Innovators of the then-emerging 'sadcore' movement in indie rock in the 199… Read Full Bio ↴Innovators of the then-emerging 'sadcore' movement in indie rock in the 1990s, Chokebore are responsible for at least two indie rock masterpieces. The eclectic rock group consisted of guitarist Jonathan Kroll, drummer Christian Omar Madrigal Izzo, vocalist Troy von Balthazar and bassist James Kroll. They formed in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA in the early '90s, where they were known as Dana Lynn. In 1992 the band moved to L.A. in hopes of getting better gigs, and took on the Chokebore name. Shortly after the move, they were signed to Amphetamine Reptile Records in 1993, based on a demo tape the band had submitted.

Chokebore released their debut single Nobody/Throats and their first full-length Motionless later that year. Their changing tempos and moody outbursts were unlike many other Amrep bands at the time, but their more furious and quicker paced moments aligned themselves just enough. They toured with Guzzard and Today Is The Day as well as with other more well-known likeminded bands, including the Butthole Surfers, Samiam, Girls Against Boys and Nirvana.

They earned a strong following in Europe, in support of 1995's Anything Near Water and A Taste For Bitters, which were recorded and engineered in France. 1998s Black Black, was a portrait of the band's darker side; lonliness, depression, death and sadness recurring themes. This LP is widely accepted in the rock underground to be a true masterpiece. The album was released on AmRep's European Boomba Records, but wasn't released stateside for another year, finally finding a home on Unwound's Punk In My Vitamins label.

The band released It's a Miracle in 2002, which saw the band slightly less concerned with strict-cohesion of the aethetics and some songs were looser than on past releases (i.e. Ciao L.A. is perhaps the most straightforward 'rock' track the band has ever put to tape). The live album A Part From Life was released in 2003 and the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2005. The singer/guitar player Troy recorded a solo album and it was released in early 2006.

Chokebore came together late 2009 after several years a part for a European tour early in 2010.

Prior members
Johnee Kop (1993 - 1995)
Mike Featherson (1997 - 1999)

Official Website: http://www.chokebore.net
Other Links: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Flickr, Wikipedia, YouTube

Speed of Sound
Chokebore Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Do you think I'm gone? Most of this would pleasure you alone.
It's that I can't even see, there's midnight behind my eyelids.
No ones home, and I'll lie to everyone, not even my lovers will see what's wrong.
All my skin is drenched in light, that's what's wrong. I died in a fire, I died in a fire.
It's already done. I've got ideas I'd never put in word, but you sparkle when I speak.
How can I resist it, your alone. And I'll lie to everyone, not even my lovers will see what's wrong.
All my skin is drenched in light. That's what's wrong. I died in a fire, I died in a fire.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Chokebore's "Speed of Sound" explore a deep and intense emotion, seemingly of personal struggle and pain. The singer in the song questions their own existence and wonders if anyone truly sees them or understands the depth of their pain. The first line, "Do you think I'm gone?" suggests that the singer feels invisible and overlooked, as if they have disappeared from view. They hint that the people around them would find pleasure in their absence, emphasizing their feelings of loneliness and isolation.

The next line, "It's that I can't even see, there's midnight behind my eyelids," gives the listener a glimpse into the darkness of the singer's world. They describe a feeling of blindness, as if they can't see anything at all. The use of the word "midnight" creates a sense of heaviness and despair, as if the singer is trapped in a never-ending darkness. They continue to describe how they lie to everyone, even their lovers, because they believe that nobody can truly see or understand their pain.

The repetition of the line "All my skin is drenched in light, that's what's wrong. I died in a fire, I died in a fire," reinforces the singer's sense of hopelessness and destruction. They seem to be consumed by their own pain, almost as if they have self-immolated or are experiencing a deep spiritual burning. The final lines, "I've got ideas I'd never put in word, but you sparkle when I speak. How can I resist it, your alone," hint at a glimmer of hope and connection, as if the singer has found someone who truly sees and understands them. However, the repetition of the same line at the end of the song emphasizes once again the finality of their pain and internal destruction.

Line by Line Meaning

Do you think I'm gone?
Do you believe that I'm absent from this world?

Most of this would pleasure you alone.
A majority of experiences and ideas that belong to me would satisfy only you.

It's that I can't even see, there's midnight behind my eyelids.
I have lost all sight that even with my eyes closed, I am surrounded by a darkness as black as night.

No ones home, and I'll lie to everyone, not even my lovers will see what's wrong.
As nobody is around, I will deceive everyone, and even the people I share intimate connections with won't detect the agony and torture within me.

All my skin is drenched in light, that's what's wrong. I died in a fire, I died in a fire.
I am entirely exposed and vulnerable, illuminated in a way that exposes my hurt and scars that were caused by a previous incident.

It's already done.
The event that caused this pain has already happened, and there's nothing one can do to change it.

I've got ideas I'd never put in word, but you sparkle when I speak.
I have thoughts that I will never be able to vocalize, but in your presence, I feel confident and bright enough to express them.

How can I resist it, your alone. And I'll lie to everyone, not even my lovers will see what's wrong.
With you being the only one present, how could I reject my emotions? However, I will still conceal my distress and misery from everyone, even my close connections.

All my skin is drenched in light. That's what's wrong. I died in a fire, I died in a fire.
Again, I find myself vulnerable and exposed, a condition that reminds me of my affliction that arose from my painful past so severe that makes me feel burnt alive.

Contributed by Annabelle N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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