When I'm Gone – English Lyrics

• By: Eminem

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and Eminem's 'When I'm Gone' offers a unique opportunity to explore raw, emotional storytelling in English. The song's introspective lyrics about family, fame, and personal conflict provide a rich vocabulary for expressing complex feelings. Its narrative structure and heartfelt delivery make it a compelling piece to dissect and understand, offering a deeper connection to both the language and the artist's personal journey.

[English]

- I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I CAME HERE.

IT'S BEEN A ROUGH SIX YEARS,

AND I'M JUST HAPPY TO NOT BE THAT PERSON ANYMORE.

AND SO IS MY WIFE.

(ALL CHUCKLE)

THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME DO THIS.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SHARE RIGHT NOW.

(GROUP APPLAUDING)

- IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE

TO SHARE WITH US TONIGHT?

- YEAH.

("WHEN I'M GONE")

(MICROPHONE SQUEALS)

MY NAME IS MARSHALL.

- [GROUP] HI, MARSHALL.

♪ YEAH, IT'S MY LIFE ♪

♪ MY OWN WORDS, I GUESS ♪

♪ HAVE YOU EVER LOVED SOMEONE SO MUCH ♪

♪ YOU'D GIVE AN ARM FOR ♪

♪ NOT THE EXPRESSION, NO ♪

♪ LITERALLY GIVE AN ARM FOR ♪

♪ WHEN THEY KNOW THEY'RE YOUR HEART ♪

♪ AND YOU KNOW YOU ARE THEIR ARMOR ♪

♪ AND YOU WILL DESTROY ANYONE WHO WOULD TRY TO HARM HER ♪

♪ BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN KARMA ♪

♪ TURNS RIGHT AROUND AND BITES YOU ♪

♪ AND EVERYTHING YOU STAND FOR TURNS ON YOU TO SPITE YOU ♪

♪ WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU BECOME THE MAIN SOURCE OF HER PAIN ♪

