Lose Yourself

Lyrics Meaning of Lose Yourself by Eminem

“I have to make parallels between my life and his,” Eminem wrote. “That was the trick I had to figure out — how to make the rhyme sound like him, and then morph into me somehow, so you see the parallels between his struggles and mine.”

"Lose Yourself" is a song by American rapper Eminem from the soundtrack to the 2002 motion picture 8 Mile.

The song's lyrics explicitly sum up the background of Eminem's character in 8 Mile, B-Rabbit, with the first verse summing up much of the plot of the movie.

The song incorporates several aggressive themes, largely dealing with the struggles dealt with by B-Rabbit, and how he eventually overcomes his many problems and obstacles to gain the respect of other rappers.

"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 the top of the charts in nineteen other countries.

Eminem says that "Lose Yourself" was written on set, during breaks while filming 8 Mile.

Lose Yourself lyrics by Eminem

Look, 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 forgetting

What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud

He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out

He's choking, how? Everybody's joking now

The clock's run out, time's 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, and

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, yo

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, yo

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 boring; but superstardom's

Close to post-mortem, it only grows harder

Homie 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 schmoe who flows

He nose-dove and sold nada, and so the soap opera

Is told, it unfolds, I suppose it's old, partner

But the beat goes on: da da dum da dum da da 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, yo

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, yo

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 beginning, the mood all changed

I've 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 9-to-5

And I can't provide the right type of life for my family

'Cause man, these goddamn food stamps don't buy diapers

And there's no movie, there's no Mekhi Phifer, this is my life

And these times are so hard, and it's gettin' 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, it's 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 (go)

You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo

You better lose yourself in the music

The moment, you own it, you better never let it go (go)

You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo

You better…

You can do anything you set your mind to, man