Quotable of the Week: Eminem “Deja Vu”
This week’s hip-hop quotable is Eminem’s Deja Vu, from his new album “Relapse.” I ain’t gonna lie, I hated on this album at first and just got around to listening to it. But once I did, I can’t stop. Deja Vu is one of the lesser-publicized tracks from the new album, but probably my favorite thus far. The track contemplates Em’s drug addiction, and does a great job creating an addict’s inner dialogue – including a dope verse about how he managed to rationalize his drug use. Click below to listen to Deja Vu:
And be sure to follow along with the lyrics after the break.
[Verse 1]
As I fall deeper into a manic state/
I’m a prime candidate for the gene to receive the drug addict trait/
Blood pressure climbs at a dramatic rate/
I seem to gravitate to the bottle of NyQuil then I salivate/
Start off with the NyQuil like ‘I think I’ll just have a taste’/
Couple of sips of that then I gradually graduate/
To a harder prescription drug called Valium, like ‘Yeah that’s great’/
I go to take just one and I end up like having eight/
Now I need something in my stomach cuz I haven’t ate/
Maybe I’ll grab a plate of nachos and I’ll have a steak/
And you’d think that with all I have at stake/
Look at my daughters face/
‘Mommy something is wrong with dad I think/
He’s acting weird again, he’s really beginning to scare me/
Wont shave his beard again and he pretends he doesn’t hear me/
And all he does is eat Doritos and Cheetos/
And he just fell asleep in his car eating three musketeers in the rear seat’/
[Chorus]
Sometimes I feel so alone/
I just don’t know/
Feels like I been down this road before/
So lonely and cold/
It’s like something takes over me soon as I go home and close the door/
Kinda feels like Déjà Vu/
I wanna get away from this place I do/
But I can’t and I wont/
Say I tried but I know/
That’s a lie cuz I don’t/
And why I just don’t know/
[Verse 2]
Maybe just a nice cold brew, what’s a beer?/
That’s the devil in my ear I been sober a fucking year/
And that fucker still talks to me, he’s all I can fucking hear/
‘Marshall come on we’ll watch the game it’s the Cowboys and Buccaneers’/
And maybe if I just drink half I’ll be half buzzed for half of the time/
Who’s the mastermind behind that little line?/
With that kind of rational man I got half a mind/
To have another half of glass of wine sounds asinine/
Yeah I know but I never had no problem with alcohol/
Ouch look out for the wall aim for the couch I’m bout to fall/
I missed the couch and down I go looking like a bouncing ball/
Shit must have knocked me out cuz I ain’t feel the ground at all/
Wow what the fuck happened last night? Where am I?/
Man, fuck am I hungover, and god damn I/
Got a headache, shit half a vicodin why can’t I?
All systems ready for take off please stand by/
[Chorus]
Sometimes I feel so alone/
I just don’t know/
Feels like I been down this road before/
So lonely and cold/
It’s like something takes over me soon as I go home and close the door/
Kinda feels like Déjà Vu/
I wanna get away from this place I do/
But I can’t and I wont/
Say I tried but I know/
That’s a lie cuz I don’t/
And why I just don’t know/
[Verse 3]
So I take a Vicodin splash it hits my stomach and ahhh/
A couple weeks go by it aint even like I’m getting high/
Now I need it just not to feel sick, yeah I’m getting by/
Wouldn’t even be taking this shit if DeShaun didn’t die/
Oh yeah there’s an excuse you lose Proof so you use/
There’s new rules it’s cool if it’s helping you to get through.
It’s twelve noon aint no harm in self inducing a snooze/
What else is new? Fuck it what would Elvis do in your shoes?/
Now here I am three months later, full blown relapse/
‘Just get high until the kids get home from school holmes, relax’/
And since im convinced that I’m insomniac/
I need these pills to be able to sleep, so I take three naps/
Just to be able to function throughout the day let’s see/
That’s an Ambien each nap, how many Valium? Three/
And that will average out to about one good hours sleep/
Okay so now you see/
The reason how come he/
Has taken four years just to put out an album B/
See me and you we almost had the same outcome Heath/
Cuz that Christmas you know the Pneumonia thing?/
It was bologna, was it the Methadone ya think?/
Or the Hydrocodone, you hide inside your pornos?/
Your VCR tape cases with your Ambien CR/
Great places to hide ‘em ain’t it?/
So you can lie to Haley/
‘I’m going beddy bye Whitney baby good night Elaina’/
Go in the room and shut the bedroom door and wake up in an ambulance/
They said they found me on the bathroom floor, damn/
[Chorus]
Sometimes I feel so alone/
I just don’t know/
Feels like I been down this road before/
So lonely and cold/
It’s like something takes over me soon as I go home and close the door/
Kinda feels like Déjà Vu/
I wanna get away from this place I do/
But I can’t and I wont/
Say I tried but I know/
That’s a lie cuz I don’t/
And why I just don’t know/
Jay-Izzle wrote:
Wow. I haven’t picked up the album either. Thought he was talking about the same old shit. But this is dope. Might have to go bootleg Relapse.
Posted on 08-Jul-09 at 10:47 am | Permalink
K wrote:
His voice is annoying throughout the whole album, makes it unlistenable to me… as a whole product.
