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Stan (song)

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"Stan"
Song

"Stan" is the third single from The Marshall Mathers LP, by rapper Eminem featuring Dido. It peaked at number one in the United Kingdom and Australia. It is also included on Curtain Call: The Hits, performed with Eminem and Dido as well track 17 on Curtain Call: The Hits as a live Performance from the 2001 Grammy awards featuring Elton John. The song was produced by The 45 King and Eminem, and uses a slightly modified break from Dido's "Thank You" as its base sample. The track also samples the opening lines of "Thank You" as its chorus. Coincidentally, both songs were released as singles in late 2000. Stan has been called one of Eminem's best songs and is considered one of his signature songs.[citation needed]

Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song #290 in their list: The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, making it one of only five songs to be released since 2000 to appear on the original list (it is #296 on the updated list). It was also listed #15 on VH1's list of the greatest hip hop songs of all time.

The first three verses are delivered by Eminem as Stan (Stanley Mitchell), while the fourth verse is Eminem attempting to write to Stan, only to realize that he had already heard about Stan's death on the news. The song has sold over 750,000 copies in the UK.[1]

Structure

In the first verse, Stan is writing to Eminem for the third time, hoping his hero will write back. Rain and thunder can be heard in the background throughout, as well as the sound of the pencil scratching onto the letter. He explains the level of his devotion ("I got a room full of your posters and your pictures, man") and maintains that Eminem "must not have gotten", his previous two letters. In addition, the song "Old World Disorder" is referenced as the "underground shit that you did with Skam." Stan also reveals that his girlfriend is pregnant, and that he is going to name his daughter Bonnie (a reference to Eminem's song "'97 Bonnie and Clyde" from The Slim Shady LP), and empathizes about the suicide of a family member ("I read about your Uncle Ronnie too I'm sorry/I had a friend kill himself over some bitch who didn't want him").

In the second verse, Stan is clearly frustrated. He begins somewhat optimistically ("Dear Slim, you still ain't called or wrote/I hope you had the chance"), but begins to lose his temper by the second line ("I ain't mad - I just think it's fucked up you don't answer fans"). The thunder in the background steadily becomes louder, underscoring Stan's anger. Loud thunderclaps coincide with Stan's outbursts of anger. The verse also establishes Stan's deteriorating wellbeing: "Sometimes I even cut myself to see how much it bleeds/It's like adrenaline, the pain is such a sudden rush for me". Stan mentions his little brother, Matthew, who Stan imagines is an even bigger fan of Eminem than Stan himself. Stan is bitter because Eminem had supposedly refused to give Matthew an autograph at a concert, after waiting in the "blistering cold" for four hours. Stan explains why he identifies with Eminem ("I never knew my father neither/He used to always cheat on my mom and beat her"). He ends his letter with "Sincerely yours, Stan/P.S. we should be together too."

The third verse is Stan recording himself onto a audio cassette in the car as he is about to commit suicide by driving off of a bridge after drinking vodka. His words are slurred, and he is clearly under the influence of depressants, as evidenced by the line, "I'm on a thousand downers now, I'm drowsy." His pregnant girlfriend can be heard screaming in the trunk (he even stops himself for a moment to yell at her: "Shut up, bitch, I'm tryin' to talk!") and the rain and thunder are loud and insistent. Stan, enraged, addresses Eminem as "Mr. I'm-Too-Good-to-Call-or-Write-My-Fans". He explains his predicament: "I'm in the car right now, I'm doing 90 on the freeway/Hey Slim, I drank a fifth of vodka, you dare me to drive?" (quoting "My Name Is" on the previous Eminem album, The Slim Shady LP). This is followed by a reference to a Phil Collins song "In the Air Tonight", misquoting it as "In the Air of the Night." Specifically, Stan refers to an urban legend that the song is about Collins seeing a man drowning, while a closer bystander does nothing to save him. Screaming is heard and Stan reveals that his pregnant girlfriend is in the trunk suffocating "Shut up bitch. I'm tryin' to talk, Hey Slim, That's my girlfriend screaming in the trunk/But I didn't slit her throat I just tied her up," once again referencing Eminem's song "'97 Bonnie and Clyde" in which Eminem implies that he had slit his wife's throat before putting her in the trunk and dropping her off in a lake ("And don't worry about that little booboo on her throat/It's just a little scratch, it don't hurt/Her was eatin' dinner while you were sleepin' and spilled ketchup on her /Mama's messy, ain't she/We'll let her wash off in the water"). Stan vents, revealing the depths of his anger: "I hope you can't sleep and you dream about it/and when you dream I hope you can't sleep and you scream about it/I hope your conscience eats at you and you can't breathe without me!" At the end, Stan realizes too late that he will be unable to send the tape to Eminem ("oh shit, I forgot, how am I supposed to send this shit out?"). A car crash then follows, as the car breaks through the bridge's rails and falls into the water below.

