背景和歌词:
Step by step, heart to heart, left right left
We all fall down…
一步接一步，心连着心，左右左
我们都倒下了…
[Chorus]
Step by step, heart to heart, left right left
We all fall down like toy soldiers
Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win
But the battle wages on for toy soldiers
一步接一步，心连着心，左右左
我们都倒下了,像玩具兵一样
一点一点地被击垮，我们永远不会胜利
但是战争仍因为我们这些玩具兵继续着
[Verse 1]
I’m supposed to be the soldier who never blows his composure
Even though I hold the weight of the whole world on my shoulders
I am never supposed to show it, my crew ain’t supposed to know it
Even if it means goin’ toe to toe with a Benzino it don’t matter
I’d never drag them in battles that I can handle unless I absolutely have to
I’m supposed to set an example
I need to be the leader, my crew looks for me to guide ‘em
If some shit ever just pop off, I’m supposed to be beside ‘em
Now Ja said "I tried to squash it, it was too late to stop it"
There’s a certain line you just don’t cross and he crossed it
I heard him say Hailie’s name on a song and I just lost it
It was crazy, this shit went way beyond some Jay-Z and Nas shit
And even though the battle was won, I feel like we lost it
I spent too much energy on it, honestly I’m exhausted
And I’m so caught in it I almost feel I’m the one who caused it
This ain’t what I’m in hip-hop for, it’s not why I got in it
That was never my object for someone to get killed
Why would I wanna destroy something I help build
It wasn’t my intentions, my intentions was good
I went through my whole career without ever mentionin’ Suge <– bleeped out
Now it’s just out of respect for not runnin’ my mouth
And talkin’ about something that I knew nothing about
Plus Dre told me stay out, this just wasn’t my beef
So I did, I just fell back, watched and gritted my teeth
While he’s all over TV down talkin’ a man who literally saved my life
Like fuck it i understand this is business
And this shit just isn’t none of my business
But still knowin’ this shit could pop off at any minute cuz
我本应该像个战士般，从不丧失理智
就算我扛下这一切的一切
我本就不该发泄出来，我的弟兄也没必要知道这些
即便是有关Benzino的事接踵而至也无所谓
我从不把他们拖下水除非我显然是不得不这么做
我必须做出个榜样
担当起领袖，我的弟兄们需要我来指引他们
如果哪个家伙突然挂了，我也得站在他们这边
现在Ja Rule说“我试图阻止这场口水战，但为时已晚”
明明有条界限你没有越过但他越过了
我听到他在一首歌中念道Hailie（EMINEM的女儿）的名字我简直抓狂了
疯了，这家伙正在重蹈当年Jay-Z和Nas当年的覆辙
而且就算我们赢了这场争斗的胜利我仍感觉我们输了
我花了太多的精力在这上面，老实说我已经精疲力尽了
我已经身不由己了，就感觉这一切是因我而起的一样
这不是我所要Hip-Hop的，也不是我进入Hip-Hop圈的原因
我的目的绝不是要某人挂掉
为什么我要毁掉我亲手建立起来的呢？
这不是我的初衷，我的初衷是善意的
在我的说唱生涯中我甚至未曾提到过Suge（Suge被过滤掉了）
我只是出于尊重，没有开腔谈论那些我本就知之甚少的事
加上Dr.Dre叫我别插手，这不是我与Suge之间的摩擦
我听了Dr.Dre的劝告，没有插手，咬紧牙眼睁睁的看着那家伙（指Suge）
大谈Dr.Dre是怎么挽救我的小命的
操，我明白这只是工作而已，
不关我的事
但其实还是知道那家伙早晚要挂掉
[Chorus]
Step by step, heart to heart, left right left
We all fall down like toy soldiers
Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win
But the battle wages on for toy soldiers
一步接一步，心连着心，左右左
我们都倒下了,像玩具兵一样
一点一点地被击垮，我们永远不会胜利
但是战争仍因为我们这些玩具兵继续着
[Verse 2]
There used to be a time when you could just say a rhyme
And wouldn’t have to worry about one of your people dyin’
But now it’s elevated cuz once you put someone’s kids in it
The shit gets escalated, it ain’t just words no more is it?
It’s a different ball game, callin’ names and you ain’t just rappin’
We actually tried to stop the 50 and Ja beef from happenin’
Me and Dre had sat with him, kicked it and had a chat with him
And asked him not to start it he wasn’t gonna go after him
Until Ja started yappin’ in magazines how we stabbed him
Fuck it 50 smash ‘em, mash ‘em and let him have it
Meanwhile my attention is pullin’ in other directions
Some receptionist at The Source who answers phones at his desk
Has an erection for me and thinks that I’ll be his ressurection
Tries to blow the dust off his mic and make a new record
But now he’s fucked the game up cuz one of the ways I came up
Was through that publication the same one that made me famous
Now the owner of it has got a grudge against me for nothin’
Well fuck it, that mutherfucker can get it too, fuck him then
But I’m so busy being pissed off I don’t stop to think
That we just inherited 50’s beef with Murder Inc.
