Yellow Brick Road lyrics

[Verse 1]

Alright come on, let's cut the bullshit enough

Let's get it started, let's start addressing this issue and open it up

Let's take this shit back to the basement

And we can discuss statements that's made on this tape

And its whole origin of the music that we all know and love

The music that we all enjoy the music you accuse me of tryna destroy

Let's rewind it to 89 when I was a boy on the east side of Detroit

Crossin 8 Mile into Warren, into hick territory

I'd like to share a story, this is my story and can't nobody tell it for me

You will well-inform me, I am well aware that I don't belong here

You've made that perfectly clear

I get my ass kicked damn near everywhere

From Bel-Aire shopping center just for stopping in there

From the black side all the way to the white side

Okay there's a bright side: a day that I might slide

You may call it a pass, I call it hauling my ass

Through that patch of grass over them railroad tracks

Oh them railroad tracks, them old railroad tracks

Them good old notorious oh well known tracks

[Hook]

Come on, let's go back

Follow the yellow brick road as we go on another episode

Journey with me as I take you through this nifty little place

I once used to call home sweet home

[Verse 2]

I roam the streets so much they call me a drifter

Sometimes I stick up a thumb just to hitch hike

Just to get picked up to get me a lift to 8 mile and Van Dyke

And steal a god damn bike from somebody's backyard

And drop it off at the park that was the half-way mark

To meet Kim

Had to walk back to her mama's on Chalmers after dark

To sneak me in the house when I'm kicked out my mom's

Thats about the time I first met Proof with Goofy Gary on the steps

At Osbourne handing out some flyers, he was doin some talent shows

At Center line High, I had told him to stop by and check this out sometime

He looked at me like I'm out my mind

Shook his head, like "white boys don't know how to rhyme"

I spit out a line and rhymed "birthday" with "first place"

And we both had the same rhymes that sound alike

We was on the same shit, that Big Daddy Kane shit

With compound syllables sound combined

From that day we was down to ride

Somehow we knew we'd meet again somewhere down the line

[Hook]

[Verse 3]

My first year in 9th grade, can't forget that day at school

It was cool till your man MC Shan came through

And said that Puma's the brand cause the Klan makes Troops

It was rumors but, man, god damn they flew

Must've been true because man we done banned they shoes

I had the new ones, the Cool J, Iceland suede too

And we just threw them in the trash like they yesterday's news

Guess who came through next? X clan debut

Professor X (vanglorious), exists in a state of red, black, and green

With a key, sissies! now with this bein a new trend

We don't fit in crackas is out with Cactus albums

Blackness is in, African symbols and medallions

Represents black power and we ain't know what it meant

Me and my man Howard and would go to the mall with 'em

All over our necks like we're showin 'em off not knowin at all

We was being laughed at, "you ain't even half black!

You ain't supposed to have that homie let me grab that"

And that Flavor Flav clock we goin' have to snatch that

All I remember is meeting back at Manix's basement

Saying how we hate this, how racist but dope the X Clan tape is

Which reminds me back in 89 me and Kim broke up for the first time

She was tryna two-time me, and there was this black girl

At our school who thought I was cool

Cause I rapped, so she was kinda eyeing me

And - oh the irony - guess what her name was?

Ain't even goin' say it, plus

The same color hair as hers was and blue contacts and a pair of jugs

The bombest god damn girl in our whole school, if I could pull it

Not only would I become more popular

But I would be able to piss Kim off at the same time

But it backfired, I was supposed to dump her

But she dumped me for this black guy

And that's the last I ever seen or heard or spoke

To the "Oh foolish pride" girl

But I've heard people say they heard the tape and it ain't that bad

But it was I singled out a whole race and for that apologize

I was wrong cause no matter what color a girl is, she's still a ho

[Hook]

• Artist:Eminem
• Album:Encore (2004)