- What he says is gospel. I'm okay, so you're gonna be okay.
We're gonna go through the storm together.
- ♪ (rock intro) ♪
- (FBE) Today, we're gonna have you read some lyrics from top songs
all by one current artist and have you tell us
the meaning and what you think of them.
- Okay.
- (FBE) Then, you'll get to listen to the songs you read
and tell us your thoughts. - I like it.
I've been doing that since I was twelve years old.
- I did it with Panic at the Disco. I loved that, because I loved
Panic at the Disco.
- Hearing the melody with the lyric, then you get another translation.
- If it's modern stuff, pop culture and all, sometimes I feel
like I'm in over my head on some of these things.
- "Hi, kids. Do you like violence?
Wanna see me stick nine inch nails through each one
of my eyelids?" That's what you want me to read?
- "Wanna copy my and do exactly like I did?
Try 'cid and get [bleep] up worse than my life is?"
Well, there's an inspirational group of lyrics.
- The image is horribly violent and I don't like the idea
of them saying "Do you wanna copy me?" to kids.
- If you like perpetrating violence on other people,
how do you feel perpetrating violence against your own self?
Try this, you like violence so much, try this.
- "Yo, his palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy.
There's vomit on his sweater already,"
- "Mom's spaghetti. He's nervous,
but on the surface he looks calm and ready."
- I would imagine the writer is perhaps making a statement
about covering up your true feelings.
- I'm guessing he's nervous, but on the surf--
he's ready to face some kind of challenge in his life,
whether it's moving out, whether it's going to school,
whether it's a job.
- "You better lose yourself in the music, the moment,
you own it, you better never let it go.
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow."
- "This opportunity comes once in a lifetime."
Well, he's telling truth there.
- This opportunity comes once in a lifetime.
It's encouraging you to grab the bull by the horns.
That's fine.
- It's certainly a great thing to say to anyone about life
in general. We get one lifetime.
Don't mess it up.
- He could be talking about if you're a music maker,
'cause it takes a lot to make a hit song.
So, you gotta put everything you can into it.
- "Little hellions, kids feeling rebellious, embarrassed
their parents still listen to Elvis.
They start feeling like prisoners, helpless."
Little hellions? What's--
like, little devils?
- I still listen to Elvis. I mean, who doesn't?
Anyone who doesn't listen to Elvis, they don't know
what they're missing.
- Listening to Elvis when I was young
was a very rebellious thing to do,
and now, the kids are dismayed that their parents listen to that.
- This really speaks to me. Understanding how kids feel
when they're under the thumb of their parents,
they really want to rebel, because that's part
of who they are as kids.
- "Now this looks like a job for me, so everybody just follow me.
'Cause we need a little controversy. 'Cause it feels so empty
without me."
- I don't understand why he said "you need
a little controversy." That's not gonna help.
- It's empty without my music. I guess there is a comparison
being made to what Elvis was.
- Good God, almost sounds like a reflection of myself.
I was part of that controversy back in the '50s and '60s
and it feels empty without me.
- "You can try and read my lyric 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." Well, he sounds like a little--
the hellion himself.
- It's a different song, but it seemed like this could
go with that previous one I just read.
He still wants to put something out here that's controversial.
- Ain't no way I'ma let you stop me from causing mayhem.
So, you can't censor me.
- It's a guy who is in the middle of controversy, a little older now,
but he's reaching back and he's saying "Hey,
something still burns in there and I'm gonna cause
some controversy."
- "I'm not afraid to take a stand. Everybody 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."
- I've been where you've been. I get it.
The real understanding, I think.
- That's a line that would certainly all of us can relate to.
We've all been down the road before. That road of confusion
or feeling lost or alone.
- Things need to be heard, because episodes like this.
I've read lyrics from new artists that I would have never heard
that they actually have poetry and something to say.
- What he says is gospel. I'm okay, so you're gonna be okay.
We're gonna go through the storm together.
- "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 conjuring. Sometimes I wonder
where these thoughts spawn from."
- Well, he's being positive here. He's being realistic.
- I like these lyrics because he said he's gonna keep conjuring.
