"Lose Yourself"

 

Dear Friends and Family,

This is for ours and your grandchildren, who are faced with life choices and divine opportunities, and yet, sometimes, in some ways, they (and we) are fearful of stepping out and working hard enough to go after and embrace that opportunity... because they could fail, or because they fear the hard work that it will require. 

WHERE I COME FROM

There are times when, as much as I appreciate my Christian upbringing and the Church, I recognize that I’ve lived a sheltered life. For the most part, that’s a good thing, a necessary thing, a salvation thing. 

But as Lew Wallace writes in Ben Hur, in the voice of Miriam, mother of the titular character Judah Ben Hur, Jews have no artists, poets, or warriors like the Romans. But they have something better, the artist of creation, God, as exemplified in the art and craftsmanship of Bezalel and Aoholiab (Wallace’s spelling) from Exodus 31 ff who created Israel’s temple and all its gold statuary, elaborate ornaments. 

I wasn’t Jewish, but growing up in Evangelicalism (that bordered the separatist of Christian Fundamentalism), there was a distinct aversion to many forms of artistic expression. The conservative Christian fellowships I grew up in might be brave enough to frame an image of Warmer Sallman’s Head of Christ, but if a real piece of art found its way into the building, there was a passionate impulse by the leaders to plaster the words of a Bible verse across the work in an effort to make it sacred, or ensure the art found its way to a waste bin, or was painted over with pale green wall paint (all true stories, see my memoir, Growing Up Christian). I always found this offensive. My favorite Psalm, which grandson Michael and Rachel asked me to read during their wedding three weeks ago, declares:

The heavens declare the glory of God; 

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words, 

no sound is heard from them. 

Yer their voice goes out into all the world, 

their words to the ends of the world. 

—Ps 91:1–4

God does not plaster the words of Scripture across the heavens or the bark of trees. Although a study of astronomy from the perspective of the Bible reveals that the signs of the zodiac were known to Job (38:31-32), David (above), and Moses (Genesis 1:14).  And there is  Mel Morris's 25-part series, The Bible in the Heavens and the Gospel in the Stars, which explains with clarity how the zodiac signs depict the coming of Christ and the Gospel. (e.g. Virgo—Virgin Birth, Libra—Price of Redemption, Scorpius—Conflict between the Messiah and Satan, Leo—the Tribe of Judah and Christ's victorious return). 

God does not need pat sermons or sweet devotionals to get the truth out. He often proclaims what is good, true, and beautiful in ways that are so obvious we miss them, or we take for granted, and sometimes we find them offensive. (c.f. Angel Quest)

The latest example, in my experience, is "Lose Yourself," the Eminem rap that was the theme song of his 2002 semi-autobiographical Detroit movie “8 Mile,” and which won an Oscar in 2003 for Best Song.  The song ranked in the charts for decades and was a 20+ platinum record (a platinum record is 1 million units sold). 

Last night (May 22, 2026), I felt the heavy ping of being sheltered when I came across a video on YouTube of opera singer, Maria Fiselier, covering “Lose Yourself” on a Dutch TV show...rap as opera is an ironic hook).  I listened to it several times but then only caught a smidgen of the lyrics. Later I found them (below). “Lose Yourself” is an inspirational recording for anyone afraid to step out and embrace an opportunity—articulated in the song’s refrain:

You better lose yourself in the music

The moment, you own it, you better never let it go (Go!)

You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo

In the movie (8 Mile) the story and the rap are both about rap contests in Detroit’s inner city. But broadly, they are metaphors for every obstacle and opportunity in life. There is much to learn here about working hard to embrace opportunities without fear. The heavy rhythmic beat in the song reinforces the importance of perseverance. You better lose yourself in the music of life...that is, persevere. 

Here is Maria Fiselier’s cover of "Lose Yourself (clearer lyrics but not cleaner.)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YyuIkVSx-8

Here is Eminem's official video for the movie with subtitles.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yhyp-_hX2s

Eighteen years after "Lose Yourself" won an Oscar, Eminem performed “Lose Yourself” live at the 2020 Oscars. Here’s the link. His segment begins at 2:53.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nhe-LJLZMHk

LOSE YOURSELF LYRICS

SPOKEN:

Look, if you had one shot or one opportunity

To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment

Would you capture it, or just let it slip? 

