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Eminem – Like Toy Soldiers

By 3 mai 2025Eminem

Découvrez les paroles de la chanson « Like Toy Soldiers » de Eminem, accompagnées des explications de leur signification, d’anecdotes et de contexte.

Paroles de la chanson

Step by step, heart to heart,

left right left, we all fall down…

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

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 ain't never supposed to show it

My crew ain't supposed to know it

Even if it means going toe to toe with a Benzino

It don't matter

I'd never drag them in battles that I can handle

'Less 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

The shit went way beyond some Jay Z and Nas shit

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

I spent so 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 want to destroy something I helped build?

It wasn't my intentions, my intentions were good

I went through my whole career without ever mentioning

And that was just outta respect, for not running my mouth

And talking 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 TV

Down-talking the man who literally saved my life

Like, fuck it, I understand

This is business, and this shit just isn't none of my business

I'm still knowing this shit could pop off at any minute, ‘cause…

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

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

‘Cause 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

You call 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 he stabbed him

Fuck it, "50, smash him! Mash him and let him have it!"

Meanwhile my attention's pulled in another direction

Some receptionist at the Source

Who answers phones at his desk

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

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

But now he's fucked the game up, ‘cause 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 mothafucka could 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

And maybe shout 'em out in a rap or up in the chorus

To show 'em we love 'em back

And let them know how important it is

To have Runyon Avenue soldiers up in our corners

Their loyalty to us is worth more than any award is

But I ain't tryin' to have none of my people hurt or murdered

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

Than to just say that I love y'all too much to see the verdict

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

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

I'm just willing to be the bigger man if y'all can quit poppin'

Off at your jaws, well, then I can

‘Cause frankly I'm sick of talkin'.

I'm not going to let someone else's coffin rest on my conscience, ‘cause…

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

Explication des paroles de Like Toy Soldiers de Eminem

« Like Toy Soldiers » d’Eminem aborde le thème des conflits et des rivalités au sein de l’industrie musicale. La chanson a été inspirée par la mort du rappeur Proof, un proche collaborateur d’Eminem, et des tensions croissantes au sein de son entourage. Eminem y exprime des regrets et tente de mettre en garde contre les conséquences tragiques des querelles et des rivalités dans le monde du hip-hop. Une anecdote intéressante est que la chanson a été en partie influencée par le morceau de rap « Toy Soldiers » de Martika, dont Eminem a réécrit les paroles pour en faire une réponse personnelle.

En conclusion, « Like Toy Soldiers » est un morceau poignant qui met en lumière les dangers des conflits et des rivalités dans l’industrie musicale, et qui appelle à la paix et à la réconciliation.