The Monster – English Lyrics

• By: Eminem, Rihanna
• Album: The Marshall Mathers LP 2

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the emotive power of English through 'The Monster.' This track is an excellent tool for learners to grasp idioms related to mental states and internal struggle, while the contrast between melodic singing and rhythmic rapping helps familiarize listeners with varied cadence and pronunciation.

[English]

I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed

Get along with the voices inside of my head

You're tryin' to save me, stop holdin' your breath

And you think I'm crazy, yeah, you think I'm crazy

I wanted the fame but not the cover of Newsweek

Oh well, guess beggars can't be choosy

Wanted to receive attention for my music

Wanted to be left alone in public, excuse me

For wantin' my cake, and eat it too, and wantin' it both ways

Fame made me a balloon 'cause my ego inflated

When I blew, see, but it was confusing

'Cause all I wanted to do is be the Bruce Lee

Of loose leaf, abused ink, used it as a tool when I blew steam

Hit the lottery, woo-wee

But with what I gave up to get it was bittersweet

It was like winnin' a used mink

Ironic 'cause I think I'm gettin' so huge I need a shrink

I'm beginnin' to lose sleep: one sheep, two sheep

Goin' coo-coo and kooky as Kool Keith

But I'm actually weirder than you think, 'cause I'm

I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed

Get along with the voices inside of my head

You're tryin' to save me, stop holdin' your breath

And you think I'm crazy, yeah, you think I'm crazy

Well, that's nothin'

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

Well, that's nothin'

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

Now I ain't much of a poet but I know somebody once

Told me to seize the moment and don't squander it

'Cause you never know when it all could be over tomorrow

So I keep conjurin' sometimes I wonder where these thoughts spawns from

Yeah, ponderin' will do you wonders

No wonder you're losin' your mind, lookin' down yonder

Yodel-odel-ay-hee-hoo!

I think it went wanderin' off down yonder

And stumbled on Jeff VanVonderen, 'cause I need an interventionist

To intervene between me and this monster

And save me from myself and all this conflict

'Cause the very thing that I love's killin' me and I can't conquer it

My OCD's conquers me and the head keep knockin'

Nobody's home, I'm sleepwalkin'

And just relayin' with the voices in my head sayin'

Don't shoot the messenger, I'm just friends with the

Monster that's under my bed

Get along with the voices inside of my head

You're tryin' to save me, stop holdin' your breath

And you think I'm crazy, yeah, you think I'm crazy

Well, that's nothin'

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

Well, that's nothin'

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

Call me crazy but I had this vision

One day that I walk amongst you a regular civilian

But until then, drums get killed and I'm comin' straight at MC's

Blood get spilled and I'll take you back to the days that I'd get on a Dre track

Give every kid who got played back, pumped up feelin' and shit to say back

To the kids who played him

I ain't here to save the fuckin' children

But if one kid out of a hundred million who are goin' through a struggle

Feels it and relates, that's great

It's payback, Russell Wilson fallin' way back in the draft

Turn nothin' into somethin', still can make that straw into gold

Chump, I will spin - Rumpelstiltskin in a haystack

Maybe I need a straight jacket, face facts

I am nuts for real, but I'm okay with that

It's nothin', I'm still friends with the

Monster that's under my bed

Get along with the voices inside of my head

You're tryin' to save me, stop holdin' your breath

And you think I'm crazy, yeah, you think I'm crazy

I'm friends with the monster that's under my bed

Get along with the voices inside of my head

You're tryin' to save me, stop holdin' your breath

And you think I'm crazy, yeah, you think I'm crazy

Well, that's nothin'

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

Well, that's nothin'

(Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
monster /ˈmɒnstər/ B1	noun - an imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, and frightening
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ A2	adjective - mentally deranged, especially as manifested in a wild or aggressive way
fame /feɪm/ B1	noun - the state of being known or talked about by many people
ego /ˈiːɡoʊ/ C1	noun - a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance
bittersweet /ˈbɪtərˌswiːt/ C1	adjective - arousing pleasure tinged with sadness or pain
ironic /aɪˈrɒnɪk/ B2	adjective - happening in the opposite way to what is expected
shrink /ʃrɪŋk/ B2	noun - slang for a psychiatrist or psychologist
seize /siːz/ B2	verb - to take hold of suddenly and forcibly
squander /ˈskwɒndər/ C2	verb - to waste something in a reckless and foolish manner
ponder /ˈpɒndər/ C1	verb - to think about something carefully, especially before making a decision
intervention /ˌɪntərˈvɛnʃən/ C1	noun - the action of becoming involved in a difficult situation to improve it
conflict /ˈkɒnflɪkt/ B1	noun - a serious disagreement or argument
conquer /ˈkɒŋkər/ B2	verb - to overcome and take control of
civilian /səˈvɪliən/ B2	noun - a person not in the armed services or the police force
struggle /ˈstrʌɡəl/ B1	noun - a forceful or violent effort to get free of restraint or resist attack