Eminem, Habits: the song lyrics & their meaning

Habits is one of the most interesting songs on Eminem’s new album: let’s examine its lyrics and the meaning behind them.

We can’t deny it: Eminem’s new album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce), is a golden source of interesting lyrics, allowing us to enter the rapper’s point of view on his life and the world he lives in. The central concept is clear, and we could catch it already in Houdini: today’s Eminem is interacting with Slim Shady, his alter ego coming from the past, and the confrontation is on. Eminem has changed, Slim Shady has always been the same, and the two personalities cannot coexist, especially now that the world is totally different.

Habits follows up in this abstract conversation: Slim Shady is taking over, but he’s incompatible with today’s music standards, and the whole song is about this conflict. In this article, we will explore the song’s meaning, and you’ll also find the official streaming and the complete lyrics at the end.

Habits: the meaning of the lyrics

Habits is about Eminem’s past personality, Slim Shady, and his perspective on the modern world: in the lyrics, Slim Shady has taken Eminem (today’s persona) as a hostage and talks about how he feels about contemporary society.

The new album is all about confronting today’s Eminem with what he was at the beginning of his career: Slim Shady represents his past, the peak of his success, the controversial rapper who has been censored and attacked so many times over the years. Then Eminem changed, and Slim Shady was left in the shadow, progressively fading away. However, we cannot censor a part of ourselves for too long; it’s how our psychology works. This is what’s happening now: Slim Shady got out of the shadow, he wants to speak again, and Eminem needs to deal with him now.

Of course, Slim Shady’s energy is disruptive, so the songs portray the conflicts in many ways. In Houdini’s official video, Slim Shady becomes a villain, and we see two superheroes fighting for the city’s peace. Habits starts with Slim Shady having control over Eminem: at the song’s beginning, Shady threatens Eminem with a gun and forces him to take a drug, a symbol of the addiction the rapper experienced many years ago.

Been waiting a long time for this s–t
Long time no see
Thought you got rid of my a–, huh?
Alright, here’s what we’re gonna do
You take this
Or I put a bullet between your f–king eyes
Here
Then we’ll split it

Half an Ativan, I’m drivin’ straight at a van

The addiction mentioned in the chorus is the ghost of Eminem’s past, virtually back today. Eminem made a considerable effort and managed to solve his addiction problems years ago. Slim Shady represents the phase of his life still affected by those issues, and the outer voice singing the chorus reminds him (and all of us) that addiction represents a significant portion of his past identity.

You got an addiction, man
I know you can’t get rid of me forever
‘Cause you know that I’m prescription, man
g–amn, I miss you, Slim
You got an addiction, man
I know you can’t get rid of me forever
‘Cause you know that I’m prescription, man
Next time, I’ll be in your vein

The rest of the song is just Slim Shady ranting about everything. He represents Eminem’s “primitive” way of thinking about the present: all this conformism, all the things we can no longer say, all the new words that entered society’s focus, it all feels like hypocrisy to his eyes. Slim Shady can’t accept it (and this is still Eminem’s point of view), but he doesn’t have a constructive way to express his position. So his rap just escalates, building the mood of the song.

Yeah, I probably annoyed a few feminists
I reminisce on them blowing a fuse over my points of views
Still I’m devoid of two s–ts to give (Yeah)
My thinkin’ is primitive

This is what Habits and its lyrics are about, the song’s authentic meaning: Slim Shady has the chance to speak after years of silence and is expressing his raw opinions about today’s world. Eminem, who represents the conscious, balanced part of his personality, is temporarily unable to speak or control it. It’s Slim Shady talking in this song. How will the story continue?

Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave

The official streaming and the complete lyrics

Eminem - Habits (feat. White Gold) [Official Audio]

Watch this video on YouTube.

Been waiting a long time for this s–t (Ah)
Long time no see (Ah)
Thought you got rid of my a–, huh? (Let me go, you sick f–k)
Alright, here’s what we’re gonna do (Piece of s–t)
You take this (No)
Or I put a bullet between your f–king eyes (I don’t wanna)
Here (f–k no)
Then we’ll split it (No)

Half an Ativan, I’m drivin’ straight at a van
In a black Sedan, fast as I can
In Pakistan gettin’ chased by a pack of Stans
You know how I roll, b- -h (What?), I’m an avalanche
This my s–t, I’m gonna spit it how I wanna spit it
Whoever gets offended, s–k a d–k and f–k a critic
‘Bout to get retarded on this motherf–kin’ s–t, it
“You can’t say retarded,” shut up, midget (The f–k?)
And I’ve been tryna break the habit of sayin’ any R words
But I’m still an addict, so it’s getting harder (Ah)
Been callin’ b- -hes “hoes” since a kindergartner
This is Jimmy Carter, now I’m kitty-cornered (What?)
Sittin’ in PC court with a s–tty lawyer (s–t), like damn

You got an addiction, man (Ah)
I know you can’t get rid of me forever
‘Cause you know that I’m prescription, man
g–amn, I miss you, Slim (Woo)
You got an addiction, man
I know you can’t get rid of me forever
‘Cause you know that I’m prescription, man
Next time, I’ll be in your vein (Yeah)

