Released: May 15, 2009

Songwriter: Eminem

Producer: Eminem

[Intro]
"Breaking news: Detroit rapper Eminem cancels his sold-out European tour to check himself into rehab after admitting an addiction to sleep medication
We'll have more on this story as it develops."
"Shady Records recording artist Obie Trice has apparently survived a gunshot to the head in what appears to be a random drive-by shooting
Meanwhile, Eminem is rumored to be alienated--"
"On again/off again relationship with..."
"This just in, a tour bus involving Eminem's bus..."
"Updating a story we brought you earlier about gunfire at an after-hours club, we've learned that the rapper Proof has been fatally shot"
"Shady/Aftermath recording artist..."
"Long-time best friend of Eminem and a member of the rap group D12"
"D12, back in the news again today..."
"Is it a sabbatical or the end? The rumors and speculation continue to swirl around Eminem
He insists he's just taking a break, but doubters believe he's retiring, leaving us all to ask, 'Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?'"

[Verse 1]
So this is it, this is what I wished for
Just isn't how I envisioned it, fame to the point of imprisonment
I just thought the shit'd be different
But somethin' changed the minute that I got a whiff of it
I started to inhale it, smell it, started sniffin' it
And it became my cocaine, I just couldn't quit
I just wanted a little bit, then it turned me to a monster
I became a hypocrite, concert after concert
I was rakin' in the dough, rollin' in green
Had the game hemmed up, like a sewing machine
But I was losing my freedom, there was nowhere for me
To not go and be seen, and just go and be me
And there was no in-between, you either loved it or hate it
Every CD critics gave it a three, then three
Years later they go back and re-rate it
Then called The Slim Shady LP the greatest
The Marshall Mathers was a classic
The Eminem Show was fantastic
But Encore just didn't have the caliber to match it
I guess enough time just ain't passed yet
A couple more years, that shit'll be Illmatic
And eight years later, I'm still at it
Divorced, re-married, a felon, a father, sleeping pill addict
And this is real talk, I feel like The Incredible Hulk
My back has been broke and I can still walk

[Chorus]
So be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it
And if you get it, then you just might not know what to do with it
'Cause it might just come back on you ten-fold
I said be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it
And if you get it, then you just might not know what to do with it
'Cause it might just come back on you ten-fold

[Verse 2]
I got a letter from a fan that said he's been praying for me
Every day and for some reason
It's been weighing on my mind heavy
'Cause I don't read every letter I get
But something told me to go ahead and open it
But why would someone pray for you
When they don't know you?
You didn't pray for me when I was local
And as I lay these vocals, I think of all the shit I had to go through
Just to get to where I'm at, I've already told you
At least a thousand times in these rhymes
I appreciate the prayer but I've already got God on my side
And it's been one hell of a ride, hasn't it?
Just watching it from a opposite standpoint
Man, boy's got to look
Nuts, and that's the only word I can think of
Right now, on how to describe the shit
This is like a vibe you get, go ahead and bop to it
Just watch what you wish for 'cause I got the shit

[Chorus]
So be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it
And if you get it, then you just might not know what to do with it
'Cause it might just come back on you ten-fold
I said be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it
And if you get it, then you just might not know what to do with it
'Cause it might just come back on you ten-fold

Eminem

A legendary hip-hop icon who started as an underground battle rapper in Detroit, Marshall “Eminem” Bruce Mathers III (1972 – present) has developed a career full of controversy, wild swings, and some of the most noteworthy raps in the history of the genre.

Eminem has broken countless barriers, shifting and impacting the culture in several ways. In June 2017, “Stan” was added into the Oxford Dictionary, and in 2019, to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. He was the first rapper to win the Grammy Award for Best Album for three consecutive albums. “Rap God” set the Guinness World Record for most words in a song. He was also the first rapper to win an Oscar. His albums The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show became certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2011, making him one of the few artists to have more than one Diamond album. This has helped him become the highest selling hip-hop artist of all time. In January 2020, with his 11th studio album Music to Be Murdered By debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200, Eminem became the first artist in history to have 10 consecutive #1 debuts.

Produced and co-signed by Dr. Dre, Em had an unprecedented run of success from 1999 up until 2003, releasing three well-reviewed multi-platinum albums, stealing the show on countless collaborations, and even starred in a hit movie. However, it all came crashing down around 2004, when a string of problems ranging from drug dependence to depression to the tragic death of best friend Deshaun “Proof” Holton in 2006 led to a long hiatus from music and a pair of what were, by his own admission, sub-par albums.