really nothin' else to say (that's right)
Drugs are just bad, okay?

Come on children, clap along (shut up)
Sing along, children (suck my motherfuckin' dick)
Come on, clap along
Drugs are just bad, drugs are just bad (South Park is gonna sue me)
So don't do drugs (kiss my motherfuckin' ass)
So there'll be more for me (hippie, goddammit)
(Mushrooms killed Kenny)




Uh, the fart button's on (eww, ahh)
(So, fucked up, right now)

Overall Meaning

"The Kids" is a track off the Slim Shady LP album by Eminem. The song is an explicit warning against drugs and their harmful effects, and it's also a commentary on how kids and teenagers are vulnerable to peer pressure. The lyrics recount two stories that emphasize the dangers of drug abuse. The first story is about Bob, a marijuana smoker, who chopped off a waitress's legs and killed her. The second case describes Zach, who took five tablets of ecstasy and went into a coma. The song also underscores the role parents play in preventing children from engaging in harmful behavior.


In the first verse, Eminem takes on the persona of a substitute teacher, introducing himself as Mr. Shady. He details the story of Bob, an unemployed man who smokes marijuana, hangs out at a local waffle spot, and has a younger brother who admires him. Bob goes on to kidnap a waitress and chops her off in the woods. The second verse talks about Zach, a young man who takes ecstasy and goes into a coma. In both cases, Eminem is critical of drug use and peer pressure.


The song is an example of Eminem's lyrical prowess and his unique style of storytelling. He uses vivid imagery and humor to convey a serious message about the risks of drugs. The song's catchy chorus, "say no to drugs," encourages children to resist peer pressure and avoid harmful substances. In the end, the song is a creative way to raise awareness of drug abuse among young people.


Line by Line Meaning

And everyone should get along
Let's all try to cooperate and live in harmony


Okay, children, quiet down, quiet down
Children, please settle down and be quiet


Children, I'd like to introduce our new substitute teacher for the day
I want you to meet Mr. Shady, who will be teaching you today


His name is Mr. Shady
We will be referring to him as Mr. Shady


Brian, don't throw that (shut up)
Brian, stop throwing things and be quiet


Mr. Shady will be your new substitute
Mr. Shady is replacing Mr. Kaniff as your teacher


While Mr. Kaniff is out with pneumonia (he's got AIDS)
Mr. Kaniff is absent due to illness, possibly AIDS


Good luck Mr. Shady
Mr. Shady, we wish you the best of luck in your role


Hi there, little boys and girls (fuck you)
Hello, children. I am addressing you in a less respectful manner


Today we're gonna to learn how to poison squirrels
In today's lesson, we will discover how to harm squirrels intentionally


But first, I'd like you to meet my friend Bob (huh?)
Before we begin, I want you to meet my acquaintance, Bob


Say hi, Bob (hi, Bob)
Please greet Bob, children (respond 'hi, Bob')


Bob's thirty and still lives with his mom
Despite being thirty years old, Bob resides with his mother


And he don't got a job, 'cause Bob sits at home and smokes pot
Bob doesn't have a job because he spends his time at home, smoking marijuana


But his twelve-year old brother looks up to him an awful lot
Despite Bob's lifestyle, his younger brother admires him greatly


And Bob likes to hang out at the local waffle spot
Bob enjoys spending time at the nearby waffle restaurant


And wait in the parkin' lot for waitresses off the clock
He waits in the parking lot, hoping to meet waitresses after their shift ends


When it's late and the lot gets dark and fake like he walks his dog
During late hours when the parking lot is dimly lit, he pretends to walk his dog


Drag 'em in the woods and go straight to the chopping blocks (ah)
He forcibly takes them into the woods and proceeds to harm them brutally


And even if they escaped and they got the cops
Even if they manage to escape and involve the police


The ladies would all be so afraid, they would drop the charge
The women would be too terrified to press charges against him


Til one night Mrs. Stacey went off the job
However, one night, Mrs. Stacey deviated from her routine


When she felt someone grab her whole face and said not to talk
She experienced someone forcefully grasping her face and warning her to remain silent


But Stacey knew it was Bob and said knock it off
Stacey recognized that it was Bob and demanded him to stop


But Bob wouldn't knock it off 'cause he's crazy and off his rocker
Bob refused to cease his actions because he is mentally unstable


