The song is a prominent hardcore hip-hop track for its angst-ridden lyrics and hostile, aggressive delivery by Eminem. It features the first beat Eminem produced on his own, featuring an ominous bass line, a piano loop, and bell chimes. In the song, Eminem lashes out at people he feels are putting too much pressure on him, including overzealous fans and record executives expecting him to top the success of his hit single "My Name Is", though in fact he went on to do so with "The Real Slim Shady," as well as other songs. He delivers each line extremely aggressively, almost shouting them out, representing the angry, resentful tone taken by the lyrics. The song contains the line "When a dude's gettin bullied and shoots up his school, and they blame it on Marilyn...", referring to either Eric Harris or Dylan Klebold, the bullied perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre which took place the previous year, and the resulting media backlash against Marilyn Manson. The song has also been remixed by Danny Lohner featuring Marilyn Manson, who has performed the song with Eminem live on stage. In 2005 it was re-released on the album Curtain Call: The Hits. "The Way I Am" was certified Gold in Sweden, selling over 20,000 copies.
In 2008, Eminem released a second autobiography titled The Way I Am.
The song received very positive reviews. Aspects lauded were the vocal delivery, rhyme pattern, production and political material covered. Cynthia Fuchs of PopMatters was positive: "In "The Way I Am," Eminem expounds, "Since birth I've been cursed with this curse to just curse / And just blurt this berserk and bizarre shit that works / And it sells and it helps in itself to relieve / All this tension, dispensin' these sentences." So there it is: he's performing therapy." AllMusic highlighted the song. Sputnikmusic described this song as "Amityville's portrayal of the Detroit he grew up in; The Way I Am as a whole". Same critic listed it in Recommended Downloads and praising the single: "Built over doomy, gothic arpeggios, rumbling bass, and church bells, Eminem lays down one of the most perfectly formed lyrics of his career, weaving in and out of a tight rhyme scheme that echoes the loping piano motif. Interesting aside: this is one of the first Eminem songs that gives him 100% of the writing credits." IGN praised the song: "Eminem is an angry ass white boy and the vitriol continues on "I Way I Am," in which he soundly states "I am whatever you say I am/If I wasn't why would I say I am?" And when he complains that he's "so sick and tired of being admired…" one almost believes that he'll hang up the mic and disappear (but Em obviously loves the attention so that's not an option at this point in the game). The throbbing, tubular bell and piano-laced beat only add to the intensity of the track (incidentally it was crafted by Em himself and it's one of the more stellar examples of his often hit or miss production techniques)." Sal Cinquemani called this song: "He (Eminem) revels in the fact that there's teen violence in upper-class cities on the epic "The Way I Am." The song was named the 35th Best Song of the decade by the magazine Complex. The same magazine, in April 2011, ranked the song at #3 on their 100 Best Eminem Songs list. The line, "If I wasn't, then why would I say I am" was inspired by the song "As The Rhyme Goes On" by Eric B and Rakim.
The Way I Am
Eminem Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dre just let it run
Ayo, turn the beat up a little bit
Ayo, this song is for anyone
Fuck it, just shut up and listen, ayo
I sit back with this pack of Zig-Zag's and this bag
Of this weed, it gives me the shit needed to be
And since birth I've been cursed with this curse to just curse
And just blurt this berserk and bizarre shit that works
And it sells and it helps in itself to relieve all this tension
Dispensing these sentences, getting this stress
That's been eating me recently off of this chest
And I rest again peacefully
But at least have the decency in you
To leave me alone, when you freaks see me out
In the streets when I'm eating or feeding my daughter
To not come and speak to me, I don't know you
And no, I don't owe you a mothafuckin' thing
I'm not Mr. N'Sync, I'm not what your friends think
I'm not Mr. Friendly, I can be a prick if you tempt me
My tank is on empty, no patience is in me
And if you offend me, I'm lifting you ten feet in the air
I don't care who was there and who saw me just jaw you
Go call you a lawyer, file you a lawsuit
I'll smile in the courtroom and buy you a wardrobe
I'm tired of all you, I don't mean to be mean
But that's all I can be, it's just me
And I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
Radio won't even play my jam
'Cause I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
I don't know, it's just the way I am
Sometimes I just feel like my father
I hate to be bothered with all of this nonsense
It's constant, and, "Oh, it's his lyrical content
The song 'Guilty Conscience' has gotten such rotten responses"
And all of this controversy circles me
And it seems like the media immediately points a finger at me
So I point one back at 'em, but not the index or pinkie
Or the ring or the thumb, it's the one you put up
When you don't give a fuck, when you won't just put up
With the bullshit they pull, 'cause they full of shit too
When a dude's getting bullied and shoots up his school
And they blame it on Marilyn and the heroin
Where were the parents at? And look where it's at!
