Paul
Paul "Bunyan" Rosenburg Lyrics
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This is Paul Rosenberg
Your faithful attorney at law
Listen I listened to the rough copy of your album
And uh, you know I just gotta be honest with you
Can you tone it down a little bit because
There's only so much I can explain
Give me a call
The lyrics to Paul "Bunyan" Rosenberg's song "Paul" begin with a voicemail from his lawyer, who expresses his concern about the content of his album. It is evident from the lawyer's message that the album is too explicit and controversial for the mainstream audience. The lawyer requests Rosenberg to tone down the content of his music, citing that he cannot explain some of the lyrics. The underlying message in this voicemail is clear - that the lyrics are too raw and unfiltered for public consumption, and Rosenberg needs to censor himself to gain broader appeal.
There is a strong sense of conflict and tension in the song's lyrics, as Rosenberg is torn between staying true to his art and censoring himself to appeal to a broader audience. The lyrics suggest that there is a personal struggle between art and commercial success, and the pressures of fame and fortune are taking a toll on Rosenberg's creative process. The song effectively captures the inner turmoil of a rising artist and raises questions about the price of fame and success in the music industry.
Line by Line Meaning
Em whats going on?
Paul Rosenberg calling Eminem to have a conversation about his upcoming album.
This is Paul Rosenberg
Identifying himself to Eminem.
Your faithful attorney at law
Reminding Eminem that he is his loyal lawyer.
Listen I listened to the rough copy of your album
Explaining the reason for the call and informing Eminem that he has listened to the unedited version of his album.
And uh, you know I just gotta be honest with you
Expressing Rosenberg's desire to be candid with Eminem.
Can you tone it down a little bit because
Requesting Em to decrease the vulgarity explicitness of his album.
There's only so much I can explain
Telling Em that the level of vulgarity on his album may hinder Rosenberg's ability to defend him.
Give me a call
Asking Em to call Rosenberg back and discuss the matter further.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARSHALL MATHERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SNYDER-
Behind That Suit shady xv is a Shady records greatest hits album with maybe 5 new tracks how isn't that a classic lol
Steppin' onto the Scene
Soul intent
Infinite
Slim shady Ep
Slim shady Lp
Marshall mathers lp
D12:devil's night
The Eminem show
8mile (soundtrack)
D12: D12 world
Encore
Curtain call
The re-up
Relapse
Recovery
Hell: The sequel EP
MMlp2
Shady XV
@EpickaNESSiskool
The whole thing about Em writing the line about Dee Barnes is especially interesting because Dre can be kinda a drama queen apparently. He was basically the reason why there was no Bad Meets Evil for the next 12 years. Royce's manager at the time, when interviewed about the recording/writing process of Chronic 2001 said that Eminem coaches Dre in the studio. Dre took this as shade or whatever, and didn’t want to be associated with him, so he said that he’d only sign Royce if he left his manager behind. Royce (for loyalty’s sake I guess), turned down the deal, and was ‘dropped’ from Interscope (even though he wasn’t ever technically signed in the first place).
Although, you can still find traces of Royce on the Chronic 2001; he’s on the og version of XXXplosive (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaK4JfHawVs), and he ghostwrote ‘The Message’ which is probably the most obvious ghostwritten song to listen to. It sounds exactly like early Royce.
Anyway, after that Em distanced himself from Royce. Around 2003/2004 Royce had beef with D12 because he was salty (rightfully so, imo) for being shelved in favour of D12. There was an exchange of several diss tracks, one of my favorites being Royce’s “Malcolm X” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuBC7I2WNAM
At some point in 2004, Proof and Royce ran into each other outside of a club and pulled guns on each other. They got arrested and were put in cells that were next to each other. Through that night in that prison they spoke and squashed the beef. Proof acted as an ambassador between Royce and D12 and the beefing stopped. Royce and Marshall became friends again, they recorded Hell: The Sequel and Marshall signed Slaughterhouse to Shady Records and everyone lived happily ever after.
Anyway, I know you like background info, so hopefully this was of some interest to you guys! (If you’re not aware already)
@BehindThatSuit
Definitely of interest to us. Will share with everyone. If I didn't have the day job to contend with I'd put a lot more time into researching the acts we cover.
@EpickaNESSiskool
all g!
@venidim6797
about brain damage, just because you didn't mention it: As a nine-year-old, Eminem was beaten so badly by a school bully that he spent over a week in a coma. He had a severe brain injury due to deAngelo Bailey throwing a snowball with a stone-center at his head in the bathroom. He was knocked unconscious and left bleeding on the bathrrom floor for several hours. School officials were unable to say just how long he was laying there because no one knew. He had severe age regression after and during his recovery, and it changed his personality. He started rapping shortly after he regained most of his original functionality. Bailey actually filed a $1 million lawsuit claiming Eminem made the whole thing up to gain street cred, but the case was thrown out.
@BehindThatSuit
I love these kinds of comments, where I get to learn some new stuff. I knew part of that story, but not to that level of detail. Will share with the team, thanks so much!
@PonPonWeii
“Rock Bottom” was (sigh) another song done between the EP and LP. I didn’t know when I wrote it that it was going to come out that sad. I had actually meant to be an uplifting song, but when we were sitting around making the track, Head had a sample that we played the beat and it was just so sad. I said fuck it, let’s go with this one. Not surprisingly, I wrote it while I was going through a fucked-up time. The night I recorded the song, I had taken a bunch of pills, thrown up, and was just real fucking depressed. So I took a bunch of codeine tablets. Problem was, I took too many of them shits and got real sick. When I wrote the song, it was right before the Rap Olympics happened. It was during the week when I had gotten evicted from my house. I was stayin' across the street from where I used to live. It was a street called Novara out in Detroit. I was staying with these two roommates, and this dude told me that he had cheaper rent for me and I should come live with him. We said, “Okay, he’s got cheaper rent, then fuck it, we’ll move in his house.” So me and my boy went across the street to live with him. We were paying out rent to him, but the s.o.b. was keeping our rent and wasn’t paying the landlord. He took the rent, saved up his own money, and bounced on us. So one day we come home and all our shit’s on the fuckin' front lawn. We never could catch the motherfucker. Till this day, we haven’t caught him. It was a real fucked period in my life (no surprise there), and I felt like I had hit “rock bottom”.
"It didn’t help that days before his daughter’s first birthday, Eminem got fired from his cooking job at Gilbert’s Lodge. “That was the worst time ever, dog,” he says. “It was, like, five days before Christmas, which is Hailie’s birthday. I had, like, $40 to get her something. I wrote ‘Rock Bottom’ right after that.”
There's a early Demo version of Rock Bottom that you can find on youtube. From what I recall, he recorded the song thinking it was his last hurrah. Where if the Rap Olympics doesn't work out, this was it. He's going to quit and focus on working menial jobs to support his daughter. He came in second during the Rap Olympics however he was invited to freestyle on 92.3 The Beat in LA and if you watch that freestyle you can see the focus and determination in his eyes, it was a matter of life or death
@BehindThatSuit
I remember reading that! Thanks for sharing. I want to check out the demo and the freestyle.
@myname8635
Yes!! Been waiting for this one
@BehindThatSuit
Happy to be able to deliver!
@gamexsimmonds3581
Ive been waiting for this one