Was just a kid from Detroit who knew how to destroy the booth
And had a point to prove (Yeah), and I’m missin’ (What?)
Venomous, still I poison youth, sentences (Yeah)
I’m pennin’ are just to toy with you
Which is a joy to do, Slim is just (What?)
A lyricist here to voice his truth, sentiments (Yeah)
Got the women pissed and it seems like men are just (What?) off growing a huge clitoris (P—ies)
Yeah, I probably annoyed a few feminists
I reminisce on them blowing a fuse over my points of views
Still I’m devoid of two s–ts to give (Yeah)
My thinkin’ is primitive
But when it comes to givin’ it to anybody, boy, is Bruce generous (Marshall)
And I’m ’bout as much of boy as Bruce Jenner is (Damn)
‘Cause I’m not a boy, I’m a man, b- -h, man-b- -h (Ha-ha)
My speech is free as his choice to choose gender is (Man)
This s–t is like opioid abuse, isn’t it? (Yup)

You got an addiction, man
I know you can’t get rid of me forever
‘Cause you know that I’m prescription, man
g–amn, I miss you, Slim (Woo, uh)
You got an addiction, man
I know you can’t get rid of me forever
‘Cause you know that I’m prescription, man
Next time, I’ll be in your veins

There’s times when I lay down to sleep I argue with myself
Am I the only one who thinks it’s weird? Do I need help?
Just a little bit, no, a lot of it, I really, really gotta quit
Something’s wrong with me, my God, old habits die hard

Look at you
What’s the matter with you people?
You’re sad that people are mean?
Well, I’m sorry, the world isn’t one big liberal arts college campus
**** you, you’re all pricks

Mom shaming, dad shaming (Ah), yeah
Fat shaming (What?), man-splaining, blah (Pfft)
Cry babies attack Shady, wah
Mad ’cause they can’t tame me (Get it)
Here come the censors (Look out), like the Avengers
And they assemble like Prince and then turn
A word like “ginger” into the N-word
All these pronouns (Ah) I can’t remember (Damn)
They or them, theirs? (Who?) His or him, hers? (Ah)
Into them girls who bought tits to get attention
Then get hit on by ugly men who are (Creep)
Not in your league, so you pretend you’re a victim
And me-too ’em (Ah), outraged, how fake? (What?)
Nowadays, some gals, they (What?) just clout-chase (Yeah)
Look at me with sour grapes and your brow raised
b- -h, you ain’t about head (What?), about face (Woo)
Little white, middle-age, upper-middle-class
With a glass of wine and your cigarette
b- -h, get off the internet (Yeah)
You ain’t even fed your kids dinner yet (Still)
Parental discretion, mental aggression, my head’s a Smith & Wesson
You’re messin’ with a lethal weapon, like an evil stepdad
I got an infrared like the ginger stepkid who pissed the bed
I do this s–t in jest and it’s just a messin’ up with your head
And if men wanna wear lipstick and women’s underwear
Who cares? Their s–t is their business, now bear witness
Beware, b- -hes, the Blair Witch on you scared b- -hes
I’m surreptitious (What?) on square business
Just attacked my therapist with a pair of scissors like “Merry Christmas”
Dressed as a hairy Christian, terrorist with the hair trigger (Woo)
But with these buttons I’m always pushing (Yeah), pain I’m always inflicting (What?)
Protestors outside the Shady offices livid (Yeah)
It’ll make you think that you had the game on lock ’til they pick it (Trick it)
Only way for me to explain it is I’m conflicted (What?)
Walkin’ on eggshells, like if I take it too far, is this it? (Yeah)
Part of me gets it and wants to say, “I’m sorry,” and fix it (I’m so—)
So all my statements are basically contradictive (What?)
Like using the F-word for gay is wrong and offensive (What?)
And insensitive as if me sayin’ the R-word isn’t (Wait)
Wait a minute, which R-word? Rape or retarded, midget? (Not cool, guys)
Would this rhyme be okay if South Park had did it? (Okay, screw you guys)
Would it make you less angry if Cartman spit it? (Goddammit)
As far as what I just stated, regarding midgets
You’ll probably think I’ll just say that I’m playin’, I’m not, I meant it (Yeah)
Swear to God I see one of them little f–kers come at me
I pick it up by its legs and drop it and kick it
“Marshall, you’re wicked, face it, you are addicted” (I know)
But they gon’ do me the same as DaBaby with all of this s–t (Why?)
Chappelle and Colin, they’re callin’ Shady misogynistic
While raisin’ three daughters, two graduated from college with honor
Summa c-m laude, my sense of humor is probably twisted
It’s painfully obvious-tic

You got an addiction, man
I know you can’t get rid of me forever
‘Cause you know that I’m prescription, man
g–amn, I miss you Slim (Woo, hey)
You got an addiction, man
I know you can’t get rid of me forever
‘Cause you know that I’m prescription, man
Next time, I’ll be in your veins (Haha)

I’m just playin’, little people, you know I love you