Album: The Slim Shady LP
Artist: Eminem
Title: Rock Bottom
Track: Track 14
Writers: Jeff Bass, Mark Bass & Eminem
Produced by: Bass Brothers
Release date: February 23, 1999
About the Rock Bottom song:
This track displays the stress and anger brought about by poverty and the struggles of raising a little girl under conditions no child should have to endure.
Eminem spoke about it to Rolling Stone in a 1999 article:
It didn’t help that days before his daughter’s first birthday, Eminem got fired from his cooking job at Gilbert’s Lodge. “That was the worst time ever, dog,” he says. “It was, like, five days before Christmas, which is Hailie’s birthday. I had, like, $40 to get her something. I wrote ‘Rock Bottom’ right after that.”
The Rock Bottom lyrics must’ve been written around Christmas, 1996, while according to the book “Eminem: The Stories Behind Every Song” by David Stubbs, Eminem actually overdosed on pills while recording this song in Autumn of 1997.
This is one of only two tracks on The Slim Shady LP—the other being “If I Had”—that is not written from his Slim Shady alter ego perspective, but rather from Marshall Mathers himself.
Rock Bottom Lyrics
[Intro]
Ayo, this song is dedicated
To all the happy people
All the happy people who have real nice lives
And have no idea what it’s like to be broke as fuck
[Verse 1]
I feel like I’m walkin’ a tight rope without a circus net
Poppin’ Percocet, I’m a nervous wreck
I deserve respect but I work a sweat for this worthless check
I’m ’bout to burst this TEC at somebody to reverse this debt
Minimum wage got my adrenaline caged
Full of venom and rage, ‘specially when I’m engaged
And my daughter’s down to her last diaper, it’s got my ass hyper
I pray that God answers, maybe I’ll ask nicer
Watchin’ ballers while they flossin’ in they Pathfinders
These overnight stars becomin’ autograph-signers
We all long to blow up and leave the past behind us
Along with the small fries and average half-pinters
But player-haters turnin’ bitch like they have vaginas
‘Cause we see them dollar signs and let the cash blind us
Money’ll brainwash you and leave yo’ ass mindless
Them snakes slither in the grass, spineless
[Chorus]
That’s rock bottom, when this life makes you mad enough to kill
That’s rock bottom, when you want somethin’ bad enough to steal
That’s rock bottom, when you feel like you’ve had it up to here
‘Cause you mad enough to scream, but you sad enough to tear
That’s rock bottom, when this life makes you mad enough to kill
That’s rock bottom, when you want somethin’ bad enough to steal
That’s rock bottom, when you feel like you’ve had it up to here
‘Cause you mad enough to scream, but you sad enough to tear
[Verse 2]
My life is full of empty promises and broken dreams
I’m hopin’ things look up, but there ain’t no job openings
I feel discouraged, hungry and malnourished
Livin’ in this house with no furnace, unfurnished
And I’m sick of workin’ dead-end jobs with lame pay
And I’m tired of bein’ hired and fired the same day
But fuck it, if you know the rules to the game, play
‘Cause when we die, we know we all goin’ the same way
‘Cause it’s cool to be the player, but it sucks to be the fan
When all you need is bucks to be the man, plus a luxury sedan
Or comfortable and roomy in a 6
But they threw me in the mix with all these gloomy lunatics
Who walk around depressed, and smoke a pound of cess a day
And yesterday went by so quick, it seems like it was just today
My daughter wants to throw the ball, but I’m too stressed to play
Live half my life and throw the rest away
[Chorus]
That’s rock bottom, when this life makes you mad enough to kill
That’s rock bottom, when you want somethin’ bad enough to steal
That’s rock bottom, when you feel like you’ve had it up to here
‘Cause you mad enough to scream, but you sad enough to tear
That’s rock bottom, when this life makes you mad enough to kill
That’s rock bottom, when you want somethin’ bad enough to steal
That’s rock bottom, when you feel like you’ve had it up to here
‘Cause you mad enough to scream, but you sad enough to tear
[Verse 3]
There’s people that love me and people that hate me (Yup)
But it’s the evil that made me
This backstabbin’, deceitful and shady (Mhm)
I want the money, the women, the fortune and fame
That means I end up burnin’ in Hell, scorchin’ in flame
That means I’m stealin’ your checkbook and forgin’ your name
This lifetime bliss for eternal torture and pain
‘Cause right now, I feel like I’ve just hit the rock bottom
I’ve got problems, now everybody on my block’s got ’em (Duh)
I’m screamin’ like them two cops when 2Pac shot ’em
Holdin’ two Glocks, hope your doors got new locks on ’em
My daughter’s feet ain’t got no shoes or socks on ’em
And them rings you wearin’ look like they got a few rocks on ’em
And while you flaunt ’em
I could be takin’ ’em to shops to pawn ’em
I got a couple of rings and a brand-new watch, you want ’em?
‘Cause I ain’t never went gold off one song
I’m runnin’ up on someone’s lawn with guns drawn
[Chorus]
That’s rock bottom, when this life makes you mad enough to kill
That’s rock bottom, when you want somethin’ bad enough to steal
That’s rock bottom, when you feel like you’ve had it up to here
‘Cause you mad enough to scream, but you sad enough to tear
That’s rock bottom, when this life makes you mad enough to kill
That’s rock bottom, when you want somethin’ bad enough to steal
That’s rock bottom, when you feel like you’ve had it up to here
‘Cause you mad enough to scream, but you sad enough to tear
That’s rock bottom