Crazier than Slim Shady is off the vodka
Bob's insanity exceeds that of Slim Shady intoxicated with vodka


You couldn't even take him to Dre's to get Bob a doctor
Bob is beyond help, even if taken to Dr. Dre for medical attention


He grabbed Stace' by the legs as chopped it off her
He seized Stacey by the legs and proceeded to sever them from her body


And dropped her off in the lake for the cops to find her
He disposed of her body in a lake, intending for the police to discover it


But ever since the day Stacey went off to wander
After Stacey's disappearance, she became lost or deceased


They never found her, and Bob still hangs at the waffle diner
Her fate remains unknown, and Bob continues to frequent the waffle restaurant


And that's the story of Bob and his marijuana
This concludes the narrative of Bob's life involving marijuana


And what it might do to you
It serves as a cautionary tale of the potential consequences of drug use


So see if the squirrels want any, it's bad for you
If squirrels express interest in the substance, remember that it is harmful


See children, drugs are bad (come on)
Understand, children, that drugs have negative effects


And if you don't believe me, ask your dad (ask him man)
If my word is not convincing, consult your father


And if you don't believe him, ask your mom (that's right)
If your father's opinion is also doubted, inquire with your mother


She'll tell you how she does 'em all the time (she will)
She will inform you that she consumes drugs frequently


So kids, say no to drugs (that's right)
Therefore, children, refuse drugs when offered to you


So you don't act like everyone else does (uh-huh)
Rejecting drugs will prevent you from behaving like the majority


Then there's really nothin' else to say (sing along)
Once you understand this concept, there is nothing more to discuss


Drugs are just bad, okay?
In conclusion, drugs are unequivocally harmful


My penis is the size of a peanut, have you seen it?
I possess a small penis, have any of you witnessed it?


Fuck no, you ain't seen it, it's the size of a peanut (huh?)
No, none of you have seen it; it resembles a peanut in size


Speakin' of peanuts, you know what else is bad for squirrels?
On the topic of peanuts, do you know what else is harmful to squirrels?


Ecstasy is the worst drug in the world
Ecstasy is regarded as the most detrimental drug


If someone ever offers it to you, don't do it
In the event that someone offers you ecstasy, refuse it


Kids, two hits will probably drain all your spinal fluid
Children, consuming only two doses of ecstasy can deplete your spinal fluid


And spinal fluid is final, you won't get it back
Once your spinal fluid is lost, it cannot be replenished


So don't get attached, it'll attack every bone in your back
Avoid becoming dependent on it; it will harm your entire back structure


Meet Zach, twenty-one years old
Let me introduce Zach, a twenty-one-year-old individual


After hangin' out with some friends at a frat party, he gets bold
Following a gathering with friends at a fraternity party, he becomes more daring


And decides to try five, when he's bribed by five guys
He agrees to consume five ecstasy pills after being influenced by five acquaintances


And peer pressure will win every time you try to fight it
When faced with peer pressure, it almost always prevails over resistance


Suddenly, he starts to convulse and his pulse goes into hyperdrive
Suddenly, he experiences seizures and his heartbeat intensifies


And his eyes roll back in his skull
His eyes roll backward inside his skull


His back starts to, look like the McDonald's Arches
His back adopts the shape resembling the arches of the McDonald's logo


He's on Donald's carpet, layin' horizontal barfin'
He collapses on Donald's carpet, lying flat and vomiting


And everyone in the apartment starts laughin' at him
Those present in the apartment begin to mock and laugh at him


"Hey Adam, Zach is a jackass, look at him"
"Adam, Zach is behaving foolishly, observe his actions"


'Cause they took it too, so they think it's funny
As they also consumed the drug, they find his situation amusing


So they're laughing at basically nothing except maybe wasting his money
Their laughter is directed towards his unfortunate situation, potentially due to wasted money


Meanwhile, Zach's in a coma, the action is over
Meanwhile, Zach is in a state of unconsciousness, and the situation has ended


And his back and his shoulders hunched up like he's practicin' yoga
His back and shoulders become contorted, resembling yoga poses


And that's the story of Zach, the ecstasy maniac
This narrates the tale of Zach, the individual obsessed with ecstasy