And he’s inherited mine which is fine ain’t like either of us mind
We still have soldiers that’s on the front line
That’s willing to die for us as soon as we give the orders
Never to extort us, strictly to show they support us
We’ll maybe shout ‘em out in a rap or up in a chorus
To show them we love ‘em back and let ‘em know how important it is
To have Runyon Avenue soldiers up in our corners
Their loyalty to us is worth more than any award is
But I ain’t tryna have none of my people hurt and murdered
It ain’t worth it, I can’t think of a perfecter way to word it
Then to just say that I love ya’ll too much to see the virdict
I’ll walk away from it all before I let it go any further
But don’t get it twisted, it’s not a plea that I’m coppin’
I’m just willin’ to be the bigger man
If ya’ll can quit poppin’ off at your jaws with the knockin’
Cuz frankly I’m sick of talkin’
I’m not gonna let someone elses coffin rest on my conscience cuz
或许曾经你还可以饶着舌
而不用担心你身边的人因此死去
但现在事情开始严肃起来了，一旦你在歌中涉及到某个家伙的人
他会火冒三丈，不就是几句歌词吗？
游戏已经不同了，当你在歌里提到某个人的名字时你已经不止是在饶舌而已了
我们确实有去阻止50cent和Ja Rule之间的口水战发生
我和Dr.Dre曾坐下来和他认真谈过
叫他不要开骂，他也没打算回击Ja Rule
直到Ja Rule在杂志上叫嚣我们如何攻击他的
操，50cent，我说操他妈的，让他叫嚣吧
与此同时我的注意力被转移到了另一个方向
Source的某个接线员（指Benzino，这里嘲笑他只不过是个干杂活的而已）在办公桌前接到一个关于我那几首未公开的demo带的电话后勃起了，以为我是他事业的转折点
想要以此重拾麦克风出张新唱片
但现在他不得不作罢了
因为正是这同一张唱片让我出名
现在拥有那母带的人开始无端的怨恨我了
去他妈的，那家伙居然拿到了母带，干他！
但我现在是不断的被人激怒，以至于我没时间停下来思考
我们只不过是承接了50cent和Murder.Inc之间的争斗而已
而他有个优点和我一样就是不会像我们中有些人那么把事情看得太认真(太介意)
我们仍有一帮听候我们发号施令便愿意为我们赴汤蹈火的弟兄在前线
他们从不敲诈我们，的的确确表现出他们对我们的支持
我们或许会在某首歌中念道他们的名字或者找他们跨刀献唱两句副歌部分
要向他们表达我们想他们回来，让他们知道有一帮Runyon Avenue的弟兄站在我们这边是多么重要
他们对我们的忠诚胜过一切奖项
但我从来没故意使我身边的人受伤或者干掉
这不值得，我想不到更完美的词来表达了
只能说我太爱你们了已经不怕上法庭了
我会在事情进一步恶化前抽身的
但不要误会，这并不是说我要坦白从宽以求轻判
我只是想成为一个更强壮的人
使你们不再因为口舌之争而引来杀身之祸。
坦白说我已经厌倦说话了
我不想再因为谁的死而产生负罪感
[Chorus]
Step by step, heart to heart, left right left
We all fall down like toy soldiers
Bit by bit, torn apart, we never win
But the battle wages on for toy soldiers
一步接一步，心连着心，左右左
我们都倒下了,像玩具兵一样
一点一点地被击垮，我们永远不会胜利
但是战争仍因为我们这些玩具兵继续着
背景介绍：
1.Jay-Z and Nas:Jay-Z和Nas当年的争斗号称世纪大战，双方谁也不肯让谁，在歌中互相对骂；但是最终以Jay-Z在商业上的成功而终结。
2.Ja Rule：说唱厂牌Murder.Inc旗下的一员，和EMINEM，50cent，Dr.Dre们有很大的过节，双方曾经一度在歌中，电台，杂志上互相指责，而这首歌中EM说到“I heard him say Hailie’s name on a song and I just lost it”指的是Ja Rule曾经在他的loose change里念道“Em ya claim ya mother’s a crackhead and Kim is a known slut,so what’s Hailie gon’ be when she grows up?”
3.The Source和Benzino:Source是一本专门的Hip-Hop杂志，而Benzino是The Source杂志的前任CEO，同时也是Ja Rule的好朋友，Made Men说唱团体的成员之一。Benzino在任时，The Source杂志曾经给EMINEM的专辑打了很低的分，而Benzino又宣称EMINEM是"rap hitler"，双方因此积怨。2004年，The Source杂志宣称拥有EMINEM早年未公开的作品母带，歌曲中很明显的表现出EMINEM是个种族歧视者，并准备在下期杂志中随书赠碟，由读者进行评定。EMINEM随即让律师出面通过法庭禁止了这一举措，并同时对当年的那些作品所表现出来的幼稚公开道歉。
4.Suge:Suge Knight,真名Marion Knight，Death Row Records的创始人，Dr.Dre曾经就是旗下成员。但是后来Dr.Dre发现Death Row Records从事各项非法活动，要求退出Death Row Records。Suge把Dr.Dre踢了出去并找了一大堆帮派分子对Dr.Dre进行骚扰，同时宣布Dr.Dre的所有唱片版权都归他所有，后来Dr.Dre自立门户Aftermath厂牌。EM之所以在歌中滤掉了Suge的名字，是因为他答应了Dr.Dre决不在歌中提到Suge的名字，Dr.Dre也不希望他插手此事，引来麻烦，但是Suge还是不停的叫嚣，甚至骂EMINEM是个种族歧视者。此外，Suge还被认为是指使杀害2Pac的最大嫌疑人。
5.Runyon Avenue:D12里的Kon Artis和Kuniva创立的厂牌