♪ DADDY, LOOK WHAT I MADE ♪

♪ DAD'S GOTTA GO CATCH A PLANE ♪

♪ DADDY, WHERE'S MOMMY ♪

♪ I CAN'T FIND MOMMY, WHERE IS SHE ♪

♪ I DON'T KNOW, GO PLAY, HAILIE BABY, YOUR DADDY'S BUSY ♪

♪ DADDY'S WRITING A SONG, THIS SONG AIN'T GON' WRITE ITSELF ♪

♪ I GIVE YOU ONE UNDERDOG, AND YOU GOTTA SWING BY YOURSELF ♪

♪ THEN TURN RIGHT AROUND IN THAT SONG ♪

♪ AND TELL HER YOU LOVE HER ♪

♪ AND PUT HANDS ON HER MOTHER ♪

♪ WHO'S THE SPITTIN' IMAGE OF HER ♪

♪ THAT'S SLIM SHADY, YEAH BABY, SLIM SHADY'S CRAZY ♪

♪ SHADY MADE ME ♪

♪ BUT TONIGHT, SHADY'S ROCK-A-BYE BABY ♪

♪ AND WHEN I'M GONE JUST CARRY ON, DON'T MOURN ♪

♪ REJOICE EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF MY VOICE ♪

♪ JUST KNOW THAT I'M LOOKIN' DOWN ON YOU SMILIN' ♪

♪ AND I DIDN'T FEEL A THING SO BABY ♪

♪ DON'T FEEL NO PAIN, JUST SMILE BACK ♪

♪ AND WHEN I'M GONE JUST CARRY ON, DON'T MOURN ♪

♪ REJOICE EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF MY VOICE ♪

♪ JUST KNOW THAT I'M LOOKIN' DOWN ON YOU SMILIN' ♪

♪ AND I DIDN'T FEEL A THING SO BABY ♪

♪ DON'T FEEL NO PAIN, JUST SMILE BACK ♪

♪ I KEEP HAVIN' THIS DREAM ♪

♪ I'M PUSHIN' HAILIE ON A SWING, SHE KEEPS SCREAMIN' ♪

♪ SHE DON'T WANT ME TO SING ♪

♪ YOU'RE MAKIN' MOMMY CRY, WHY, WHY IS MOMMY CRYIN' ♪

♪ BABY, DADDY AIN'T LEAVIN' NO MORE ♪

♪ DADDY YOU'RE LYIN' ♪

♪ YOU ALWAYS SAY THAT,

YOU ALWAYS SAY THIS IS THE LAST TIME ♪

♪ BUT YOU AIN'T LEAVIN' NO MORE, DADDY, YOU'RE MINE ♪

♪ SHE'S PILIN' BOXES IN FRONT OF THE DOOR TRYIN' TO BLOCK IT ♪

♪ DADDY PLEASE, DADDY, DON'T LEAVE, DADDY, NO, STOP IT ♪

♪ GOES IN HER POCKET, PULLS OUT A TINY NECKLACE LOCKET ♪

♪ IT'S GOT A PICTURE ♪

♪ THIS WILL KEEP YOU SAFE, DADDY, TAKE IT WITH YA ♪

♪ I LOOK UP, IT'S JUST ME STANDIN' IN THE MIRROR ♪

♪ THESE STINKING WALLS MUST BE TALKIN' ♪

♪ 'CAUSE MAN I CAN HEAR 'EM ♪

♪ THEY'RE SAYIN', YOU GOT ONE MORE CHANCE TO DO RIGHT ♪

♪ AND IT'S TONIGHT, NOW GO OUT THERE AND SHOW 'EM ♪

♪ THAT YOU LOVE 'EM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE ♪

♪ AND JUST AS I GO TO WALK OUT OF MY BEDROOM DOOR ♪

♪ IT TURNS TO A STAGE, THEY'RE GONE ♪

♪ AND THE SPOTLIGHT IS ON AND I'M SINGIN' ♪

♪ AND WHEN I'M GONE JUST CARRY ON, DON'T MOURN ♪

♪ REJOICE EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF MY VOICE ♪

♪ JUST KNOW THAT I'M LOOKIN' DOWN ON YOU SMILIN' ♪

♪ AND I DIDN'T FEEL A THING SO BABY ♪

♪ DON'T FEEL NO PAIN, JUST SMILE BACK ♪

♪ AND WHEN I'M GONE JUST CARRY ON, DON'T MOURN ♪

♪ REJOICE EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF MY VOICE ♪

♪ JUST KNOW THAT I'M LOOKIN' DOWN ON YOU SMILIN' ♪

♪ AND I DIDN'T FEEL A THING SO BABY ♪

♪ DON'T FEEL NO PAIN, JUST SMILE BACK ♪

♪ 60,000 PEOPLE ALL JUMPIN' OUT THEIR SEAT ♪

♪ THE CURTAIN CLOSES, THEY'RE THROWIN' ROSES AT MY FEET ♪

♪ I TAKE A BOW, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR COMIN' OUT ♪

♪ THEY'RE SCREAMIN' SO LOUD ♪

♪ I TAKE ONE LAST LOOK AT THE CROWD ♪

♪ I GLANCE DOWN, I DON'T BELIEVE WHAT I'M SEEIN' ♪

♪ DADDY, IT'S ME, HELP MOMMY, HER WRISTS ARE BLEEDIN' ♪

♪ BUT BABY WE'RE IN SWEDEN ♪

♪ HOW DID YOU GET TO SWEDEN ♪

♪ I FOLLOWED YOU, DADDY ♪

♪ YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU WEREN'T LEAVIN' ♪

♪ YOU LIED TO ME, DAD, AND NOW YOU MADE MOMMY SAD ♪

♪ AND I BOUGHT YOU THIS COIN, IT SAYS NUMBER ONE DAD ♪

♪ THAT'S ALL I WANTED, I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU THIS COIN ♪

