Not Afraid – English Lyrics

• By: Eminem

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Eminem's powerful anthem "Not Afraid" and unlock a masterclass in emotional storytelling through rap. This song, with its candid lyrics about overcoming adversity and personal demons, offers an authentic and accessible way to engage with the nuances of English, particularly in its powerful vocabulary and expressive delivery. You'll learn how language can be used to convey raw emotion, build resilience, and inspire change, making it a truly special and relatable piece for language learners.

[English]

♪ I'm not afraid ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ To take a stand ♪

♪ It's been a ride ♪

♪ Everybody ♪

♪ I guess I had to go to that place ♪

♪ To get to this one ♪

♪ Now some of you might still be in that place ♪

♪ If you're tryna get out ♪

♪ Just follow me ♪

♪ I'll get you there ♪

♪ You can try and read my lyrics off of this paper ♪

♪ Before I lay 'em ♪

♪ But you won't take the sting out these words ♪

♪ Before I say 'em ♪

♪ 'Cause ain't no way I'ma let you stop me ♪

♪ From causin' mayhem ♪

♪ When I say I'm a do somethin', I do it ♪

♪ I don't give a damn what you think ♪

♪ I'm doin' this for me, so fuck the world, feed it beans ♪

♪ It's gassed up, if it thinks it's stoppin' me ♪

♪ I'ma be what I set out to be, without a doubt, undoubtedly ♪

♪ And all those who look down on me ♪

♪ I'm tearin' down your balcony ♪

♪ No if, ands or buts ♪

♪ Don't try to ask him why or how can he ♪

♪ From "Infinite" down to the last "Relapse" album ♪

♪ He's still shittin' ♪

♪ Whether he's on salary, paid hourly ♪

♪ Until he bows out or he shits his bowels out of him ♪

♪ Whichever comes first, for better or worse ♪

♪ He's married to the game, like a fuck you for Christmas ♪

♪ His gift is a curse, forget the Earth ♪

♪ He's got the urge to pull his dick from the dirt ♪

♪ And fuck the whole universe ♪

♪ I'm not afraid ♪

♪ I'm not afraid ♪

♪ To take a stand ♪

♪ To take a stand ♪

♪ Everybody ♪

♪ Everybody ♪

♪ Come take my hand ♪

♪ Come take my hand ♪

♪ We'll walk this road together, through the storm ♪

♪ Whatever weather, cold or warm ♪

♪ Just lettin' you know that you're not alone ♪

♪ Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road ♪

♪ Okay, quit playin' with the scissors and shit ♪

♪ And cut the crap ♪

♪ I shouldn't have to rhyme these words in the rhythm ♪

♪ For you to know it's a wrap ♪

♪ You said you was king ♪

♪ You lied through your teeth, for that, fuck your feelings ♪

♪ Instead of gettin' crowned you're gettin' capped ♪

♪ And to the fans ♪

♪ I'll never let you down again, I'm back ♪

♪ I promise to never go back on that promise ♪

♪ In fact, let's be honest, that last "Relapse" CD was eh ♪

♪ Perhaps I ran them accents into the ground ♪

♪ Relax, I ain't goin' back to that now ♪

♪ All I'm tryna say is get back, click-clack, blaow ♪

♪ 'Cause I ain't playin' around ♪

♪ There's a game called circle and I don't know how ♪

♪ I'm way too up to back down ♪

♪ But I think I'm still tryna figure this crap out ♪

♪ Thought I had it mapped out but I guess I didn't ♪

♪ This fuckin' black cloud ♪

♪ Still follows me around ♪

♪ But it's time to exercise these demons ♪

♪ These muh'fuckers are doin' jumpin' jacks now ♪

♪ I'm not afraid ♪

♪ I'm not afraid ♪

♪ To take a stand ♪

♪ To take a stand ♪

♪ Everybody ♪

♪ Everybody ♪

♪ Come take my hand ♪

♪ Come take my hand ♪

♪ We'll walk this road together, through the storm ♪

♪ Whatever weather, cold or warm ♪

♪ Just lettin' you know that you're not alone ♪

♪ Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road ♪

♪ And I just can't keep living this way ♪

♪ So starting today ♪

♪ I'm breaking out of this cage ♪

♪ I'm standing up, I'ma face my demons ♪

♪ I'm manning up, I'ma hold my ground ♪

♪ I've had enough, now I'm so fed up ♪

♪ Time to put my life back together right now ♪

♪ It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me ♪

♪ Admittedly, I probably did it subliminally for you ♪

♪ So I could come back a brand new me ♪

♪ You helped see me through ♪

♪ And don't realize what you did, 'cause believe me you ♪

♪ I been through the wringer ♪

♪ But they could do little to the middle finger ♪

♪ I think I got a tear in my eye ♪

♪ I feel like the king of my world ♪

♪ Haters can make like bees with no stingers and drop dead ♪

♪ No more beef lingers, no more drama from now on ♪

♪ I promise to focus solely ♪

♪ On handlin' my responsibilities as a father ♪

♪ So I solemnly swear to always treat this roof ♪

♪ Like my daughters and raise it ♪

♪ You couldn't lift a single shingle on it ♪

♪ 'Cause the way I feel ♪

♪ I'm strong enough to go to the club or the corner pub ♪

♪ And lift the whole liquor counter up ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm raising the bar ♪

