By: Donte Hutley, Recording Arts
“Stan, I hope you understand, that I do want you as a fan.” This is one of many lyrical rhyme schemes Eminem uses in this beautiful masterpiece. Eminem creates a story to explain a troublesome fan who looks up to him. Now this isn’t just any ole story song, Eminem is a creative thinker, making this story an art form. By using sounds of rain, scribble notes, thunder and a car crash to implicate a great beat imagining the scenery of each moment. The beat even crescendos towards the end of the song to show the intensity of Stan aggression. Then comes back to a decrescendo when Eminem raps as himself. Now I am sure you can be confused on what I mean by raps himself, let me explain. Eminem goes from a high pitched and aggressive tone, to represent the fan name ‘Stan’, and comes in later with a low tone and calm voice to represent himself. Now for the people that may say, “Oh, that’s not hard”. Well check this out, Eminem even includes a third verse for Stan and in that verse, Stan is drunk, so Eminem either gets drunk to do this verse or he creatively speaks with a slur to represent drunkenness. That’s talent alone and a great source of imagery.
Now I really want to get into the lyrical delivery of this song. Starting with the first verse Stan is sending Eminem a letter on how Eminem still hasn’t replied to his letters. Although Stan wasn’t upset quite yet, instead he blames himself, his sloppy handwriting and maybe he never got them. Furthermore, he asks about Eminem and what he has been up to as well as including some ways they connect. Such as having a daughter and having a friend that has killed himself over a female. Later in the letter he reminds Eminem on how big of a fan he is, with posters all over his walls and underground music many people haven’t even heard yet.
Getting into the next verse is a bit interesting, Stan starts off another letter, expressing Eminem absence on replying to him. This time it’s more of a passive aggressiveness as he contradicts himself stating, “I ain’t mad, I just think it messed up you don’t answer fans”. Then he continues to explain how mad he is by giving an example of a concert he goes to and Eminem didn’t even acknowledge him. With another contradiction of himself, Stan goes to explain he wasn't mad, but Eminem could have at least signed an autograph for his little brother. This guy, Stan, goes deep about how much he connects with Eminem in this verse and its almost scary. For example, Stan explains how he has nothing else and when he has a terrible day, he’ll put on Eminem to calm himself. Now it doesn’t stop there, he goes into detail about how he self-harmed just to feel the adrenaline of pain. That stemmed from his dad abusing his mom as a child and that’s how he would cope, unfortunately. Now, as much as I’ve already explained you would think it stops there but nope, that’s why I love this song it doesn’t stop there. Stan goes to explain how he loves Eminem and has a tattoo of his name across his chest and expresses how he wants to be with Eminem.
So, when we step into the third verse, the tension is built to its capacity now. Instead of a letter this time he makes a voice recording. Furthermore, Stan goes into a complete rage because Eminem never wrote back to him, keep mind, it’s been 6 months, so it is understandable, but a little excessive. Stan explains how he hopes Eminem hurts forever because he doesn’t have Stan as a fan anymore. Later, Stan tells Eminem he took all the posters off the wall and once again expresses they could’ve been together. Then, ironically, his girlfriend starts screaming in the background through and you hear her pain as Stan tells her to be quiet. So, moving forward Stan explains how he isn’t alike to Eminem. How? You ask, simply because sadly, he causes his girlfriend to suffer.
Now for the last verse, Eminem finally gets a chance to write back to Stan. He starts off by really explaining he wants Stan as a fan. As well, letting Stan know he never intentionally dissed him by not acknowledging him after the concert. Eminem even shows concern by signing the starter cap for his little brother. Now, as the letter gets deeper Eminem exposes Stan for the problems he may have and wants him to get help. Then Eminem proceeds to tell Stan this story of a man who was drunk and drove off a bridge. Not even realizing it was Stan the whole time and truly that’s the best way to end one of the best stories telling songs to ever exist.
Eminem & Stan:
References:
COMMANDEUR, J. (2019, April 24). Eminem’s “Stan” Is Added To Merriam Webster’s Dictionary. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from ambrosiaforheads.com website: https://ambrosiaforheads.com/2019/04/eminem-stan-word-in-dictionary/
White, A. (2019, April 26). We are all Stan: how Eminem’s stalker classic defined internet fandom. The Telegraph. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/stan-eminems-stalker-classic-defined-internet-fandom/