Mockingbird
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Intro
YeahI know sometimesThings may not always make sense to you right nowBut heyWhat Daddy always tell you?Straighten up, little soldierStiffen up that upper lipWhat you cryin' about?You got meVerse 1
Hailie, I know you miss your mom, and I know you miss your dadWhen I'm gone, but I'm tryin' to give you the life that I never hadI can see you're sad, even when you smile, even when you laughI can see it in your eyes, deep inside, you wanna cry'Cause you're scared, I ain't there, Daddy's wit' you in your prayersNo more cryin', wipe them tears, Daddy's here, no more nightmaresWe gon' pull together through it, we gon' do itLainie, Uncle's crazy, ain't he? Yeah, but he loves you, girl, and you better know itWe're all we got in this world when it spins, when it swirlsWhen it whirls, when it twirls, two little beautiful girlsLookin' puzzled, in a daze, I know it's confusin' youDaddy's always on the move, Mama's always on the newsI try to keep you sheltered from it, but somehow it seemsThe harder that I try to do that, the more it backfires on meAll the things growin' up as Daddy that he had to seeDaddy don't want you to see, but you see just as much as he didWe did not plan it to be this way, your mother and meBut things have got so bad between us, I don't see us ever bein'Together ever again, like we used to be when we was teenagersBut then, of course, everything always happens for a reasonI guess it was never meant to beBut it's just somethin' we have no control over, and that's what destiny isBut no more worries, rest your head and go to sleepMaybe one day we'll wake up and this'll all just be a dreamChorus
Now hush, little baby, don't you cryEverything's gonna be alrightStiffen that upper lip up, little lady, I told yaDaddy's here to hold ya through the nightI know Mommy's not here right now, and we don't know whyWe feel how we feel insideIt may seem a little crazy, pretty babyBut I promise Mama's gon' be alrightVerse 2
Heh, it's funnyI remember back one year when Daddy had no moneyMommy wrapped the Christmas presents up and stuck 'em under the treeAnd said some of 'em were from me 'cause Daddy couldn't buy 'emI'll never forget that Christmas; I sat up the whole night crying'Cause Daddy felt like a bum—see, Daddy had a jobBut his job was to keep the food on the table for you and MomAnd at the time, every house that we lived inEither kept gettin' broken into and robbed or shot up on the blockAnd your Mom was savin' money for you in a jarTryin' to start a piggy bank for you so you could go to collegeAlmost had a thousand dollars 'til someone broke in and stole itAnd I know it hurt so bad it broke your Mama's heartAnd it seemed like everything was just startin' to fall apartMom and Dad was arguin' a lotSo Mama moved back onto Chalmers in the flat, one-bedroom apartmentAnd Dad moved back to the other side of 8 Mile on NovaraAnd that's when Daddy went to California with his CDAnd met Dr. Dre, and flew you and Mama out to see meBut Daddy had to work, you and Mama had to leave meThen you started seein' Daddy on the TVAnd Mama didn't like itAnd you and Lainie were too young to understand itPapa was a rolling stone, Mama developed a habitAnd it all happened too fast for either one of us to grab itI'm just sorry you were there and had to witness it firsthand'Cause all I ever wanted to do was just make you proudNow I'm sittin' in this empty house just reminiscin'Lookin' at your baby pictures, it just trips me outTo see how much you both have grown, it's almost like you're sisters nowWow, guess you pretty much are, and Daddy's still hereLainie, I'm talkin' to you too, Daddy's still hereI like the sound of that, yeah, it's got a ring to it, don't it?Shh, Mama's only gone for the momentChorus
Now hush, little baby, don't you cryEverything's gonna be alrightStiffen that upper lip up, little lady, I told yaDaddy's here to hold ya through the nightI know Mommy's not here right now and we don't know whyWe feel how we feel insideIt may seem a little crazy, pretty babyBut I promise Mama's gon' be alrightOutro
And if you ask me to, Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbirdI'ma give you the worldI'ma buy a diamond ring for you, I'ma sing for youI'll do anything for you to see you smileAnd if that mockingbird don't sing and that ring don't shineI'ma break that birdie's neckI'll go back to the jeweler who sold it to yaAnd make him eat every carat, don't fuck with Dad (Haha)What the song means
Mockingbird is a father's apology and promise to his young daughters, who are caught in the middle of their parents' breakup. The song opens with him trying to comfort them, urging them to be brave and dry their tears. Through the verses he describes the family's hardships: money troubles, a break-in that stole the savings jar meant for college, the parents' constant arguments, the move into separate homes, and his own career pulling him away. The mood shifts from reassurance to regret and then to a tender, nostalgic sadness as he admits he feels responsible for their pain.
The chorus repeats the same soothing refrain, and its repetition shows how badly he wants to believe his own words. The ending turns into a childlike bargain: he offers a mockingbird and a diamond ring and promises to do anything to make his daughters smile. The mockingbird stands for a simple, innocent gift, a song that might fill the silence left by the broken home. The exaggerated threats at the end are playful, showing a father who tries to lighten the mood and make his daughter laugh even as he worries about her.
Key phrases explained
- Stiffen that upper lip up
- Be brave and hide your emotions, don't show that you're hurt — An idiom Daddy uses to tell his daughter to stop crying and stay strong.
- it just trips me out
- It deeply unsettles or amazes me — Casual slang showing the father is overwhelmed by seeing how much his daughters have grown.
- Papa was a rolling stone
- He was restless and never settled down — Refers to the proverb "a rolling stone gathers no moss," describing his unstable life.
- Daddy felt like a bum
- He felt worthless or ashamed, like a failure — Informal slang showing his guilt when he couldn't provide money for Christmas.
- make him eat every carat
- Make him pay dearly and face serious consequences — An exaggerated, playful threat that uses "carat" (diamond weight) to add humor to the ending.
Song info
- Release date
- 2004-11-12
- Album
- Encore
- Written by
- Eminem, Luis Resto
- Produced by
- Eminem, Luis Resto
- Samples
- The Chipettes – KEPT MY EYES
- Interpolates
- Children Songs – Hush, Little Baby
- Remix of
- Eminem – Mockingbird (Instrumental)
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