Eminem - Mockingbird

Goodwin states that one of the conventions of a music video is that there is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals. This is seen to be key in Eminem's video for "Mockingbird" which is taken off the album Encore. It was released by the labels Shady, Aftermath and Interscope.

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, better known by his stage name, Eminem, is an American rapper, record producer and actor born on October the 17th 1972. He quickly gained popularity with his debut album, The Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. His following album, The Marshall Mathers LP, became the fastest selling album in United States history.
The lyrics are a tribute to his daughters about his failed marriage and his relationship with them and his wife. This is an example of Eminem's extraordinary storytelling skills.


The video starts off with a movie reel showing his daughter Haley when she was younger. It then switches to a mid shot of Eminem sitting in a dark room on a chair with the projector rolling beside him. Many close ups are used of Eminem to show his facial expressions and the emotion portrayed.

The film clips which are used in this are all personal clips which makes the song more significant and allows the audience to empathise with him. There are many occasions in the song where the lyrics mimic the video clip shown on the projector. An example of this is when he says:
"I remember back when you and daddy had no money
Mommy wrapped the Christmas presents up
And stuck 'em under the tree and said some of 'em were from me
Cuz daddy couldn't buy 'em
I'll never forget that Christmas I sat up the whole night crying..."

Another effect that works particularly well is the faded picture of Eminem and his wife Kim used when he raps the line:
"We did not plan it to be this way, your mother and me
But things have got so bad between us
I don't see us ever being together ever again
Like we used to be when we was teenagers
But then of course everything always happens for a reason
I guess it was never meant to be"

This could be used to reflect the fact that their relationship did work at one point but has faded away and is now gone.