"When I'm Gone" is a song by American hip hop musician Eminem, featured on his 2005 compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits. When released as a single on December 6, 2005, the song charted at number eight on the American Billboard Hot 100 singles chart,[1] number 22 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart,[1] number four on the UK Singles Chart[2] and number one on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart.[3]
The music video was directed by Anthony Mandler. Tarick Salmaci, (from the TV show The Contender) makes an appearance in the video with his wife.
[edit] Background
“When I’m Gone” was written in 2003 and released in 2005 by Shady Records, on the album “Curtain Call: The Hits”. It was thought at the time that this album would mark the beginning of an extended musical hiatus for Eminem, who had said "I'm at a point in my life right now where I feel like I don't know where my career is going ... This is the reason that we called it 'Curtain Call', because this could be the final thing. We don't know."
The song's lyrics pertain to Eminem's life as a celebrity musician interfering with his family.
[edit] Literary Devices used in “When I’m Gone”
Eminem uses imagery to evoke a feeling of sadness about his family falling apart. He raps, “I take a bow and thank you all for coming out they're screaming so loud, I take one last look at the crowd I glance down, I don't believe what I'm seeing "Daddy it's me, help Mommy, her wrists are bleeding," 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 make Mommy sad”. At the beginning of the song, he uses the saying of "giving an arm for someone", and repeats it as a literal meaning, referencing his tattoo of his daughter Hailie, in the line "Have you ever loved someone so much you would give an arm for, not the expression, no, literally give an arm for". In the music video after rapping the line, he touches his arm where his tattoo of Hailie is.
[edit] Music Video
The music video starts with Eminem (as Marshall Mathers) rapping about his life. He's at an open house and he raps on a podium and on a black backdrop with fog. The video features his daughter Hailie Jade Mathers and his ex-wife Kimberly Scott (with whom Eminem was divorced when the song was released) and his niece Laney whom he raised like a daughter. It ends with Hailie and Marshall and his wife outside and Hailie swinging with his niece Laney. Eminem also appears in the video as his alter ego Slim Shady.
[edit] Track listing
- European CD single
- UK CD single
| Producer(s) |
| 1. |
"When I'm Gone" |
Eminem, additional production by Luis Resto |
4:41 |
| 2. |
"Business" |
Dr. Dre |
4:11 |
| 3. |
"When I'm Gone" (Instrumental) |
Eminem, additional production by Luis Resto |
4:41 |
| 4. |
"When I'm Gone" (Video) |
Eminem, additional production by Luis Resto |
4:41 |
[edit] Charts
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Eminem - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p347307/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
- ^ a b "Chart Stats - Eminem". Chart Stats. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=401. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
- ^ a b "Eminem - When I'm Gone". australian-charts.com. http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=When+I%27m+Gone&cat=s. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
- ^ "Eminem - When I'm Gone" (in German). austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=When+I%27m+Gone&cat=s. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem - When I'm Gone" (in Dutch). ultratop.be. Hung Medien. http://www.ultratop.be/nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=When+I%27m+Gone&cat=s. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem - When I'm Gone" (in French). ultratop.be. Hung Medien. http://www.ultratop.be/fr/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=When+I%27m+Gone&cat=s. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem Album & Song Chart History: European Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/artist/eminem/chart-history/315925?f=349&g=Singles. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem - When I'm Gone". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. http://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=When+I%27m+Gone&cat=s. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Chartverfolgung / Eminem / Single" (in German). musicline.de. Media Control Charts. http://musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Eminem/?type=single. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Discography Eminem". irish-charts.com. Hung Medien. http://www.irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Eminem. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 3, 2006" (in Dutch). top40.nl. Dutch Top 40. http://www.top40.nl/index.aspx?&jaar=2006&maand=7&week=3. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem - When I'm Gone". charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. http://charts.org.nz/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=When+I%27m+Gone&cat=s. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem - When I'm Gone". norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien. http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=When+I%27m+Gone&cat=s. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem - When I'm Gone". swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien. http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=When+I%27m+Gone&cat=s. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem - When I'm Gone" (in German). hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=Eminem&titel=When+I%27m+Gone&cat=s. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem Album & Song Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/artist/eminem/chart-history/315925?f=379&g=Singles. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem Album & Song Chart History: Pop Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100#/artist/eminem/chart-history/315925?f=381&g=Singles. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem Album & Song Chart History: R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/artist/eminem/chart-history/315925?f=367&g=Singles. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem Album & Song Chart History: Rap Songs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. http://www.billboard.com/artist/eminem/chart-history/315925?f=370&g=Singles. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
- ^ "Eminem > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Macrovision. http://allmusic.com/artist/eminem-p347307/charts-awards/billboard-singles/. Retrieved 2 August, 2011.
[edit] External links
