"Lose Yourself" was a commercial success, becoming Eminem's first Billboard Hot 100 number-one single and remaining there for twelve consecutive weeks. It reached atop of the charts in nineteen other countries. "Lose Yourself" received acclaim from music critics, with many critics praising the song's inspiring, aggressive themes and describing it as Eminem's best work to date. Eminem's rapping ability, the lyrics and the production were also praised. In many retrospective reviews and lists, critics have cited the song among Eminem's finest, as well as one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time.
The music video for the song, directed by Eminem, manager Paul Rosenberg and Phillip G. Atwell, was released on October 7, 2002. The video is a mixture of multiple scenarios, including scenes from and reminiscent of the movie 8 Mile, and Eminem rapping next to the "8 Mile Rd. Mobile Court" sign that appears on the cover of the movie's soundtrack. It received the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film.
"Lose Yourself" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, making it the first hip hop song to receive the award, and also won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Solo Performance. In 2004, it was one of only three hip hop songs from the 21st century to be included on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, being the highest ranked at number 166. Rolling Stone also included it on its list of the Top 50 Hip Hop Songs of All Time. "Lose Yourself" is certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has been downloaded 10 million times in the United States alone. It was performed by Eminem and Anderson .Paak in the Super Bowl LVI halftime show on February 13, 2022.
In the United States, "Lose Yourself" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart the week of October 5, 2002, at No. 43 prior to its release 24 days later, which is October 28 of that same year. A week later, the single jumped to No. 18, and hit No. 1 on the week of November 9 and remained there for twelve consecutive weeks until it was knocked off by Bump, Bump, Bump by B2K and P. Diddy. The single spent 16 total weeks in the Top 10, and a total of 23 weeks in the Top 50. While in the No. 1 spot (from November 9, 2002, through January 25, 2003), "Lose Yourself" kept several top contenders for the No. 1 spot from ever reaching No. 1, including Jay-Z, Nelly, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, and especially Missy Elliott, whose single "Work It" was at No. 2 for 10 weeks. The song also topped the Pop Songs chart for 7 weeks and hit No. 4 and No. 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rap Songs charts. The song also used some rock music origins allowing moderate success to alternative rock radio peaking No. 14 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, the rapper's only song to chart. It reached 4 million in sales by August 2011, and as of September 2017, it has sold 7.37 million copies in the U.S.
In France, it is the 53rd best-selling single of the 21st century, with 386,000 units sold as of August 2014. By December 2016, it had sold more than 11,590,000 units worldwide.
As of March 2018, it had sold 10 million copies in the U.S and has now been certified diamond.
Lose Yourself
Eminem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you had
One shot
Or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted
In one moment
Would you capture it
Or just let it slip?
Yo
His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti
He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready
To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgettin'
What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud
He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out
He's chokin', how, everybody's jokin' now
The clocks run out, times up, over, blaow
Snap back to reality, ope there goes gravity
Ope, there goes Rabbit, he choked
He's so mad, but he won't give up that easy? No
He won't have it, he knows his whole back's to these ropes
It don't matter, he's dope, he knows that, but he's broke
He's so stagnant, he knows, when he goes back to this mobile home, that's when it's
Back to the lab again, yo, this whole rhapsody
Better go capture this moment and hope it don't pass him
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime
You better
His soul's escaping, through this hole that is gaping
This world is mine for the taking
Make me king, as we move toward a New World Order
A normal life is borin', but super stardom's close to post mortem
It only grows harder, only grows hotter
He blows, it's all over, these hoes is all on him
Coast to coast shows, he's known as the Globetrotter
Lonely roads, God only knows, he's grown farther from home, he's no father
He goes home and barely knows his own daughter
But hold your nose 'cause here goes the cold water
These hoes don't want him no mo', he's cold product
They moved on to the next schmo who flows, he nose dove and sold nada