The fourth verse is Eminem's belated reply to Stan. He begins casually "Dear Stan, I meant to write you sooner but I just been busy." He also says he sends a Starter cap with his autograph for Matthew, and reveals something of his serious and sober side with his advice for Stan: "What's this shit you said about you like to cut your wrists too?/I say that shit just clownin' dog/C'mon, how fucked up is you?"; "You got some issues Stan/I think you need some counseling;" "I really think you and your girlfriend need each other/or maybe you just need to treat her better". He further explains in his letter that he had seen a similar story on the news which scared him, about a disturbed man who killed himself and his pregnant girlfriend. The song ends with Eminem's realization of what has happened; Stan was the man on the news ("… in the car they found a tape, but they didn't say who it was to/Come to think about it, his name was… it was you… Damn…")

Lyrics

My tea's gone cold I'm wondering why I? Got out of bed at all The morning rain clouds up my window And I can't see at all And even if I could it'd all be gray But your picture on my wall It reminds me that it's not so bad It's not so bad

My tea's gone cold I'm wondering why I? Got out of bed at all The morning rain clouds up my window And I can't see at all And even if I could it'd all be gray But your picture on my wall It reminds me that it's not so bad It's not so bad

Dear Slim, I wrote you but you still ain't callin' I left my cell, my pager And my home phone at the bottom I sent two letters back in autumn You must not have got 'em It probably was a problem At the post office or somethin'

Sometimes I scribble addresses Too sloppy when I jot 'em But anyways fuck it What's been up man, how's your daughter? My girlfriend's pregnant too I'm out to be a father If I have a daughter, guess what I'm a call her? I'm a name her Bonnie

I read about your Uncle Ronnie too, I'm sorry I had a friend kill himself over some bitch Who didn't want him I know you probably hear this everyday But I'm your biggest fan I even got the underground shit that you did with scam

I got a room full of your posters And your pictures man I like the shit you did with Ruckus too That shit was fat Anyways I hope you get this, man Hit me back just to chat Truly yours, your biggest fan This is Stan

My tea's gone cold I'm wondering why I? Got out of bed at all The morning rain clouds up my window And I can't see at all And even if I could it'd all be gray But your picture on my wall It reminds me that it's not so bad It's not so bad

Dear Slim, you still ain't called or wrote I hope you have the chance, I ain't mad I just think it's fucked up, you don't answer fans If you didn't want to talk to me Outside the concert you didn't have to But you could've signed an autograph for Matthew That's my little brother man

He's only 6 years old We waited in the blistering cold for you For 4 hours and you just said "No" That's pretty shitty man You're like his fuckin' idol He wants to be just like you man He likes you more than I do

I ain't that mad though I just don't like bein' lied to Remember when we met in Denver You said if I write to you, you would write back See I'm just like you in a way I never knew my father neither He used to always cheat on my mom and beat her

I can relate to what you're sayin' in your songs So when I have a shitty day I drift away and put 'em on Cause I don't really got shit else So that shit helps when I'm depressed I even got a tattoo With your name across the chest

Sometimes I even cut myself To see how much it bleeds? It's like Adrenaline The pain is such a sudden rush for me See everything you say is real And I respect you 'cause you tell it My girlfriend's jealous 'Cause I talk about you 24/7

But she don't know you like I know you Slim, no one does She don't know what it was like? For people like us growing up You've gotta call me man I'll be the biggest fan you'll ever lose Sincerely yours, Stan P.S. We should be together too

My tea's gone cold I'm wondering why I? Got out of bed at all The morning rain clouds up my window And I can't see at all [| From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/e/eminem-lyrics/stan-lyrics.html |] And even if I could it'd all be gray But your picture on my wall It reminds me that it's not so bad It's not so bad

Dear Mister, I'm too good to call or write my fans This'll be the last package I ever send your ass It's been six months and still no word I don't deserve it? I know you got my last two letters I wrote the addresses on 'em perfect

So this is my cassette I'm sending you I hope you hear it I'm in the car right now I'm doing 90 on the freeway Hey Slim, I drink a fifth of vodka Ya dare me to drive?

