disturbing eminem leak feat. rihanna

trigger warning(?)

eminem collaborated with rihanna. do you see where this is going?

“love the way you lie” off of eminems upcoming album, recovery, was recently leaked.

the song is about an abusive relationship mostly from the man’s vantage point. it describes incredible highs (Cause when it’s going good//It’s going great//I’m Superman) and lows so crushing it jeopardizes identity (But when it’s bad//It’s awful//I feel so ashamed//…//Who’s that dude//I don’t even know his name.) the attraction and repulsion of this relationship ends in the woman’s death. (If she ever tries to f—g leave again//I’ma tie her to the bed//And set the house on fire.) in this narrative, the consequences of a woman leaving an abusive relationship is burning to death in her own home.

rihanna sings the heartrending hook.

six going on seven albums, it is almost expected that eminem abuse women in his songs. we’ve seen it before (see: “stan” feat. dido music video .) but it is my hope that most will agree his recruiting rihanna for this track is a particularly sinister continuation of her very public history of abuse.

i’m finding it very hard to see anything redeeming about this. it perpetuates a very twisted understanding of love & relationship. and the track is catchy. i wouldn’t be surprised if it is the first single of the album. i ask myself, what is the message? can we truly dismiss this as two artists singing about their experience? what was rihanna’s incentive? eminem’s? to dismiss it as the often cited “therapeutic release” seems irresponsible.

the answers to these questions are of little consequence. the insidious effect of this song on society’s understanding of both relationship & abuse is what’s disturbing…

listen

full lyrics source

Just gonna stand there
And watch me burn
But that’s alright
Because I like
The way it hurts
Just gonna stand there
And
hear me cry
But that’s alright
Because I love
The way you
lie
I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie

I
can’t tell you what it really is
I can only tell you what it feels
like
And right now there’s a steel knife
In my windpipe
I
can’t breathe
But I still fight
While I can fight
As long as
the wrong feels right
It’s like I’m in flight
High of a love
Drunk from the hate
It’s like I’m huffing paint
And I love it
the more that I suffer
I sufficate
And right before im about to
drown
She resuscitates me
She f—g hates me
And I love it
Wait
Where you going
I’m leaving you
No you ain’t
Come
back
We’re running right back
Here we go again
It’s so
insane
Cause when it’s going good
It’s going great
I’m
Superman
With the wind in his bag
She’s Lois Lane
But when
it’s bad
It’s awful
I feel so ashamed
I snap
Who’s that
dude
I don’t even know his name
I laid hands on her
I’ll
never stoop so low again
I guess I don’t know my own strength

Just gonna stand there
And watch me burn
But that’s alright
Because I like
The way it hurts
Just gonna stand there
And
hear me cry
But that’s alright
Because I love
The way you
lie
I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie

You
ever love somebody so much
You can barely breathe
When you’re
with them
You meet
And neither one of you
Even know what hit
‘em
Got that warm fuzzy feeling
Yeah them chills
Used to
get ‘em
Now you’re getting f—g sick
Of looking at ‘em
You
swore you’ve never hit ‘em
Never do nothing to hurt ‘em
Now
you’re in each other’s face
Spewing venom
And these words
When you spit ‘em
You push
Pull each other’s hair
Scratch,
claw, bit ‘em
Throw ‘em down
Pin ‘em
So lost in the moments
When you’re in ‘em
It’s the rage that took over
It controls you
both
So they say it’s best
To go your separate ways
Guess
that they don’t know ya
Cause today
That was yesterday
Yesterday is over
It’s a different day
Sound like broken records
Playin’ over
But you promised her
Next time you’ll show
restraint
You don’t get another chance
Life is no Nintendo game
But you lied again
Now you get to watch her leave
Out the
window
Guess that’s why they call it window pane

Just gonna
stand there
And watch me burn
But that’s alright
Because I
like
The way it hurts
Just gonna stand there
And hear me cry
But that’s alright
Because I love
The way you lie
I love
the way you lie
I love the way you lie

Now I know we said
things
Did things
That we didn’t mean
And we fall back
Into the same patterns
Same routine
But your temper’s just as
bad
As mine is
You’re the same as me
But when it comes to
love
You’re just as blinded
Baby please come back
It wasn’t
you
Baby it was me
Maybe our relationship
Isn’t as crazy as
it seems
Maybe that’s what happens
When a tornado meets a
volcano
All I know is
I love you too much
To walk away
though
Come inside
Pick up your bags off the sidewalk
Don’t
you hear sincerity
In my voice when I talk
Told you this is my
fault
Look me in the eyeball
Next time I’m pissed
I’ll aim
my fist
At the dry wall
Next time
There will be no next time
I apologize
Even though I know it’s lies
I’m tired of the games
I just want her back
I know I’m a liar
If she ever tries to
f—g leave again
I’ma tie her to the bed
And set the house on
fire

Just gonna stand there
And watch me burn
But
that’s alright
Because I like
The way it hurts
Just gonna
stand there
And hear me cry
But that’s alright
Because I
love
The way you lie
I love the way you lie
I love the way
you lie