So the soap opera is told and unfolds, I suppose it's old partna, but the beat goes on
Da-da-dum, da-dum, da-da
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime
You better
No more games, I'ma change what you call rage
Tear this motherfuckin' roof off like two dogs caged
I was playin' in the beginnin', the mood all changed
I been chewed up and spit out and booed off stage
But I kept rhymin' and stepped right in the next cypher
Best believe somebody's payin' the Pied Piper
All the pain inside amplified by the
Fact that I can't get by with my nine to
Five and I can't provide the right type of
Life for my family 'cause man, these goddamn food stamps don't buy diapers
And its no movie, there's no Mekhi Phifer
This is my life and these times are so hard
And it's getting even harder tryna feed and water my seed, plus
Teeter totter, caught up between bein' a father and a prima donna
Baby mama drama, screamin' on her, too much
For me to wanna stay in one spot, another day of monotony's
Gotten me to the point, I'm like a snail I've got
To formulate a plot or end up in jail or shot
Success is my only motherfuckin' option, failure's not
Mom, I love you, but this trailer's got to go, I cannot grow old in Salem's Lot
So here I go, is my shot
Feet, fail me not, this may be the only opportunity that I got
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime
You better
You can do anything you set your mind to, man
The lyrics to "Lose Yourself" by Eminem speak to the idea of pursuing your dreams to the fullest extent, taking advantage of the opportunities presented to you, and keeping your focus on what matters most. The opening lines ask the listener to imagine a scenario where they have one chance to capture everything they've ever wanted, and the urgency of the situation is palpable.
The verses then follow the story of a struggling rapper, played by Eminem himself, who embodies the feeling of being nervous and unprepared for the biggest moment of his life. He's choking on the lyrics he's written, and the crowd is unforgiving. However, he refuses to give up, knowing that he has what it takes to succeed, despite his current difficulties. The song advances the idea of losing oneself in the moment, a feeling that is described as being meditative, transcendent, and powerful.
Overall, "Lose Yourself" delivers a powerful message about staying true to your dreams, even when faced with the most challenging of situations. Eminem captures the challenges of being an artist and trying to make one's way in the world, and the lyrics resonate with a wide variety of listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Look
Pay attention
If you had
In the event that you possessed
One shot
A single chance
Or one opportunity
Or one opening
To seize everything you ever wanted
To gain all that you ever desired
In one moment
In a single instance
Would you capture it
Will you take hold of it
Or just let it slip?
Or let it pass you by?
His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
He is anxious and nervous
There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti
His nervousness is making him ill
He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready
He is frightened, but looks unafraid
To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgettin'
To perform well, but keeps forgetting his lyrics
What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud
He forgot what he practiced and the crowd is restless
He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out
He tries to speak but can't find the words
He's chokin', how, everybody's jokin' now
He's struggling, and everyone's mocking him now
The clocks run out, times up, over, blaow
Time is up
Snap back to reality, ope there goes gravity
Returning to the present, the pressure is on
Ope, there goes Rabbit, he choked
Oh, there goes the performer, he lost his nerve
He's so mad, but he won't give up that easy? No
He is furious but refuses to give up
He won't have it, he knows his whole back's to these ropes
He is cornered, with no room to move
It don't matter, he's dope, he knows that, but he's broke
Even though he is skilled, he is poor
He's so stagnant, he knows, when he goes back to this mobile home, that's when it's
He feels stuck, and knows he has an ordinary home to return to
Back to the lab again, yo, this whole rhapsody
He's going back to the recording studio to create his masterpiece
Better go capture this moment and hope it don't pass him
He needs to seize this moment, as opportunities are rare
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You need to immerse yourself in the music and the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You possess it, and it should never slip away
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
You have but one chance, do not waste it
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime
This rare chance to succeed only comes once
His soul's escaping, through this hole that is gaping
