Swallow or Choke
Agathocles Lyrics

The lyrics to Agathocles's song "Swallow or Choke" speak to the idea that the government and “higher powers” have a vested interest in keeping the masses docile and obedient, and will do whatever it takes to ensure that we remain quiet and ignorant. The first line of the song, “Dope for you and me,” alludes to the idea that the government keeps its people addicted to distractions like television or drugs, in order to keep them from becoming aware of what is truly happening around them. The second line, “I guess the state agrees,” further supports this idea, as it suggests that the government is aware of what it's doing and is intentionally manipulating the people it is meant to serve.

The third and fourth lines of the song, “To keep us silent and dumb / To swallow in our wants,” both emphasize the idea that the government wants its people to be obedient and not ask questions or think critically. By pleasing our most basic, shallow desires and distracting us with meaningless entertainment, the government can ensure that we will not challenge the status quo, and will instead allow ourselves to be led like lambs to the slaughter.

The chorus of the song, “Obedient mass is what they need / Like a shepherd has his herd to feed / Following its master's steps / To the abattoir we're being led,” further reinforces the song’s message that we are all complicit in our own oppression. In the same way that a shepherd controls and directs his herd, the government controls us, and we willingly follow them, completely unaware of the fact that we are being led to our own destruction.