This track is okay, I’d rather k-os’ 4,3,2,1 track or another off his Yes! album be quotable of the week. But then, it is not my blog.
I’ll never buy another Em album after Encore. The irony of that title.
Posted on 08-Jul-09 at 11:34 am | Permalink
BeatRoot wrote:
I’m with ya K,
He can write some good track (with most being gash) yet his voice always just puts me off…
Posted on 08-Jul-09 at 12:03 pm | Permalink
303 b-boy wrote:
yall are crazy em is one of the best ever
Posted on 08-Jul-09 at 1:45 pm | Permalink
Nathaniel wrote:
K – we did features a track from K-os’ “Yes!” as quotable of the week a while back. But it wasn’t 4321 – it was Mr. Telephone Man. Check it out here:
http://www.hiphoplinguistics.com/quotes/2009/05/track-of-the-week-kos-mr-telephone-man
PEACE
Posted on 08-Jul-09 at 1:47 pm | Permalink
Z wrote:
This is the first time in a long time that Em has had a dope flow to the beat in my opinion. He has annoyed me for years now, but this is tight.
Posted on 08-Jul-09 at 3:08 pm | Permalink
e wrote:
Jay,
be warned. This is the best song on the album by far. This song is great, complex, interesting. The rest of the album he is saying crass things for no reason in a fake jamaican accent. no lie.
Posted on 08-Jul-09 at 10:41 pm | Permalink
Core Rhythm wrote:
Just can’t do it with Em. He has always been so forced and affected to me. His attempt at OVER honesty, feels like over compensation. I just get a talented guy who is not comfortable in his own skin and thus makes really forced music. It is hard to listen to him. Every now and then he does something I go, alright that is pretty tight, but it is few and far between.
He also needs to stop making beats, he is TERRIBLE, has no sense of swing.
Posted on 09-Jul-09 at 7:13 am | Permalink
mrpeepants wrote:
deja vu and beautiful and great back to back songs on the album. I listened to plenty of the album, the “accent” is really only on a couple of songs and they are pretty throwaway anyways, I don’t really get why people are complaining about it.
Posted on 09-Jul-09 at 1:41 pm | Permalink
K wrote:
Mrpeepants – firstly, props on the name!
People complain about it ‘cos this is the same dude who was exploding the other side of the decade.
The Way I Am to Forgot About Dre, dude was off the map, he was aggressive and skilled on the mic with exceptional breath control live and undeniable humour.
Now he has changed his voice and lacks substance and aggression. He seems more of a comedic emcee with little inspiration and little understanding of himself.
Take the track you name: Beautiful. He states “I would be one tough act to follow”… in many ways he struggles himself to follow his own act… which is understandable given his career. But he’s nothing on what he once was, with an annoying voice.
Nathaniel: I caught that track of the week, props on that one.
I think the next few months should be k-os tracks of the week! He is good enough man.
When will CYNE get reviewed? Also, you’ve never had a focus on Nujabes…any reason why?
Props on the blog as always, you are always favourited in my browser window. Still a shame we can’t get a forum up.
Posted on 09-Jul-09 at 2:38 pm | Permalink
mrpeepants wrote:
k – haha. thanks for the props and response. Nothing wrong with differing opinion. Really if those 2 songs were not on the album and maybe “my mom”, i would have a very different opinion on Em currently and relapse. It certainly isn’t wrong to judge a guy on what he once was. But gettin old especially in hip hop ain’t easy either. Relapse 2 better bring it
Posted on 10-Jul-09 at 6:07 pm | Permalink
K wrote:
Agreed, I have higher hopes for Relapse 2, basically because his freestyles recently have been pretty good and he didn’t use his annoying voice… maybe he will retire it for Relapse 2, who knows? At the same time, it could be the same mediocre trash with more annoying voice… wait and see…
See, 3 songs for me, shouldn’t save an album, when you got dudes like k-os releasing like there… what 4th album?? And still bringing it like they’re fresh and killing the album with every track. As all musicians should.
Posted on 11-Jul-09 at 7:43 am | Permalink
darkmatyr wrote:
phat track but yeah voice is anoying its almost getting to be like acdc albums
although on this song if anyones ever seen the movie brainscan i swear the beat is from that movie
Posted on 24-Jul-09 at 1:44 pm | Permalink
darkmatyr wrote:
have a look see what i mean
or at least the eyedea was
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewD0ZXK-X_g
Posted on 24-Jul-09 at 2:40 pm | Permalink
Hyde wrote:
What do you guys expect from Eminem’s voice? Having him sound like Ricky Ross or Eightball & MJG? Gimme a break. He’s the Greatest Rapper Alive.
Posted on 16-Oct-09 at 11:20 am | Permalink
Hyde wrote:
…or maybe he should sound like Hulk Hogan
Posted on 16-Oct-09 at 11:21 am | Permalink
eminem fan #1 wrote:
eminem is the best singer that i am aware of please dont try 2 diss him people that diss him are people that get bullyed or dissed, so dont diss eminem if u d u are a retard and a mongo!!!!!!!
Posted on 18-Jun-10 at 12:21 pm | Permalink