VERSE 1:

Yo

His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy

There's vomit on his sweater already: Mom's spaghetti

He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready

To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgetting

What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud

He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out

He's choking, how? Everybody's joking now

The clock's run out, time's up, over—blaow!

Snap back to reality, ope there goes gravity, ope

There goes Rabbit, he choked, he's so mad but he won't

Give up that easy, no, he won't have it, he knows

His whole back's to these ropes, it don't matter, he's dope

He knows that but he's broke, he's so stagnant, he knows

When he goes back to this mobile home, that's when it's

Back to the lab again yo, this whole rhapsody

Better go capture this moment and hope it don't pass him, and

REFRAIN

You better lose yourself in the music

The moment, you own it, you better never let it go (Go!)

You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo

You better lose yourself in the music

The moment, you own it, you better never let it go (Go!)

You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo

You better

VERSE 2:

His soul's escaping through this hole that is gaping

This world is mine for the taking, make me king

As we move toward a New World Order

A normal life is boring; but superstardom's

Close to post-mortem, it only grows harder

Homie grows hotter, he blows, it's all over

These hoes is all on him, coast-to-coast shows

He's known as the Globetrotter, lonely roads

God only knows, he's grown farther from home, he's no father

He goes home and barely knows his own daughter

But hold your nose, 'cause here goes the cold water

These hoes don't want him no mo', he's cold product

They moved on to the next schmoe who flows

He nose-dove and sold nada, and so the soap opera

Is told, it unfolds, I suppose it's old, partner

But the beat goes on: da-da-dom, da-dom, dah-dah, dah-dah

REFRAIN:

You better lose yourself in the music

The moment, you own it, you better never let it go (Go!)

You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo

You better lose yourself in the music

The moment, you own it, you better never let it go (Go!)

You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo

You better…

VERSE 3

No more games, I'ma change what you call rage

Tear this motherf**k*** roof off like two dogs caged

I was playin' in the beginning, the mood all changed

I've been chewed up and spit out and booed off stage

But I kept rhymin' and stepped right in the next cypher

Best believe somebody's payin' the Pied Piper

All the pain inside amplified by the

Fact that I can't get by with my nine-to-

Five and I can't provide the right type of life for my family

'Cause man, these goddamn food stamps don't buy diapers

And there's no movie, there's no Mekhi Phifer, this is my life

And these times are so hard, and it's gettin' even harder

Tryna feed and water my seed, plus teeter-totter

Caught up between bein' a father and a prima donna

Baby mama drama, screamin' on her, too much for me to wanna

Stay in one spot, another day of monotony's

Gotten me to the point I'm like a snail, I've got

To formulate a plot or end up in jail or shot

Success is my only motherf**k***' option failure's not

Mom, I love you, but this trailer's got

To go; I cannot grow old in Salem's Lot

So here I go, it's my shot: feet, fail me not

This may be the only opportunity that I got

REFRAIN:

You better lose yourself in the music

The moment, you own it, you better never let it go (Go!)

You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo

You better lose yourself in the music

The moment, you own it, you better never let it go (Go!)

You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow

This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo

You better…

SPOKEN:

You can do anything you set your mind to, man

To complement “Lose Yourself” here is a post from young British philosopher Denise Stobes (IG @denisestobes) reminds us: Tiktok link: https://www.tiktok.com/@denisestobes/video/7632722124200791318

Transcription:

Did you know that some of the most meaningful choices in life have to be made without ever being sure about them? That’s what Søren Kierkegaard argues in Fear and Trembling.” Faith isn’t something that you arrive at through logic. It’s a leap and commitment that you make without any certainties or guarantees. Because some questions about love, meaning or God can’t be resolved through thinking alone. You can analyze them endlessly and still remain on the outside of them and never get to the core. For Kierkegaard, life begins where certainty ends. And the leap of faith is what allows you to step into something fully rather than observing it from a distance. So, the next time you have to make a choice, maybe don’t ask, am I sure this is the right choice to make? But rather, am I willing to make it anyway?