You know this song by Phil Collins 'From the air in the night' About that guy who could have saved That other guy from drowning? But didn't, then Phil saw it all Then at his show he found him

That's kinda how this is You could have rescued me from drowning Now it's too late I'm on a thousand downers, now I'm drowsy

And all I wanted was a lousy letter or a call I hope you know I ripped all your pictures off the wall I loved you Slim, we could have been together Think about it, you ruined it now

I hope you can't sleep and you dream about it And when you dream, I hope you can't sleep And you scream about it I hope your conscious eats at you And you can't breathe without me

See Slim, "Shut up bitch! I'm trying to talk" Hey Slim, that's my girlfriend screaming in the trunk But I didn't slit her throat I just tied her up See I ain't like you 'Cause if she suffocates she'll suffer more And then she'll die too

Well gotta go I'm almost at the bridge now Oh shit! I forgot! How am I supposed to send this shit out?

My tea's gone cold I'm wondering why I? Got out of bed at all The morning rain clouds up my window And I can't see at all And even if I could it'd all be gray But your picture on my wall It reminds me that it's not so bad It's not so bad

Dear Stan, I meant to write you sooner But I've just been busy You said your girlfriend's pregnant now How far along is she? Look I'm really flattered You would call your daughter that And here's an autograph for your brother I wrote it on your starter cap

I'm sorry I didn't see you at the show I must have missed you Don't think I did that shit intentionally Just to diss you And what's this shit you said about You like to cut your wrist too? I say that shit just clownin' dawg C'mon, how fucked up is you?

You got some issues Stan I think you need some counselin To help your ass from bouncin' off the walls When you get down some And what's this shit about us Meant to be together? That type of shit'll make me not want us To meet each other

I really think you and your girlfriend Need each other Or maybe you just need to treat her better I hope you get to read this letter I just hope it reaches you in time Before you hurt yourself I think that you'll be doin' just fine If you'd relax a little

I'm glad I inspire you But Stan, why are you so mad? Try to understand That I do want you as a fan I just don't want you to do some crazy shit I seen this one shit on the news A couple weeks ago that made me sick

Some dude was drunk and drove his car over a bridge And had his girlfriend in the trunk And she was pregnant with his kid And in the car they found a tape But it didn't say who it was to? Come to think about it His name was, it was you! Damn!


Track listing

UK CD Single
  1. "Stan"- 6:45
  2. "Get You Mad" - 4:22
  3. "My Name Is" - 4:32
  4. "Stan" (Video) - 7:30

Censorship

The MTV "clean" version of the song and video are extensively and exhaustively censored, with significant portions from the first two verses and most of the third verse removed. In the MTV full version, which is 8:15 long, verse 3 censors Stan mentioning his girlfriend in the trunk (so "Shut up bitch" and "screaming in the trunk" is censored), and about him not slitting her throat, but tied her up, and "If she suffocates, she'll suffer more, then she'll die too", which "slit", "tied her up", "suffocates" and "die" is censored. The video censors verse 3 from showing her tied up and her mouth covered with duct tape in the trunk, which she manages to get it off from her mouth and screams, which it censors from hearing her screams. It also censors when Stan says he "drank a fifth of vodka", which censors "drank" and "vodka", and censors when he says he's on "a thousand downers", which "downers" is censored, and also censors from showing Stan drinking while driving. Also, at the end of verse 3, "Well, gotta go, I'm almost at the bridge now" is changed to "Well, gotta go, I'm almost at the end of the bridge now". While in the fourth verse, the line "[And what's this] shit about us meant to be together" is completely censored. It also censors the whole line: "And had his girlfriend in the trunk, and she was pregnant with his kid".

In the MTV short version, the second verse lines that are missing are from "I ain't that mad though, I just don't like bein' lied to" to "I even got a tattoo of your name across the chest", which the video cuts showing Stan meeting Eminem, saying about his father cheated on his mother and beat her and showing him getting a "Slim Shady" tattoo on his chest. The third verse lines that are missing is about Stan saying about drinking while driving and saying about Phil Collins' song "In the Air Tonight", which in the video, it skips from showing Stan near-missing a car, and swerving to avoid crashing into it. The lines that are missing are from "Hey Slim, I drank a fifth of vodka, you dare to me to drive?" to "I hope you know I ripped all of your pictures off the wall". It also removes the chorus after the third verse and goes straight to the fourth verse, which the video cuts Eminem at last receiving the letter from Stan, and the car sinking more into the water.

In the recent Fuse "version" of the video, various lines and words are silenced, moreso than on the clean version of the LP, half of one of the beginning verses are cut out, and then the song fades out about halfway through the second verse. The LP version of the song is over 6 minutes long, and, as mentioned, the full version of the video is 8:15, however, when Fuse plays the "video" it is slightly over 2 minutes.

In Fuse's original state as a rock and alternative station, the same versions as on MTV were shown.

