Eminem's manager, Paul Rosenberg, wasn't lying when he told Billboard.com earlier this week that Eminem's "Not Afraid" single was "an uplifting song." The track, which leaked on the internet this morning (April 29) just minutes before Em was due to premiere it on his Shade 45 Sirius Satellite radio show "The Morning After With Angela Yee," finds Marshall Mathers delivering a much more positive outlook on life than usual.

"Yeh, it's been a ride. I guess I had to go to that place to get to this one," Eminem says in the intro over strings and the chorus repeating in the backdrop. "I'm not afraid to take a stand / everybody, come take my hand / we'll walk this road together, through the storm / whatever weather... you're not alone / holler if you feel that you been down the same road," Eminem chants on the hook.

In the bridge, Eminem continues delivering optimistic lyrics, rhyming, "I just can't keep living this way, so starting today I'm breaking out of this cage / I'm standing up, Imma face my demons / I'm manning up, Imma hold my ground / I've had enough, now I'm so fed up / time to put my life together right now."

Eminem confesses on the track that it was his own "decision to get clean, I did it for me," and that he "promises to focus on only handling my responsibilities as a father / so I solemnly swear to always treat this room like my daughters and raise it."

In the end, Eminem raps "I'm raising the bar, Imma shoot for the moon / But I'm too busy gazing at stars, I feel amazing and I'm not afraid."

"Not Afraid" is the first single from Eminem's upcoming "Recovery" album, due June 22nd.

Source: Billboard