Somebody Save Me
by Eminem (featuring Jelly Roll)

Album: The Death of Slim Shady (2024)
Charted: 27
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Songfacts®:

  • The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) album closes with "Somebody Save Me," a stark and honest reflection on Eminem's past struggles with addiction. The song takes the form of a message to his daughters Hailie (his biological child) and Alaina (adopted), and son Stevie (adopted). He apologizes for prioritizing drugs over his family and expresses deep regret for missing out on precious moments.
  • "Somebody Save Me" shares thematic similarities with "Arose" from Em's 2017 album Revival, where he also addressed the destructive impact of addiction on his loved ones.
  • The song opens with a recording of a young Alaina pleading for Eminem to join dinner, highlighting the missed connections caused by his addiction. This leads to the chorus, a sample of Jelly Roll's 2023 hit "Save Me (Remix)." "Somebody save me, me from myself," the Nashville-bred artist sings. "I've spent so long living in Hell."
  • Both Eminem and Jelly Roll have battled addiction and achieved sobriety.

    "You can imagine how I felt when I got the call that Eminem would be sampling my song 'Save Me' on his new album," said Jelly Roll. "And for him to use the song to discuss the other side of what could've happened if he would've allowed his demons to win brought me to tears."
  • The two artists met for the first time on June 6, 2024, before a Detroit show, where Jelly Roll joined Eminem onstage for a performance of "Sing For The Moment."
  • "Somebody Save Me" isn't the only time Eminem addresses his kids on Death of Slim Shady. "Temporary," featuring Skyler Grey, is another love letter to Hailie that imagines his absence. However, the album isn't all sentimental reflection. On the lead single, "Houdini," Eminem, rapping as his foul-mouthed alter-ego Slim Shady, spits, "F--k my own kids, they're brats," further emphasized by a disrespectful gesture towards his daughters in the accompanying music video.
  • Other Eminem songs where he raps about Hailie include 1999's "'97 Bonnie & Clyde," 2004's "Mockingbird," and the deeply personal 2017 Revival trilogy of "In Your Head," "Castle" and "Arose." Also, "Hailie's Song" (2002) serves as a dedicated track on The Eminem Show.
  • Emile Haynie and Benny Blanco produced this pop-rap ballad.

    Hip-hop producer Emile Haynie was nominated for the 2010 Grammy Award for Album of the Year for his work on Em's Recovery. He also helmed Eminem's singles "Headlights," "Guts Over Fear" and " River."

    Pop producer Benny Blanco (Katy Perry, Rihanna, Justin Bieber) has only worked with Eminem on one previous occasion: his collaboration with Juice WRLD, "Lace It."
  • Directed by Emil Nava, the video depicts Eminem watching on as his three children relive cherished moments he missed because of his addiction struggles and touring schedules. Jelly Roll also appears, performing the chorus in a dimly lit, empty room. The video concludes with a call to action for BetterHelp, a mental health platform offering online therapy.
  • Eminem performed this song with a virtual Jelly Roll at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2024. He made a surprise appearance to open the ceremony, entering with a squadron of Eminem lookalikes to start his set with "Houdini," recalling his 2000 performance of "The Real Slim Shady."

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