Song Lyric Paragraphs

ThemeMood and Tone

“The Monster” by Eminem ft. RihannaI wanted the fame, but not the cover of NewsweekOh, well, guess beggars can't be chooseyWanted to receive attention for my musicWanted to be left alone in public. Excuse meFor wanting my cake and eat it too, and wanting it both waysFame made me a balloon 'cause my ego inflatedWhen I blew; see, but it was confusing'Cause all I wanted to do is be the Bruce Lee of loose leafAbused ink, used it as a tool when I blew steam (wooh!)Hit the lottery, oh weeWith what I gave up to get was bittersweetIt was like winning a used me

Ironic 'cause I think I'm getting so huge I need a shrinkI'm beginning to lose sleep: one sheep, two sheepGoing cuckoo and cooky as Kool KeithBut I'm actually weirder than you think'Cause I'm

I'm friends with the monster that's under my bedGet along with the voices inside of my headYou're trying to save me, stop holding your breathAnd you think I'm crazy, yeah, you think I'm crazyWell, that's nothing

Theme AnalysisOne theme of the song “The Monster” by Eminem is that sometimes the

dreams and goals that we work so hard to achieve can come with unintended consequences. For example, in the first verse he says that he “wanted fame butnot the cover of Newsweek,” and that he “wanted to receive attention for hismusic” but to “be left alone in public.” These lines suggest that even though he accomplished his goal of becoming a famous musician, this fame cost him his privacy and the ability to be able to live a “normal” life. These lines also suggest that he never expected the fame he achieved through his music to expose everyother aspect of his personal and private life. Later in verse one and in the hook, he says that he’s “beginning to lose sleep,” and that “he’s weirder than [we]

think because [he’s] friends with the monster under [his] bed.” These lines show that the extreme fame that he has achieved is actually costing him his sanity. Even though he feels like he is losing his mind, he has chosen to embrace his situation and the “monster” that symbolizes his fame and loss of normalcy. Overall, in thissong, Eminem warns us to be careful what we wish for, because getting what we want may affect our lives in unexpected and unpleasant ways.

Mood and Tone AnalysisThe mood of the song “The Monster” by Eminem is dark and eerie, while the

tone is ironic and confrontational. For example, in the hook, Rihanna sings “I’m friends with the monster under my bed, get along with the voices inside of myhead.” These lyrics suggest something scary and supernatural that is driving the singer to insanity. The haunting melody and background instrumentals also add to the dark and eerie affect of the song. The tone comes through when Eminem says “hit the lottery, oh wee, with what I gave up to get was bittersweet, it waslike winning a used me.” His use of irony here contributes to the theme of

fame’sunintended and unexpected consequences. The tone is also confrontational in the hook when Rihanna sings “you're trying to save me, stop holding your breathand you think I'm crazy, yeah, you think I'm crazy, well, that's nothing.” These lines seem to be confronting the critics who think they know how to “help” the singers deal with the “monster” of fame by telling them to back off because theyhave embraced the insanity and aren’t asking for anyone else’s opinions. The eerie mood and sarcastic tone work together to communicate the dark side offame.

Template/ACE (Answer, Cite, Explain)• TS: topic sentence, ANSWER• CD: concrete detail, fact, example, passage from

text, CITE• CM: commentary, your thoughts, analysis,

explanation of how the CD relates to the TS, EXPLAIN

• CM: second sentence of commentary, tell me more, elaborate, dig deeper, CONTINUE TO EXPLAIN

• Write a second chunk (repeat pattern from above, CD, CM, CM)

• CS: concluding sentence, summarize your ideas and relate back to your TS

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