♪ I'd shoot for the moon but I'm too busy gazin' at stars ♪

♪ I feel amazing and I'm not ♪

♪ I'm not afraid ♪

♪ I'm not afraid ♪

♪ To take a stand ♪

♪ To take a stand ♪

♪ Everybody ♪

♪ Everybody ♪

♪ Come take my hand ♪

♪ Come take my hand ♪

♪ We'll walk this road together, through the storm ♪

♪ Whatever weather, cold or warm ♪

♪ Just lettin' you know that you're not alone ♪

♪ Holla if you feel like you've been down the same road ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
afraid /əˈfreɪd/ A2	adjective - feeling fear or anxiety; frightened.
stand /stænd/ A2	verb - to be in or rise to an upright position, supported by one's feet. noun - a determined effort to resist or avoid something; a defense.
ride /raɪd/ A2	noun - a journey on a horse, bicycle, motorcycle, etc. verb - to sit on and control the movement of (a horse, bicycle, motorcycle, etc.).
place /pleɪs/ A1	noun - a particular position or point in space. verb - to put (something) in a particular position.
follow /ˈfɒləʊ/ A2	verb - to go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead); to move behind in the same direction.
lyrics /ˈlɪrɪks/ B1	noun - the words of a song.
words /wɜːdz/ A1	noun - a unit of language that has meaning and can be spoken or written.
mayhem /ˈmeɪhem/ C1	noun - violent or damaging disorder; chaos.
world /wɜːld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features.
tear /tɪər/ B2	verb - to pull (something) apart or to pieces with force.
gift /ɡɪft/ A2	noun - a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present.
curse /kɜːs/ B2	noun - a solemn utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something.
storm /stɔːrm/ A2	noun - a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow.
weather /ˈweðər/ A1	noun - the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain, etc.
alone /əˈləʊn/ A1	adjective - having no one else present; solitary.
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a way or course along which people or vehicles travel.
king /kɪŋ/ A1	noun - a man who is the head of a monarchy.
demons /ˈdiːmən/ B2	noun - an evil spirit or devil.

Key Grammar Structures

• Now some of you might still be in that place

  ➔ Modal Verb 'might' indicating possibility

  ➔ The word "might" expresses a weaker level of certainty than 'will' or 'must'. It suggests that it's possible some people are still in a difficult situation, but it's not definite.

• But you won't take the sting out these words / Before I say 'em

  ➔ Future Simple (won't = will not) with temporal clause introduced by 'Before'.

  ➔ The structure expresses that one action ("take the sting out") will not happen before another action ("I say 'em"). 'Before' indicates the order of events.

• When I say I'm a do somethin', I do it

  ➔ Conditional clause using 'When' implying certainty and direct consequence.

  ➔ 'When' indicates that every time the condition (saying he'll do something) is met, the result (he does it) is guaranteed. It's not a hypothetical like 'if'.

• I'ma be what I set out to be, without a doubt, undoubtedly

  ➔ Future Simple with the contracted form 'I'ma' (=I am going to) and adverbs of certainty ('without a doubt', 'undoubtedly').

  ➔ 'I'ma be' is a colloquial shortening of 'I am going to be'. The adverbs 'without a doubt' and 'undoubtedly' emphasize the speaker's strong conviction about their future actions.

• I'll never let you down again, I'm back

  ➔ Future Simple ('I'll = I will') with 'never' (negative adverb) modifying the action, followed by Present Simple ('I'm back').

  ➔ 'I'll never let you down' expresses a firm promise about the future. 'Never' reinforces the commitment. 'I'm back' indicates a present state, contrasting with the future promise.

• Perhaps I ran them accents into the ground

  ➔ Past Simple ('ran') with an adverb of possibility ('Perhaps').

  ➔ 'Perhaps' modifies the statement 'I ran them accents into the ground', indicating the speaker is unsure or speculative about whether he overused the accents.

• So starting today / I'm breaking out of this cage

  ➔ Present Continuous ('I'm breaking') used to express a future plan or intention, emphasizing the immediacy of the change. Prepositional phrase 'out of'.

  ➔ Using Present Continuous emphasizes that the action of "breaking out" is starting right now. 'Out of' indicates movement away from something (the cage).

• Haters can make like bees with no stingers and drop dead

  ➔ Modal Verb 'can' expressing ability or possibility in a figurative sense and imperative verb 'drop'. 'Make like' (idiom).

  ➔ 'Can' here is not about literal ability, but about wishing a scenario on someone. 'Make like' means 'to imitate'. 'Drop dead' is a strong imperative expressing a desire for something negative to happen. The whole line is figurative, comparing haters to powerless bees.