Middle America, now it's a tragedy
Now it's so sad to see, an upper-class city havin' this happening
Then attack Eminem 'cause I rap this way
But I'm glad, 'cause they feed me the fuel that I need
For the fire to burn, and it's burning, and I have returned
And I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
Radio won't even play my jam
'Cause I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
I don't know, it's just the way I am
I'm so sick and tired of being admired
That I wish that I would just die or get fired
And dropped from my label, let's stop with the fables
I'm not gonna be able to top on "My Name Is"
And pigeon-holed into some poppy sensation
To cop me rotation at rock-n-roll stations
And I just do not got the patience
To deal with these cocky Caucasians
Who think I'm some wigger who just tries to be black
'Cause I talk with an accent and grab on my balls
So they always keep asking the same fucking questions
What school did I go to, what hood I grew up in
The why, the who, what, when, the where and the how
'Til I'm grabbing my hair and I'm tearin' it out
'Cause they driving me crazy, I can't take it
I'm racin', I'm pacin', I stand and I sit
And I'm thankful for every fan that I get
But I can't take a shit
In the bathroom without someone standing by it
No, I won't sign you an autograph
You can call me an asshole, I'm glad
'Cause I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
Radio won't even play my jam
'Cause I am whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
I don't know, it's just the way I am
The Way I Am by Eminem is a song about his struggles with fame and the media's perception of him. He talks about the pressure that fame puts on him, and how he doesn't want to be bothered with all the nonsense. He also discusses how the media seems to always point the finger at him, even when things are not his fault. Throughout the song, he talks about how he is tired of being admired and how he wishes he could just be left alone. One of the recurring themes of the song is that Eminem is going to be who he is, no matter what anyone else says.
The first verse talks about how Eminem needs weed to help him be the most meanest MC on Earth. He discusses how he's been cursed with the curse to just blurt out bizarre and berserk things. Throughout the song, he talks about how he's not going to change who he is for anyone else. He's not going to be Mr. N'Sync, he's not going to be Mr. Friendly, he's just going to be himself.
The second verse discusses how the media is always attacking him, but he doesn't care. He uses the example of a school shooting and how people blame it on Marilyn Manson and heroin, but not on the parents. He mentions how the media feeds him the fuel he needs to keep creating music and be himself. He talks about how he's sick of all the admiration and wishes he could just be left alone. But at the end of the day, he is who he is, and he's not going to change for anyone.
Line by Line Meaning
Man, whatever
I don't care about your opinions or judgments
Dre just let it run
Dr. Dre, let the music play
Ayo, turn the beat up a little bit
Hey, increase the volume of the instrumental
Ayo, this song is for anyone
Hey, this song is relatable to anyone
Fuck it, just shut up and listen, ayo
Forget it, be quiet and pay attention
I sit back with this pack of Zig-Zag's and this bag
I relax with a pack of rolling papers and a bag of marijuana
Of this weed, it gives me the shit needed to be
This marijuana gives me the inspiration to
The most meanest MC on this, on this Earth
Be the most aggressive and skilled rapper on this planet
And since birth I've been cursed with this curse to just curse
Since I was born, I've been burdened with the tendency to swear
And just blurt this berserk and bizarre shit that works
And express this outrageous and strange content that resonates
And it sells and it helps in itself to relieve all this tension
And it sells, and it serves as a coping mechanism for my stress
Dispensing these sentences, getting this stress
Delivering these lyrics, releasing this stress
That's been eating me recently off of this chest
That has been consuming my thoughts lately
And I rest again peacefully
And I find inner peace once again
But at least have the decency in you
But at least possess some basic courtesy inside of you
To leave me alone, when you freaks see me out
To not bother me, when you strange individuals spot me outside
In the streets when I'm eating or feeding my daughter
In public when I'm having a meal or taking care of my child
To not come and speak to me, I don't know you
To not approach me and try to start a conversation, I am unfamiliar with you
And no, I don't owe you a mothafuckin' thing
And no, I don't owe you anything at all
I'm not Mr. N'Sync, I'm not what your friends think
I'm not like the boy band N'Sync, I'm not who your friends perceive
I'm not Mr. Friendly, I can be a prick if you tempt me
I'm not a nice guy, I can be rude if you provoke me
My tank is on empty, no patience is in me
I have no energy left, I am completely out of patience
And if you offend me, I'm lifting you ten feet in the air
And if you insult me, I'm taking you up in the air ten feet high
I don't care who was there and who saw me just jaw you
I don't care about the witnesses who saw me punch you
Go call you a lawyer, file you a lawsuit
Go ahead, hire a lawyer and file a lawsuit against me
I'll smile in the courtroom and buy you a wardrobe
I'll smirk in the courtroom and pay for your legal fees
I'm tired of all you, I don't mean to be mean
I'm exhausted by all of you, I don't intend to be cruel
But that's all I can be, it's just me
But that's the only way I know how to be, it's just who I am
And I am whatever you say I am
I am whatever you label me as
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
If I wasn't what you claim, why would I proclaim it myself?