♪ I GET THE POINT, FINE, ME AND MOMMY ARE GOIN' ♪

♪ BUT BABY WAIT, IT'S TOO LATE, DAD, YOU MADE YOUR CHOICE ♪

♪ NOW GO OUT THERE AND SHOW 'EM ♪

♪ THAT YOU LOVE 'EM MORE THAN US ♪

♪ THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT ♪

♪ THEY WANT YOU, MARSHALL ♪

♪ THEY KEEP SCREAMIN' YOUR NAME ♪

♪ IT'S NO WONDER YOU CAN'T GO TO SLEEP ♪

♪ JUST TAKE ANOTHER PILL, YEAH I BET YOU YOU WILL ♪

♪ YOU RAP ABOUT IT, YEAH WORD, KID KEEP IT REAL ♪

♪ I HEAR APPLAUSE, ALL THIS TIME I COULDN'T SEE ♪

♪ HOW COULD IT BE, THAT THE CURTAIN IS CLOSIN' ON ME ♪

♪ I TURN AROUND, FIND A GUN ON THE GROUND ♪

♪ COCK IT, PUT IT TO MY BRAIN ♪

♪ SCREAM DIE SHADY AND POP IT ♪

♪ THE SKY DARKENS, MY LIFE FLASHES ♪

♪ THE PLANE THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON ♪

♪ CRASHES AND BURNS TO ASHES ♪

♪ THAT'S WHEN I WAKE UP ♪

♪ ALARM CLOCK'S RINGING, THERE'S BIRDS SINGIN' ♪

♪ IT'S SPRING AND HAILIE'S OUTSIDE SWINGIN' ♪

♪ I WALK RIGHT UP TO KIM AND KISS HER, TELL HER I MISS HER ♪

♪ HAILIE JUST SMILES AND WINKS AT HER LITTLE SISTER ♪

♪ ALMOST AS IF TO SAY ♪

♪ AND WHEN I'M GONE JUST CARRY ON, DON'T MOURN ♪

♪ REJOICE EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF MY VOICE ♪

♪ JUST KNOW THAT I'M LOOKIN' DOWN ON YOU SMILIN' ♪

♪ AND I DIDN'T FEEL A THING SO BABY ♪

♪ DON'T FEEL NO PAIN, JUST SMILE BACK ♪

♪ AND WHEN I'M GONE JUST CARRY ON, DON'T MOURN ♪

♪ REJOICE EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE SOUND OF MY VOICE ♪

♪ JUST KNOW THAT I'M LOOKIN' DOWN ON YOU SMILIN' ♪

♪ AND I DIDN'T FEEL A THING SO BABY ♪

♪ DON'T FEEL NO PAIN, JUST SMILE BACK ♪

(GROUP APPLAUDING)

THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR LETTING ME SHARE.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
memory /ˈmɛm.ər.i/ B1	noun - the ability to remember things from the past
share /ʃɛər/ B1	verb - to give a portion of something to others
happen /ˈhæp.ən/ B2	verb - to take place or occur
pain /peɪn/ B2	noun - physical suffering or distress
voice /vɔɪs/ B1	noun - the sound produced by humans or animals when speaking or singing
dream /driːm/ B2	noun - a series of images, thoughts, or feelings occurring during sleep verb - to experience dreams while sleeping
heart /hɑːrt/ B1	noun - the organ that pumps blood throughout the body
armor /ˈɑːr.mɚ/ B2	noun - a protective covering made of metal or other material
destroy /dɪˈstrɔɪ/ B2	verb - to cause ruin or complete damage
karma /ˈkɑːr.mə/ C1	noun - the concept that actions influence future outcomes
spite /spaɪt/ C1	noun - a desire to harm or upset someone
main /meɪn/ A2	adjective - most important or central
source /sɔːrs/ B2	noun - the point of origin or starting point
pain /peɪn/ B2	noun - physical suffering or discomfort

Key Grammar Structures

• HAVE YOU EVER LOVED SOMEONE SO MUCH

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense

  ➔ The phrase "HAVE YOU EVER LOVED" uses the present perfect tense to indicate an experience up to the present.

• DADDY, WHERE'S MOMMY

  ➔ Informal Contraction

  ➔ The word "WHERE'S" is a contraction of "WHERE IS", commonly used in informal speech.

• DADDY, YOU'RE LYIN'

  ➔ Informal Language and Contraction

  ➔ The word "YOU'RE" is a contraction of "YOU ARE", and "LYIN'" is an informal way of saying "LYING".

• I CAN'T FIND MOMMY, WHERE IS SHE

  ➔ Negative Form

  ➔ The phrase "I CAN'T FIND" uses the negative form to express inability.

• DADDY, IT'S ME, HELP MOMMY

  ➔ Direct Address

  ➔ The phrase "DADDY, IT'S ME" uses direct address to speak to someone directly.

• I TURN AROUND, FIND A GUN ON THE GROUND

  ➔ Simple Present Tense

  ➔ The phrase "I TURN AROUND" uses the simple present tense to describe a habitual action.

• THE SKY DARKENS, MY LIFE FLASHES

  ➔ Present Simple for Descriptive Action

  ➔ The phrase "THE SKY DARKENS" uses the present simple tense to describe a current situation.