Like Toy Soldiers by Eminem - Lyrics and Translation

VERSE

Like Toy Soldiers

Eminem

Like Toy Soldiers

Song byEminem

in AlbumCurtain Call

Step by step, heart to heart, left right left

We all fall down...

[Chorus]

Step by step, heart to heart, left right left

We all fall down like toy soldiers

Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win

But the battle wages on for toy soldiers

[Verse 1]

I'm supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure

Even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders

I am never supposed to show it, my crew ain't supposed to know it

Even if it means goin' toe to toe with a Benzino it don't matter

I'd never drag them in battles that I can handle unless I absolutely have to

I'm supposed to set an example

I need to be the leader, my crew looks for me to guide 'em

If some shit ever does pop off, I'm supposed to be beside 'em

That Ja shit I tried to squash it, it was too late to stop it

There's a certain line you just don't cross and he crossed it

I heard him say Hailie's name on a song and I just lost it

It was crazy, this shit went way beyond some Jay-z and Nas shit

And even though the battle was won, I feel like we lost it

I spent too much energy on it, honestly I'm exhausted

And I'm so caught in it I almost feel I'm the one who caused it

This ain't what I'm in hip-hop for, it's not why I got in it

That was never my object for someone to get killed

Why would I wanna destroy something I help build

It wasn't my intentions, my intentions was good

I went through my whole career without ever mentionin' Suge

And that was just out of respect for not runnin' my mouth

And talkin' about something that I knew nothing about

Plus Dre told me stay out, this just wasn't my beef

So I did, I just fell back, watched and gritted my teeth

While he's all over t.v. down talkin' a man who literally saved my life

Like fuck it i understand this is business

And this shit just isn't none of my business

But still knowin' this shit could pop off at any minute cuz

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]

There used to be a time when you could just say a rhyme

And wouldn't have to worry about one of your people dyin'

But now it's elevated cuz once you put someone's kids in it

The shit gets escalated, it ain't just words no more is it?

It's a different ball game, callin' names and you ain't just rappin'

We actually tried to stop the 50 and Ja beef from happenin'

Me and Dre had sat with him, kicked it and had a chat with him

And asked him not to start it he wasn't gonna go after him

Until Ja started yappin' in magazines how we stabbed him

Fuck it 50 smash 'em, mash 'em and let him have it

Meanwhile my attention is pullin' in other directions

Some receptionist at The Source who answers phones at his desk

Has an erection for me and thinks that I'll be his ressurection

Tries to blow the dust off his mic and make a new record

But now he's fucked the game up cuz one of the ways I came up

Was through that publication the same one that made me famous

Now the owner of it has got a grudge against me for nothin'

Well fuck it, that motherfucker can get it too, fuck him then

But I'm so busy being pissed off I don't stop to think

That we just inherited 50's beef with Murder Inc.

And he's inherited mine which is fine ain't like either of us mind

We still have soldiers that's on the front line

That's willing to die for us as soon as we give the orders

Never to extort us, strictly to show they support us

We'll maybe shout 'em out in a rap or up in a chorus

To show them we love 'em back and let 'em know how important it is

To have Runyan Avenue, soldiers up in our corners

Their loyalty to us is worth more than any award is

But I ain't tryna have none of my people hurt and murdered

It ain't worth it, I can't think of a perfecter way to word it

Then to just say that I love ya'll too much to see the verdict

I'll walk away from it all before I let it go any further

But don't get it twisted, it's not a plea that I'm coppin'

I'm just willin' to be the bigger man

If ya'll can quit poppin' off at the jaws, well then I can

Cuz frankly I'm sick of talkin'

I'm not gonna let someone elses coffin rest on my conscience cuz

[Chorus]

LanguageEnglish

Translated byAllen Morningstar

About this Song

Like Toy Soldiers by Eminem is a song expressing the rapper's feelings about the dangers and consequences of feuds within the hip-hop community. Eminem uses the metaphor of toy soldiers to describe how rappers are manipulated and pulled into conflicts that escalate into real-life violence. The track is a call for peace and highlights the devastating impact that these battles can have on individuals and their loved ones. Key themes include the futility of retaliation, the manipulation by the industry, and the personal loss resulting from these conflicts. Particularly poignant moments include Eminem referencing the loss of his friends and the emotional toll these feuds take on him personally.