He feels like his spirit is leaving him
This world is mine for the taking
He believes he can conquer the world
Make me king, as we move toward a New World Order
He desires to rule and be part of the new world system
A normal life is borin', but super stardom's close to post mortem
A typical life is dull, and fame is nearly dead
It only grows harder, only grows hotter
The challenges are getting more difficult and intense
He blows, it's all over, these hoes is all on him
Once he fails, he loses his fame and many women
Coast to coast shows, he's known as the Globetrotter
He has become famous worldwide
Lonely roads, God only knows, he's grown farther from home, he's no father
His fame has made him lonely and distant, and he is not a good parent
He goes home and barely knows his own daughter
He has been away so much, he doesn't really know his own child
But hold your nose 'cause here goes the cold water
He is diving into a new challenge, despite it being uncomfortable
These hoes don't want him no mo', he's cold product
Women aren't interested in him anymore, he has lost his appeal
They moved on to the next schmo who flows, he nose dove and sold nada
They've found another artist and his popularity has plummeted
So the soap opera is told and unfolds, I suppose it's old partna, but the beat goes on
His tragic story continues, nothing new but the music continues
Da-da-dum, da-dum, da-da
A musical interlude
No more games, I'ma change what you call rage
He's done playing around and will channel his energy differently
Tear this motherfuckin' roof off like two dogs caged
He will destroy everything in his path
I was playin' in the beginnin', the mood all changed
He was playing around early in his career, but things have gotten serious
I been chewed up and spit out and booed off stage
He's been through the ringer and experienced rejection
But I kept rhymin' and stepped right in the next cypher
He continued to rap and participate in rap battles
Best believe somebody's payin' the Pied Piper
Someone will pay the price for his success
All the pain inside amplified by the
The pain he feels only grows more intense
Fact that I can't get by with my nine to
He can't afford to live on his regular job alone
Five and I can't provide the right type of
He can't provide the life he wants for his family
Life for my family 'cause man, these goddamn food stamps don't buy diapers
He can't take care of his kids, even with government assistance
And its no movie, there's no Mekhi Phifer
His life is not a movie like Mekhi Phifer's character's was
This is my life and these times are so hard
This is his reality, and these are tough times
And it's getting even harder tryna feed and water my seed, plus
It's getting even more difficult to take care of his family
Teeter totter, caught up between bein' a father and a prima donna
He is split between being a parent and a diva
Baby mama drama, screamin' on her, too much
His child's mother is causing drama and screaming at him
For me to wanna stay in one spot, another day of monotony's
He can't bear the monotony of his life anymore
Gotten me to the point, I'm like a snail I've got
It's slowed him down, he feels stuck
To formulate a plot or end up in jail or shot
He needs to come up with a plan or risk jail or death
Success is my only motherfuckin' option, failure's not
He knows he must succeed, he has no other option
Mom, I love you, but this trailer's got to go, I cannot grow old in Salem's Lot
He must leave his childhood home and start anew
So here I go, is my shot
He's taking his chance now
Feet, fail me not, this may be the only opportunity that I got
He can't afford to fail, this is his best shot
You can do anything you set your mind to, man
He encourages others to follow their dreams and work hard to achieve them
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jeffrey Irwin Bass, Marshall B Mathers, Luis Edgardo Resto
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
28Rivals
@elchihuahua420 Damn bro, stay strong "You only get one shot don't miss your chance to blow." Don't let them bring you down in life and keep pushing
serenity noble
awesome
serenity noble
i love it
#eminemfan
@pnjodaro
Absolutely beautiful song
1. Hardly any repeated verse. Pure story telling through rhyme and lyrics. Brilliant.
2. It has an Intro and to balance that out, an Outro.
3. The second chorus is directly in the middle, it balances out the song perfectly.
4. The verses are. Pure. Poetry.
5. The way the speaker gains a certain level of confidence, that tone shift is visible from Verse 1 to Verse 3. Beautiful.
Deserving Oscar.
@vapenation7061
"Eminem looks like that guy from 8 Mile"
@idontzucc
ayy lmao he does lol
@AngelaMartinez-xt3rj
ayy lmao actually emminen is the gut from 8 mile
@rubengivoni6823
I think they both know XD
@ragnazero1971
lol. i never knew Eminem had a twin. then again u learn something new everyday.
@realBANOM
ayy lmao lol cause he is
@xem8
Eminem will forever be a rap legend. Respect to him and his hard work.