So don't even feed that to squirrels class, 'cause it's bad for you
In conclusion, class, refrain from providing ecstasy to squirrels as it is harmful


And last but not least, one of the most humongous
Lastly, but of significant importance


Problems among young people today, is fungus
A prevalent issue faced by young individuals today is fungus


It grows from cow manure, they pick it out, wipe it off
Fungus originates from cow feces, it is then extracted and cleansed


Bag it up, and you put it right in your mouth and chew it
Subsequently, it is packed into a bag and consumed by chewing


Yum, yum, then you start to see some dumb stuff
This leads to hallucinations and altered perceptions


And everything slows down when you eat some of 'em
Time appears to slow down upon ingestion


And sometimes you see things that aren't there (like what?)
Occasionally, you perceive objects or entities that do not actually exist (e.g., what?)


Like fat woman in G-strings with orange hair
For instance, you may envision overweight women wearing revealing panties and possessing orange hair


(Mr. Shady, what's a G-string?) It's yarn, Claire
(Mr. Shady, what is a G-string?) Claire, a G-string is a type of underwear made of yarn


Women stick 'em up their behinds, go out and wear 'em (huh?)
Women insert them into their buttocks and wear them outside (surprising, isn't it?)


And if you swallow too much of the magic mushrooms
If you consume an excessive amount of magic mushrooms


Whoops, did I say magic mushrooms? I meant fungus
Oops, did I mistakenly refer to them as magic mushrooms? I actually meant to say fungus


Your tongue gets all swol' up like a cow's tongue (how come?)
As a result, your tongue swells, resembling that of a cow (why does this occur?)


'Cause it comes from a cow's dung (gross)
This happens because fungus originates from cow feces (disgusting, isn't it?)


See drugs are bad, it's a common fact
To reiterate, drugs are unquestionably harmful


But your mom and dad, know that's all that I'm good at (oh)
However, your parents are aware that drug-related topics are my specialty


But don't be me, 'cause if you grow up and you go and O.D.
Nevertheless, I urge you not to imitate my actions, as it may lead to overdosing


They're gonna come for me and I'ma have to grow a goatee
Authorities will pursue me, forcing me to change my appearance by growing facial hair


And get a disguise and hide, 'cause it'll be my fault
I would need to adopt a disguise and seek refuge, as it would be my responsibility


So don't do drugs, and do exactly as I don't
In conclusion, abstain from drugs and follow the opposite of my behavior


'Cause I'm bad for you
I am detrimental to your well-being


Come on children, clap along (shut up)
Children, please join in and clap (be quiet)


Sing along, children (suck my motherfuckin' dick)
Sing with me, children (a vulgar and inappropriate comment)


Come on, clap along
Continue clapping along


Drugs are just bad, drugs are just bad (South Park is gonna sue me)
Drugs are unequivocally harmful, drugs are unequivocally harmful (a reference to potential legal consequences)


So don't do drugs (kiss my motherfuckin' ass)
Therefore, do not engage in drug use (a rude and disrespectful remark)


So there'll be more for me (hippie, goddammit)
This way, there will be a greater supply of drugs for me (an insult directed towards hippies)


(Mushrooms killed Kenny)
(A humorous remark referencing a character from South Park who often dies)


Uh, the fart button's on (eww, ahh)
Uh, the sound effect resembling a fart is activated (expressing disgust and surprise)


(So, fucked up, right now)
(I am currently under the influence and impaired)




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jeffrey Irwin Bass, Mark Randy Bass, Marshall B. III Mathers

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@josephdavoren4395

Just so everybody knows, Eminem does every single voice in this song, including the Cartman impersonation.

@jaxsonguenther1291

No he did not...

@theworm8764

softkittyking sarcasm

@shylajeanss8066

Joseph Davoren he could totally be a voice actor

@TomPom-ur2jk

It’s not Cartman it’s mr Mackey 🤦‍♀️

@streetpeter3210

@tom wingrove he does the Cartman voice at the beginning. Do you listen?

103 More Replies...

@glassofwater281

When Eminem teaches kids more about the dangers of drugs than teachers

@e14ee

this song is satire

@glassofwater281

MR MENTALITY pretty much

@jaredthompson553

Eminem teaches the youth and putting them on the right path

More Comments

More Versions