In the paper, the news, every day I am
In the media, newspapers, every day I am portrayed
Radio won't even play my jam
Radio stations refuse to broadcast my song
'Cause I am whatever you say I am
Because I am whatever you believe me to be
I don't know, it's just the way I am
I don't know, it's simply my nature and personality
Sometimes I just feel like my father
At times, I simply feel like my own father
I hate to be bothered with all of this nonsense
I despise being troubled by all of this foolishness
It's constant, and, 'Oh, it's his lyrical content
It's incessant, and oh, they criticize my creative lyrics
The song 'Guilty Conscience' has gotten such rotten responses'
My song 'Guilty Conscience' has received negative reactions
And all of this controversy circles me
And all of this controversy surrounds me
And it seems like the media immediately points a finger at me
And it appears that the media quickly blames me
So I point one back at 'em, but not the index or pinkie
Thus, I retaliate against them, but not by using my index or pinkie finger
Or the ring or the thumb, it's the one you put up
Not the ring finger or thumb either, it's the middle finger we raise
When you don't give a fuck, when you won't just put up
When you don't care, when you refuse to tolerate
With the bullshit they pull, 'cause they full of shit too
With the nonsense they try to pull, because they are also deceitful
When a dude's getting bullied and shoots up his school
When a guy experiences bullying and resorts to a school shooting
And they blame it on Marilyn and the heroin
And they attribute the blame to Marilyn Manson and heroin
Where were the parents at? And look where it's at!
Where were the parents during the incident? Look at the current situation!
Middle America, now it's a tragedy
In middle America, it has become a disaster
Now it's so sad to see, an upper-class city havin' this happening
Now it's disheartening to witness an affluent city experiencing such events
Then attack Eminem 'cause I rap this way
Then they criticize Eminem because of my style of rapping
But I'm glad, 'cause they feed me the fuel that I need
But I'm glad because they provide me with the motivation I require
For the fire to burn, and it's burning, and I have returned
For the passion to ignite, and it's currently ablaze, and I have made a comeback
I'm so sick and tired of being admired
I'm extremely exhausted of being idolized
That I wish that I would just die or get fired
To the point where I wish for my own demise or loss of my career
And dropped from my label, let's stop with the fables
And being removed from my record label, let's stop with the lies
I'm not gonna be able to top on 'My Name Is'
I won't be able to surpass the success of my song 'My Name Is'
And pigeon-holed into some poppy sensation
And stereotyped into being a generic pop artist
To cop me rotation at rock-n-roll stations
To get me regular airplay on rock and roll radio stations
And I just do not got the patience
And I simply don't have the patience
To deal with these cocky Caucasians
To handle these arrogant white individuals
Who think I'm some wigger who just tries to be black
Who believe I'm a white person trying to imitate African American culture
'Cause I talk with an accent and grab on my balls
Because I speak with a particular accent and engage in provocative behavior
So they always keep asking the same fucking questions
So they continuously ask me the same damn questions
What school did I go to, what hood I grew up in
Which school did I attend, which neighborhood did I originate from
The why, the who, what, when, the where and the how
The reasons, the individuals, the what, when, where, and how
'Til I'm grabbing my hair and I'm tearin' it out
Until I start pulling my hair and tearing it out
'Cause they driving me crazy, I can't take it
Because they are driving me insane, I can't handle it
I'm racin', I'm pacin', I stand and I sit
I'm speeding, I'm walking back and forth, I alternate between standing and sitting
And I'm thankful for every fan that I get
And I am grateful for every supporter that I gain
But I can't take a shit
However, I can't even use the restroom
In the bathroom without someone standing by it
In the bathroom without someone waiting outside
No, I won't sign you an autograph
No, I won't give you my signature
You can call me an asshole, I'm glad
You can label me as a jerk, I'm pleased
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Marshall B. III Mathers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@snakeeyes2551
If I had to choose my top 10 favorite Eminem songs they would be.
