The Marshall Mathers LP 2
Stronger Than I Was
Eminem
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
36
End
193
Internal
56
Multi
263
Slant
14
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Verse 2]
Beautiful face is all that you have
'Cause on the inside✦ you're ugly✦ and mad
But you're all that I love, I grasp, you can't leave
Please stay here with me, baby,✦ hold me please
[Pre-Chorus]
And I'd beg and I'd plead, drop to knees
And I'd cry and I'd scream, "Baby,✦ please don't leave"
But you left and you took everything I had left
And left nothin',✦ nothin'✦ for me
So, please don't wake me from this dream, baby✦
We're still together in my head
And you're still in love with me
'Til I woke up to discover that that dream was dead
[Chorus]
But you won't break me, you'll just make me
Stronger✦ than I was
Before✦ I met you, I bet you I'll be just
Fine without✦ you
And if I stumble, I won't crumble
I'll get back up and uhh
But I'ma✦ still be humble when I scream "Fuck you"
'Cause I'm stronger✦ than I was
[Verse 3]
You walked✦ out, I almost✦ died
It was almost✦ a homicide
That you caused,✦ 'cause I was so traumatized
Felt like I was in for a long bus ride
I'd rather✦ die than you not by my side
Can't count how many✦ times✦ I vomited, cried
Go to my room, turn the radio✦ on and hide
Thought we were Bonnie and Clyde
Nah, on the inside✦ you were Jekyll and Hyde
I felt like my whole relationship with you was a lie
It was you and I, why did I think it was ride or die?
'Cause if you coulda✦ took my life you woulda✦
It's like you put a knife through my chest and pushed✦ it right through to the
Other✦ side of my back and stuck a spike too, shoulda
Put up more of a fight, but I couldn't
At the time, no one could hurt me like you coulda✦
Take you back now, what's the likelihood of that?
Bite me, bitch, chew on a nineteen footer!✦
'Cause this morning I finally✦ stood up
Held my chin up, finally✦ showed✦ a sign of life in me for the
First time since you left
And left me with nothin'✦ but shattered dreams and the life we coulda✦
Had and we coulda✦ been
But I'm breakin' out of this slump I'm in
Pullin'✦ myself out of the dumps once again✦
I'm gettin'✦ up once and for all, fuck this shit
I'ma✦ be late for the pity✦ party✦
But you're never✦ gonna✦ beat me to the fuckin'✦ punch again✦
Took it on the chin like a champ
So don't lump me in with them chump-ions
I'm done bein' your punchin' bag
It was November 31st today✦
Woulda✦ been our anniversary
Two years, but you left on the 1st of May
I wrote it on a calendar, was gonna✦ call
But couldn't think of the words to say
But they came to me just now
So I put 'em in a verse to lay
[Pre-Chorus]
And I thank you (Uh), 'cause you made me (Uh)
A better✦ person than I was
But I hate you (Uh), 'cause you drained me (Uh)
I gave you all, you gave me none
But if you blame me (Uh), you're crazy✦ (Uh)
And after✦ all is said and done
I'm still angry,✦ yeah, I may be
I may never✦ trust someone
[Chorus]
But you won't break me, you'll just make me
Stronger✦ than I was
Before✦ I met you, I bet you I'll be just
Fine without✦ you
And if I stumble, I won't crumble
I'll get back up and uhh
But I'ma✦ still be humble when I scream "Fuck you"
'Cause I'm stronger✦ than I was
Technical Breakdown
8.1
Multisyllabic Rhymes7.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres4.5
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm10.0
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity6.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control7.5
Performance and control
Computed Score8.09
Production
— Eminem, Luis RestoBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
The verse relies on raw emotional volatility and narrative vulnerability rather than dense metaphorical wordplay, utilizing a melodic cadence to emphasize themes of heartbreak.
A
7.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
10
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
4.5
Wordplay
7.5
Delivery
AnaphoraInternal Rhyme ChainsEmotional Rhythmic Modulation
Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AABB and ABAB variations, utilizing dense internal rhyme clusters within the pre-chorus to build tension before shifting to a punchier, staccato delivery in the chorus.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"took everything I had left / And left nothin'"
① Physical objects or remnants of a relationship taken away② The state of being abandoned or departed from
"you'll just make me / Stronger than I was"
① The classic 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' trope② A direct rebuttal to the partner's perceived attempt to 'break' him
High emotional resonance and conviction in performance
Effective use of repetitive structures to mimic obsessive thinking
Strong command of rhythmic placement during the transition from verse to chorus
Lack of complex metaphors or high-level wordplay
Reliance on direct, literal expressions of anger and grief
Simplified vocabulary relative to the artist's potential