2. Analysis of Lyrics
• Begins with a sample of Dido’s ‘Thank you’, discouraging lyrics for a
depressing situation and a hinted abusive relationship. This makes the
lyrics haunting and it mirrors the aesthetic of the music video.
• “Dear Slim, I wrote you but you still ain't calling” As the lyrics play
out it paints a picture of a tormented man who is an obsessive fan called
Stan and the imagery shown in the video demonstrates this as such, Stan is
shown angrily snarling and forcefully pressing his pencil into the paper in
which he is writing the letter to Eminem.
3. Analysis of Lyrics
• “Man how's your
daughter?//My girlfriend's
pregnant, too, I'm bout to
be a father” The video
shows Stan’s pregnant
girlfriend constantly,
played by Dido, perhaps to
represent Stan’s alienation
of his family and friends.
In addition to this he
covers a picture of him and
his girlfriend to a picture
of him and Eminem, which
4. Analysis of Lyrics
• “I got a room full of your posters
and your pictures man” The scene
transitions to the wall of Stan’s
basement which is covered in Eminem
memorabilia and posters.
• “If you didn't wanna talk to me
outside your concert
you didn't have to, but you coulda
signed an autograph for Matthew
That's my little brother man, he's
only six years old
We waited in the blistering cold
for you,
four hours and you just said,
"No.”” This scene shows Stan and
his brother waiting for Eminem in
the cold after a concert, and the
5. Analysis of Lyrics
• “I even got a tattoo with your name
across the chest
Sometimes I even cut myself to see how
much it bleeds
It's like adrenaline, the pain is such
a sudden rush for me.” Shows a man
tattooing Stan’s chest and a razor
blade, which is revealed in the lyrics
as a tool for Stan’s self harming
tendencies.
• “So this is my cassette I'm sending
you, I hope you hear it
I'm in the car right now, I'm doing 90
on the freeway
Hey Slim, I drank a fifth of vodka,
you dare me to drive?” Shows Stan in
his car, driving down the freeway,
speaking into a cassette tape.
• “Well, gotta go, I'm almost at the
6. Analysis of Lyrics
• “Dear Stan, I meant to
write you sooner but I've
just been busy.” Begins
with Eminem writing a
response letter to Stan,
which is ironic, as he
has just died.
• “You got some issues
Stan, I think you need
some counselling,
to help your ass from
bouncing off the walls
when you get down some.”
Cuts to Stan flipping out
at his girlfriend.
7. Analysis of Lyrics
• “I just don't want you to do
some crazy shit
I seen this one shit on the
news a couple weeks ago that
made me sick
Some dude was drunk and drove
his car over a bridge
and had his girlfriend in the
trunk, and she was pregnant
with his kid
and in the car they found a
tape, but they didn't say who
it was to
Come to think about it, his
name was... it was you
Damn!” Shows Eminem slowly
realising it was Stan in the
car accident. As the lightning
flashes, Stan is shown in the
reflection of Eminem in the
