Covers

[GhostofJimJess]

Discovered this last night at around 11:30, and I couldn't sleep afterward.

It's... almost too good. Eminem's version accentuates the necessity of his success; these are the stakes, this is why I must succeed. Poverty isn't an acceptable choice; I am determined, and I'm not going to waste my shot. It's motivational; I've had it played before walking out to play a game of footy or before walking out to bat. Kasey's is a paean to desperation and bitterness. The situation is just as desperate, but the first verse is a tragedy and the second a betrayal. The third verse is desperate, heart burning revenge, revenge that does not mend or heal the wounds of earlier verses or save you from the tragedy of the first.

I've heard it said that in Eminem's song, you identify with him, the rapper who's about to make it. In hers, you're the performer who never did, and never will.

A monumental performance, somewhat wasted in front of a crowd that look more like the audience of The Mike Walsh Show circa 1980.

Yeah, I get that happening after 11:30pm too. My wife calls it the "RAGE Phenomenon", based on my tendency when we were first dating in the 90's to still be awake until a godforsaken time of the morning saying "just one more song, then I'm off to bed" ... for four consecutive hours

Your assessment is brilliant and I concur fully. By hell that's a woman who understands the depth of a song and is entirely capable of imposing her own passionate take on it. Reminds me of a performance by Patti LaBelle doing "Acid Queen" on a live version of The Who's "Tommy" back in the late-80's, which blew my mind and had me not sleeping at that time of night too.