Lose Yourself Lyrics

[Verse 3]
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 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 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


[Chorus]
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

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About

Genius Annotation

“Lose Yourself” is the theme song from Eminem’s semi-biographical 2002 movie 8 Mile. Eminem is narrating the life of the film’s protagonist, Jimmy, up until the third verse, where Jimmy and Eminem’s journey converge.

Engineer Steven King told Rolling Stone in 2003 that Eminem “laid down all three verses in one take”, which Eminem has since shed doubt on.

Eminem stated in his 2008 autobiography, The Way I Am, that he wrote “in-between shooting scenes [for 8 Mile] and taking care of [his] kids” (pg 108-109.) Scans of the scrawled lyrics on A4 writing pad pages were also featured in the autobiography (pg 217-218.)

In 2014, the demo version appeared on Shady Records' SHADY XV compilation album, which featured the same beat and tone but almost entirely different lyrics.

Commercially, “Lose Yourself” was hugely successful and reached #1 in 20 countries, including the US. It marked Eminem’s first US #1, and held the top position for 12 weeks, becoming the third-longest chart-topper from a movie soundtrack (behind “I Will Always Love You” and “End Of The Road”). As of 2022, it is 13x Multi-Platinum in the US.

The song was lauded critically, too. It won two Grammys (Best Male Rap Solo Performance & Best Rap Song) and became the first rap song to win the Oscar for Best Original Song. Eminem didn’t attend the ceremony as he didn’t think he’d win, meaning he didn’t perform it, which is atypical for winners of the category. This was remedied when he performed the song at the 2020 Oscars.

The song has also had a huge cultural impact. Apple used the song for two commercials in the mid-‘00s to promote iTunes and the iPod, with Eminem featuring in the latter video. Chrysler used the instrumental and Eminem for their 2011 “Born of Fire” Super Bowl commercial. In 2021, Eminem opened up a restaurant in Detroit called “Mom’s Spaghetti”, which is a lyric that’s been meme’d extensively (even being given its own fan-made song.)

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Has "Lose Yourself" reached any milestones?
Genius Answer

As of February 28, 2018, “Lose Yourself” has reached Diamond (10x Multi-Platinum) certification by the RIAA.

Was the song ever performed by Eminem on the Oscars?
Genius Answer

Though “Lose Yourself” was nominated and won for “Best Original Song” in 2002 at the Oscar’s, Eminem did not perform the song on stage that year. It wasn’t until 18 years later on February 9, 2020 where Eminem made a surprise appearance on the Oscar’s stage to perform the song there for the first time.

What makes the song important?
Genius Answer

“Lose Yourself” was the first ever hip hop track to win an Oscar for Best Original Song.

Was the song ever performed on the Super Bowl halftime show?
Is this song featured on a movie?
Has the song ever been used for a US presidential campaign?
What lists has the song appeared on?
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