He's gonna keep putting things out there, bringing forth
and accomplishing.
- Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.
It's been said in every different way imaginable
since the beginning of time, I'm sure.
It's another way of saying that life is very, very short.
- This is kind of a smart person. This person is a poet
and he is trying to get this message across.
- (FBE) Any idea whose lyrics you've been reading?
- Not a clue.
- I'm thinking it's a rapper of some sort.
- Let's say, Jay-Z?
- (FBE) There were lyrics to songs from Eminem's repertoire.
- Oh, really?
- Oh, Eminem.
- Oh, I did have him in my mind.
I did.
- Wow, wow. I think these are great lyrics.
I would have never known it was Eminem.
- (FBE) Eminem has been in the spotlight recently
thanks to an anti-Trump freestyle performance.
- Right, I do know about that.
- (FBE) He even told his fans there's a line in the sand
and they are either with him or with Trump.
- I like it, because someone has
to have the courage to stand up.
- I think he has every right to do that.
- I respect his right to disagree with Mr. Trump.
- If I give you my honest opinion, then I would give you--
we'd be giving you what I don't like.
I don't agree with any artist or any entertainer who uses
his stand to talk to people about politics or their opinions.
- (FBE) Let's play you the songs you read.
- Oh, okay. I'd like to hear them.
- All righty. I'm curious now.
- ♪ Hi kids! Do you like violence? ♪
- I like it, it's great beat.
- ♪ Wanna copy me and do exactly like I did? ♪
♪ Try 'cid and get [bleep] up worse than my life is? ♪
- Now that I know what's going on, I don't like it.
- It's a little clearer than some of the other rap stars
where you're trying to lean in to listen to what they're saying.
- He's all right. You know, these words
are better with some sort of rhythm, even if it's
a rap rhythm, which I'm not really into it, but I mean,
I can get behind it a little bit.
- ♪ His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy ♪
♪ There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti ♪
♪ He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready ♪
♪ You better lose yourself in the music, the moment, ♪
♪ You own it, you better never let it go ♪
♪ You only get one shot Do not miss your chance to blow ♪
♪ This opportunity comes once in a lifetime ♪
- Pretty good. I can understand all the lyrics.
- Now that I know the background, I'm prejudiced.
I can't separate this guy's talent from his politics.
- ♪ Little hellions, kids feeling rebellious ♪
♪ Embarrassed their parents still ♪ - Oh.
- ♪ They start feeling like prisoners, helpless ♪
♪ This looks like a job for me ♪ - Oh well, I like it better.
- ♪ Just follow me, 'cause we need ♪ - About the only thing
I could hear was just "follow me."
- Wow, that's a great beat. Get you up on the dance floor.
- Still not a huge rap fan, but I like the way
he's presenting his lyrics.
- I can see where people would get of--
they would take offense to it, but now I'm understanding
the message he's trying to get across.
- ♪ You can try and read my lyrics off this page ♪
♪ Before I lay 'em, but you won't take the sting ♪
♪ Out of these words before I say 'em ♪
♪ 'Cause ain't no way I'ma let you stop me ♪
♪ From causing mayhem ♪
♪ I'm not afraid I'm not afraid ♪
♪ To take a stand 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 letting you know ♪
♪ That you're not alone Holla if you feel like ♪
♪ You've been down the same road ♪ - I like that one very much.
- I can see where the song's engrossing or bringing me in
and everything, and now, once again, I know the background.
I'll take a stand.
- ♪ 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 spawn from ♪ - (laughs)
- Yeah, I like that one. The message is very strong.
- I'm impressed. I would have never
known it was Eminem.
- He's philosophically saying some really poignant--
some interesting lyrics and something that we all
should pay attention to, but now, I'm jaded,
because you are a star. Don't try to influence me.
- Thanks for watching us read Eminem's lyrics
on the React Channel.
- Subscribe to see who we break down next time.
- Bye.
- Hey guys, I'm Katie, a React Channel producer.
Thank you so much for watching this episode
and thank you for suggesting Eminem. Now let me know down
in the comments who you wanna see next time.
Thanks guys, bye.