What does Mockingbird mean?

Eminem: Mockingbird Meaning

Album cover for Mockingbird album cover

Song Released: 2005


Mockingbird Lyrics

Yeah
I know sometimes things may not always make sense to you right now
But hey, what daddy always tell you?
Straighten up little soldier
Stiffen up that upper lip
What you crying about?
You got me

Hailie I know you miss your mom and I...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Feb 26th 2016 !⃝

    Eminem has dedicated this song to his daughter hailie who had an unstable family life since she was a baby. He apologises to her again and again. In the first verse eminem introduces the theme of the song and laments that he did not eant Hailie to go through anything he went through as a child but the inevitable happened. He calls it "destiny" which is not allowing Kim and Eminem to live together as a happy married couple.
    In the chorus he reassure Hailie about the absence of her mother.
    The second verse deals with the events leading upto the situation. Eminem was poor and couldnt afford much and they were victims of many robberies. Soon Kim and Eminem start fighting and they separate. Kim moves into a one bedroom apartment and Eminem to the other side of 8 mile road Nevara. Then Eminem goes to California and meets Dr.Dre who offers him a chance. Soon Eminem becomes busy with his work life as a rapper and doesnt have much time for his family. At this time Kim started taking drugs and then we all know what happened.
    Eminem thinks over everything and feels that his faughters have grown up too fast and he wasnt there with them by their side for much of their childhood.
    The song is rightly titled "Mockingbird". This is an allusion to the book "To kill a mockingbird" by harper lee where mockingbird symbolises and innocent victim. In this song Hailie and Alaina are the mockingbirds

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    May 8th 2011 !⃝

    I think mockingbird in this song is a reference to the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" where a mockingbird refers to someone who is innocent but is a victim of circumstance and prejudice.

    In this song, his daughter Hailie is the mockingbird who is innocent but is punished as a victim of circumstance(family problems). It also shows his yearning to make his daughter happy to make up for all the bad circumstances that he thinks he has created for her.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
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    Oct 1st 2017 !⃝

    my dad sang this song to me when i was a baby. it made me cry the first time i listened to it when i was 10. mockingbird is one of my favourite songs and helps me through tough times. Eminem's songs are the songs that help me through a rough day.

  4. anonymous
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    Oct 24th !⃝

    this song is telling us what his past life was and telling his daughter he's gonna give her a good life unlike him. giving a promise her by being a good dad to her.

  5. anonymous
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    Dec 9th 2017 !⃝

    I think it means that he is doing the best he can to be a father but bad things keep happening that he cant control.

  6. anonymous
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    Apr 23rd 2017 !⃝

    It's so sad and I think when he apologizes you can hear him sounding like he started crying.

  7. anonymous
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    Apr 23rd 2014 !⃝

    I think eminem made this song to apologize to his daughter Halle and his niece Laniee for letting them see his wife Kim do drugs and her addictions. I think he is apologizing for letting them see everything he didn't want them to see. I think that he wants them to know that he will always be there to give them the world and if that's not good enough he will do better for them he would do anything for them.

  8. manthatsonofamitch
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    Dec 22nd 2013 !⃝

    He is apologizing to his daughters that eminem and his wife divorsed, because the kids must have had a really tough time dealing with that.

  9. anonymous
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    Jan 19th 2013 !⃝

    It's a cover version of the song with the same name by Carly Simon. (It's an old song).
    In the sing the singer sayes that they will give whatever they want to the person thier singing to. She says she'll buy them a mockingbird. Eminem takes this one step further and says that he'll buy his daughter a mocking bird (so basically what ever she wants) however if the mocking bird don't sing (so if what eminem gets his daughter Hailie isn't good enough) 'He'll brake that birdies neck (He'll get rid of it and give her something better.
    It's also about how Eminem could give his family what they want before he was famous but now that he has money he will give his daughter the world.

  10. anonymous
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    Jan 8th 2013 !⃝

    This song always makes me cry. No matter how bad his relationship is with Kim this guy is saying he's always gonna be there for his kids.

    I may also just be emotional cause my own mom died and I think of her when I listen to it. We were really close and she always said she'd be there for me no matter what.

  11. anonymous
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    Nov 1st 2012 !⃝

    It's his appology to his daughter Hallie and his niece he has custody of. It's his way of saying sorry that he's always gone and never home... and not being with Hallie's mom any more. He's trying to comfort them saying he's always there for them... even when mommy's not there. He will try everything to give them the best life as possible, and he's reassuring them their life used to be way worse, they used to live in the ghetto where they got shot up and robbed until his career fell into place for rapping... & his job has made him leave a lot and not be there to watch them grow up. & he's so sorry for that and he wants to do everything in his power to make it up to them.

  12. anonymous
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    Dec 8th 2011 !⃝

    I love this song. It kinda reminds me of me and my dad. I think this song is basically saying that Em is saying to Hailie that even if everyone else is leaving her, he won't. I think he is saying that he will always be there for her no matter what she is going through.

  13. anonymous
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    Aug 23rd 2011 !⃝

    He is trying to stand firm in his career regardless of haters.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  14. anonymous
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    Jun 15th 2011 !⃝

    He's talking about his family. It's a song for his daughter, Hailie, saying that one day, the family will get back together. They will have all the fun, happy times that they had before all the drama happened. Also, he's saying that he'll be there for Hailie, through the good and bad times. Plus, he's saying that both parents- mom AND dad, will love her forever.

  15. anonymous
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    Apr 28th 2011 !⃝

    He's telling this girls that he loves them and no matter what he's there for them even though things may not be going well family wise.(with his wife) the family is broken apart, he just wants to assure his girls:) that everythings gon' be all right(: <3 eminem.

  16. anonymous
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    Apr 21st 2011 !⃝

    This song is about Marshall saying that no matter what happens in life, he will always love his Hallie and Alaina. And him saying that he wants the family back together; but either way his ex-wife, Kim, and him both love the girls very much and always will.

  17. anonymous
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    Feb 16th 2011 !⃝

    Its about his daughter Hailie, his niece Laney which he has custody of and his ex wife Kim. its saying that no matter what one day their family will be together again, and that Eminem and Kim will always love Hailie and Laney no matter what happens in life.

  18. Sknikaz
    click a star to vote
    Jan 25th 2011 !⃝

    I feel that he is trying to tell his family that he is sorry that he can't be there most of the time, but that he'll always love them no matter what happens.

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