1. Not Afraid
2. Lose Yourself
3. When I'm Gone
4. Till I Collapse
5. Mockingbird
6. The Real Slim Shady
7. My Name Is
8. The Way I Am
9. Love the Way You Lie
10. No Love
@wisnu7402
The Way I Am
Whatever...
Dre, just let it run
Aiyyo turn the beat up a little bit
Aiyyo... this song is for anyone... fuck it
Just shut up and listen, aiyyo...
I sit back with this pack of Zig Zags and this bag
Of this weed it gives me the shit needed to be
The most meanest MC on this - on this Earth
And since birth I've been cursed with this curse to just curse
And just blurt this berserk and bizarre shit that works
And it sells and it helps in itself to relieve
All this tension dispensing these sentences
Getting this stress that's been eating me recently off of this chest
And I rest again peacefully (peacefully)...
But at least have the decency in you
To leave me alone, when you freaks see me out
In the streets when I'm eating or feeding my daughter
Do not come and speak to me (speak to me)...
I don't know you and no,
I don't owe you a motherfucking thing
I'm not Mr. N'Sync, I'm not what your friends think
I'm not Mr. Friendly, I can be a prick
If you tick me my tank is on empty (is on empty)...
No patience is in me and if you offend me
I'm lifting you 10 feet (lifting you 10 feet)... in the air
I don't care who was there and who saw me destroy you
Go call you a lawyer, file you a lawsuit
I'll smile in the courtroom and buy you a wardrobe
I'm tired of all you (of all you)...
I don't mean to be mean, but that's all I can be is just me
[Chorus:]
And I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news everyday I am
Radio won't even play my jam
'Cause I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news everyday I am
I don't know, it's just the way I am
Sometimes I just feel like my father,
I hate to be bothered
With all of this nonsense it's constant
And, "Oh, it's his lyrical content - - the song 'Guilty Conscience' has gotten such rotten responses"
And all of this controversy circles me
And it seems like the media immediately
Points a finger at me (finger at me)...
So I point one back at 'em, but not the index or pinkie
Or the ring or the thumb, it's the one you put up
When you don't give a fuck, when you won't just put up
With the bullshit they pull, 'cause they full of shit too
When a dude's getting bullied and shoots up his school
And they blame it on Marilyn (on Marilyn)... and the heroin
Where were the parents at? And look where it's at
Middle America, now it's a tragedy
Now it's so sad to see, an upper class city
Having this happening (this happening)...
Then attack Eminem 'cause I rap this way (rap this way)...
But I'm glad 'cause they feed me the fuel that I need for the fire
To burn and it's burning and I have returned
[Chorus:]
And I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news everyday I am
Radio won't even play my jam
'Cause I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news everyday I am
I don't know it's just the way I am
I'm so sick and tired of being admired
That I wish that I would just die or get fired
And dropped from my label, let's stop with the fables
I'm not gonna be able to top on "My Name is... "
And pigeon-holed into some pop-py sensation
That got me rotation at rock'n'roll stations
And I just do not got the patience (got the patience)...
To deal with these cocky Caucasians who think
I'm some wigger who just tries to be black 'cause I talk
With an accent, and grab on my balls, so they always keep asking
The same fucking questions (fucking questions)...
What school did I go to, what hood I grew up in
The why, the who what when, the where, and the how
'Til I'm grabbing my hair and I'm tearing it out
'Cause they driving me crazy (driving me crazy)... I can't take it
I'm racing, I'm pacing, I stand and I sit
And I'm thankful for every fan that I get
But I can't take a shit, in the bathroom
Without someone standing by it
No, I won't sign your autograph
You can call me an asshole I'm glad
[Chorus:]
'Cause I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news everyday I am
Radio won't even play my jam
'Cause I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news everyday I am
I don't know, it's just the way I am
@gamingsvlogs7514
For guys listening in 2060, this guy was a legend. A genius.
@plan42b
I agree, BUT, t*ump silenced him.
Shame Em....let us down...
@xycfabicyx2376
Hey how are u?
@lyzedekiel8957
Don't think people still going to be on Youtube
@gamingsvlogs7514
@@xycfabicyx2376 Fine. :)
@evan.eats.babies
@@plan42b t*ump 🤣🤣🤣
@tequilaxoxoxo
When he dissed his own fans, but we still fucking love him.
@themadclown9129
Unless he says fuck trump then his fans get all butthurt
@ceilingeye
Because we know he’s right
@umumgiey8062
Those are all true fans who didnt say fck u after this