Step by step, heart to heart, left right left

We all fall down...

[Chorus]

Step by step, heart to heart, left right left

We all fall down like toy soldiers

Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win

But the battle wages on for toy soldiers

[Verse 1]

I'm supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure

Even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders

I am never supposed to show it, my crew ain't supposed to know it

Even if it means goin' toe to toe with a Benzino it don't matter

I'd never drag them in battles that I can handle unless I absolutely have to

I'm supposed to set an example

I need to be the leader, my crew looks for me to guide 'em

If some shit ever does pop off, I'm supposed to be beside 'em

That Ja shit I tried to squash it, it was too late to stop it

There's a certain line you just don't cross and he crossed it

I heard him say Hailie's name on a song and I just lost it

It was crazy, this shit went way beyond some Jay-z and Nas shit

And even though the battle was won, I feel like we lost it

I spent too much energy on it, honestly I'm exhausted

And I'm so caught in it I almost feel I'm the one who caused it

This ain't what I'm in hip-hop for, it's not why I got in it

That was never my object for someone to get killed

Why would I wanna destroy something I help build

It wasn't my intentions, my intentions was good

I went through my whole career without ever mentionin' Suge

And that was just out of respect for not runnin' my mouth

And talkin' about something that I knew nothing about

Plus Dre told me stay out, this just wasn't my beef

So I did, I just fell back, watched and gritted my teeth

While he's all over t.v. down talkin' a man who literally saved my life

Like fuck it i understand this is business

And this shit just isn't none of my business

But still knowin' this shit could pop off at any minute cuz

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]

There used to be a time when you could just say a rhyme

And wouldn't have to worry about one of your people dyin'

But now it's elevated cuz once you put someone's kids in it

The shit gets escalated, it ain't just words no more is it?

It's a different ball game, callin' names and you ain't just rappin'

We actually tried to stop the 50 and Ja beef from happenin'

Me and Dre had sat with him, kicked it and had a chat with him

And asked him not to start it he wasn't gonna go after him

Until Ja started yappin' in magazines how we stabbed him

Fuck it 50 smash 'em, mash 'em and let him have it

Meanwhile my attention is pullin' in other directions

Some receptionist at The Source who answers phones at his desk

Has an erection for me and thinks that I'll be his ressurection

Tries to blow the dust off his mic and make a new record

But now he's fucked the game up cuz one of the ways I came up

Was through that publication the same one that made me famous

Now the owner of it has got a grudge against me for nothin'

Well fuck it, that motherfucker can get it too, fuck him then

But I'm so busy being pissed off I don't stop to think

That we just inherited 50's beef with Murder Inc.

And he's inherited mine which is fine ain't like either of us mind

We still have soldiers that's on the front line

That's willing to die for us as soon as we give the orders

Never to extort us, strictly to show they support us

We'll maybe shout 'em out in a rap or up in a chorus

To show them we love 'em back and let 'em know how important it is

To have Runyan Avenue, soldiers up in our corners

Their loyalty to us is worth more than any award is

But I ain't tryna have none of my people hurt and murdered

It ain't worth it, I can't think of a perfecter way to word it

Then to just say that I love ya'll too much to see the verdict

I'll walk away from it all before I let it go any further

But don't get it twisted, it's not a plea that I'm coppin'

I'm just willin' to be the bigger man

If ya'll can quit poppin' off at the jaws, well then I can

Cuz frankly I'm sick of talkin'

I'm not gonna let someone elses coffin rest on my conscience cuz

[Chorus]

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