Legacy

The song is perhaps Eminem's most critically acclaimed song and has been called a "cultural milestone"[2] and referred to as "Eminem's best song" by About.com.[3] Analysing "Stan" in the Guardian newspaper, writer and literary critic Giles Foden compared Eminem to Robert Browning.[4]

At the 2001 Grammy Awards, when Eminem was facing a lot of criticism from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation over his lyrics; Eminem responded by performing "Stan" with singer Elton John, who is openly gay, singing Dido's lines. Recordings of this performance were available for download on Eminem's official website, Eminem.com, and, later, on his 2005 greatest hits release, Curtain Call: The Hits. [citation needed]

German rapper Prinz Pi made a German version of 'Stan'. His track also is named 'Stan' and is based on Eminem's 'Stan'-beat and has the same topic. Christian rap artist KJ-52 recorded two songs: "Dear Slim" and "Dear Slim, Part II," attempting to contact Eminem and talk to him about his own faith and help him through his troubles. The lyrics to "Dear Slim" reference the obsessed fan in "Stan." Various instruments within the song "My Life" by The Game were taken from Stan.

Rapper Canibus released a response track to this song entitled "U Didn't Care", in which Canibus, portraying Stan, accused Eminem of not caring about him at all.

As a result of the song, the term "Stan" is often used within various fan communities, not limited to musical, to derisively refer to people seen as overly-obsessed fans of someone or something. In "Ether", the anti-Jay-Z diss track, Nas calls Jay a "Stan" and claims that Jay idolizes him and later builds his career from Nas'. Eminem himself used it in the edited version of Curtain Call: The Hits, directed at Moby in "Without Me".[citation needed] German rapper Kool Savas calls his opponent Eko Fresh a "Stan" and claims that Eko admired him in his famous diss track "Das Urteil" (The Verdict). Also MOK, another German rapper calls Farid Bang a "Stan" in his diss track "Frohe Ostern/Mr. Lover Lover" in 2009.

"Stan" has been listed by many as one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time. It was ranked #3 on a list of the greatest rap songs in history by Q magazine[5], and came in 10th in a similar survey conducted by Top40-Charts.com.[6]. Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ranked it #290, one of Eminem's two songs on the list along with "Lose Yourself;" in the updated 2010 list, it was ranked at #296. It ranked #45 on About.com's Top 100 RapSongs[7]

The song ranked number 15 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop, and number 2 on their Countdown Millenium Songs. It was also named the 46th Best Song of the decade by Complex Magazine[8], and the 10th Best Song of the decade by Rolling Stone Magazine.[9]

In 2010, underground rapper TNN (also known as That Nigga Nate) released a Stan Part 2. The song was narrated by Stan's younger brother Matthew, who was mentioned in the original version.

In 2009 rapper/producer Swizz Beatz said he submitted an idea for a song for Eminem entitled "Stan 2." When Eminem turned it down, Swizz took it back and will use it for his album, Haute Living. The song will be entitled "Anne," will feature rapper Lil Wayne and will maintain the theme that Swizz had in mind.

Charts

See also

References

  1. ^ "Eminem on The Official Charts". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2010-05-24. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/17456/Eminem_Curtain_Call_The_Hits
  3. ^ Top Eminem 10 songs
  4. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/feb/06/poetry.features
  5. ^ * * * Q Mag: 150 Rock Lists * * *
  6. ^ Features @ Top40-Charts.com - 40 Top 20 & Top 40 Music Charts from 25 Countries
  7. ^ Top 100 Rap Songs.
  8. ^ http://best.complex.com/2000s/Top-100-Songs/stan
  9. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/31248926/100_best_songs_of_the_decade/27
  10. ^ "2001 Australian Singles Chart". aria. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  11. ^ "2001 Austrian Singles Chart" (in German). Austriancharts. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  12. ^ "2001 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  13. ^ "2001 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  14. ^ "2000 French Singles Chart" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  15. ^ "2001 Swiss Singles Chart" (in German). Swisscharts. Retrieved 2 May 2010.
  16. ^ http://www.rtl.de/cms/unterhaltung/tv-programm/show/die-ultimative-chartshow/hits-neue-jahrtausend-download.html
  17. ^ Australian certifications aria.com (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  18. ^ Austrian certifications ifpi.at (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  19. ^ French certifications Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  20. ^ Template:Cite gold platin
  21. ^ Dutch certifications nvpi.nl (Retrieved December 9, 2008)
  22. ^ Swedish certifications Ifpi.se (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  23. ^ Swiss certifications Swisscharts.com (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  24. ^ UK certifications Bpi.co.uk (Retrieved January 4, 2009)
  25. ^ Uk certification [1]
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