When I'm Gone
Tupac Feat. Eminem Lyrics

Yeah, it's my life
I am the one who controls my life and the decisions I make.

My own words, I guess
I am the one who decides how my life story is told.

Have you ever loved someone so much
Have you ever had such a deep, unconditional love for someone that you would do anything for them?

You'd give an arm for
You would be willing to make a significant sacrifice for them.

Not the expression, no
This is not just a figure of speech, it is a real, intense feeling of love.

Literally give an arm for
You would give up a part of your body for this person if needed.

When they know they're your heart
When this person knows that they are the most important thing in your life, your heart and soul.

And you know you are their armor
You are the one who protects them and keeps them safe from harm.

And you will destroy anyone who would try to harm her
You are willing to take any necessary action to ensure the safety of the person you love, including harming those who might try to hurt them.

But what happens when karma
What happens when your actions come back around to you?

Turns right around and bites you
When the negative consequences of your actions come back to haunt you.

And everything you stand for turns on you to spite you
Your values and beliefs turn against you and make your life difficult.

What happens when you become the main source of her pain
What happens when your actions cause the person you love the most pain?

"Daddy look what I made"
A child expressing pride in something they have created for their parent to see and appreciate.

"Dad's gotta go catch a plane"
A parent trying to explain the reason why they must leave their child.

"Daddy where's mommy?
A child asking about the whereabouts of their mother, who they are used to seeing with their father.

I can't find mommy, where is she?"
The child is feeling confused and scared about not being able to locate their mother.

"I don't know, go play, Hailie baby, your daddy's busy
A parent encouraging their child to play and be distracted so they do not worry about their missing mother.

Daddy's writing a song, this song ain't gon' write itself"
A father explaining to his child why he cannot spend time with them right now as he needs to focus on writing a song.

I give you one underdog, and you gotta swing by yourself
I offer you a chance to prove yourself, but you must do it on your own, without my help.

Then turn right around in that song and tell her you love her
Despite the child being mentioned in the song, the father takes a moment to express his love for their mother.

And put hands on her mother who's the spittin' image of her
The father puts his hands on the mother, who looks exactly like their child.

That's Slim Shady, yeah baby Slim Shady's crazy
The father is referring to his alter ego, Slim Shady, who is known for his controversial and unstable behavior.

Shady made me
The father is acknowledging that his alter-ego, Slim Shady, has had a major influence on who he is as a person.

But tonight, Shady's rock-a-bye baby
The father is feeling vulnerable and weak, much like a helpless infant, and needs to be comforted like a baby.

And when I'm gone just carry on don't mourn
The father is telling his loved ones to stay strong and continue living their lives even after he is gone, without mourning his loss.

Rejoice every time you hear the sound of my voice, just know that
Take joy in hearing my voice, as it is a reminder that I am still with you in some way.

I'm lookin' down on you smilin'
The father is watching over his loved ones from above, with a smile on his face.

And I didn't feel a thing so baby, don't feel no pain, just smile back
The father is reassuring his child that he did not experience any pain when he died, and they should not feel any pain either. They should simply remember him and smile.

I keep havin' this dream
The father has been having the same dream repeatedly.

I'm pushin' Hailie on a swing, she keeps screamin', she don't want me to sing
The father is trying to spend time with his daughter, but she is upset and does not want him to sing like he did before.

"You're makin' mommy cry, why, why is mommy cryin'"
The daughter is asking why her mother is crying and blaming her father for it.

"Baby, daddy ain't leavin' no more, daddy you're lyin' You always say that, you always say this is the last time But you ain't leavin' no more daddy, you're mine"
The daughter believes that her father is leaving again, but he promises that he is not and that he is hers to keep.

She's pilin' boxes in front of the door tryin' to block it
The daughter is trying to keep her father from leaving by blocking the door with boxes.

"Daddy please, daddy, don't leave, daddy, no, stop it"
The daughter is begging her father not to leave and to stop trying to do so.

Goes in her pocket, pulls out a tiny necklace locket It's got a picture, "This will keep you safe daddy, take it with ya"
The daughter gives her father a locket with a picture of her and tells him to take it with him so he will be safe.

I look up, it's just me standin' in the mirror
The father looks up and sees his reflection in the mirror.

These fuckin' walls must be talkin', 'cause man I can hear 'em They're sayin', "you got one more chance to do right And it's tonight, now go out and show 'em that you love 'em before it's too late"
The father is feeling pressured by the walls and hears a voice telling him that he has one more chance to make things right before it is too late. He must show his love to his family.

And just as I go to walk out of my bedroom door It turns to a stage, they're gone and the spotlight is on and I'm singin'
As the father goes to leave, his world turns into a stage and all attention is shifted onto him. He is performing for an audience.

Sixty thousand people all jumpin' out their seat The curtain closes, they're throwin' roses at my feet
The father has a successful concert and the crowd is all cheering for him, throwing roses at his feet.

I take a bow, and thank you all for comin' out
The father thanks his fans for coming to his concert and showing him their support.

They're screamin' so loud, I take one last look at the crowd
The fans are cheering so loudly that the father takes one final look at them before he leaves.

I glance down, I don't believe what I'm seein' "Daddy, its me, help mommy, her wrists are bleedin'"
The father looks down and sees his daughter, who tells him that her mother is hurt.

But baby we're in Sweden How did you get to Sweden?
The father is confused as to how his daughter got to Sweden, and tells her they are there because he has a concert.

"I followed you daddy You told me that you weren't leavin' You lied to me dad, and now you made mommy sad And I bought you this coin, it says number one dad That's all I wanted, I just want to give you this coin"
The daughter followed her father to Sweden because she thought he was leaving again, which made her mother sad. She gives her father a coin to show him that he is a great father and that is all she ever wanted from him.

"I get the point, fine, me and mommy are goin'" But baby wait, it's too late dad, you made your choice Now go out there and show 'em that you love 'em more than us That's what they want
The father concedes that his daughter is right and they are leaving. He realizes that he always chooses his career over his family, which has caused them pain and disappointment. His daughter tells him to go out and show his fans that he loves them more than his family, which is what they want to see from him.

They want you, Marshall They keep screamin' your name It's no wonder you can't go to sleep Just take another pill, yeah I bet you you will! You rap about it, yeah word, kid keep it real"
The father's fans keep screaming for him and calling his name, which makes it hard for him to sleep. The daughter implies that he should take more pills to feel better, like he raps about in his songs.

I hear a applause, all this time I couldn't see How could it be, that the curtain is closin' on me
The father hears applause but realizes that the curtain is closing on his life, coming to an end.

I turn around, find a gun on the ground Cock it, put it to my brain, scream, "Die Shady!" And pop it
The father finds a gun on the ground, and in a moment of desperation, puts it to his head and pulls the trigger, screaming for his alter-ego, Slim Shady, to die.

The sky darkens, my life flashes The plane that I was supposed to be on, crashes, and burns to ashes That's when I wake up
The father's life flashes before his eyes and he sees how his actions led to his own demise. He wakes up from the dream and realizes that he still has time to make things right.

Alarm clock's ringing, there's birds singin' It's spring and Hailie's outside swingin'
The father wakes up to reality, where an alarm clock is ringing and birds are singing outside. His daughter Hailie is still innocent and outside playing.

I walk right up to Kim and kiss her tell her I miss her
The father goes to his partner, Kim, and kisses her to show how much he loves and misses her.

Hailie just smiles and winks at her little sister almost as if to say
The father notices that Hailie is smiling and winks at her little sister, seemingly implying that everything will be alright and that they should stick together as a family.