It was first released in 2005 on The Papercut Chronicles and re-recorded for their album As Cruel as School Children (which was re-released on November 4, 2006, with "Cupid's Chokehold" as an additional track). There are two music videos for this song, one for each version.
The second version includes female backing vocals, which are not included in version one. The second version of the video does contain the backing vocals of the first video. However, the female voice is integrated into the chorus behind Patrick Stump's vocals. The song has been featured on Discover and Download and Total Request Live.
Several versions were produced. The most common one features a slow tempo and female backing vocals while the other one has a quicker tempo and Patrick Stump doing backing vocals, along with Rand Bellavia (of Ookla the Mok). The song won an ASCAP award on April 9, 2008, for being one of the most-played songs in the ASCAPs repertory from the end of 2006 through the end of 2007. As of September 2011, the song has sold 1,936,000 digital downloads.
Drummer Matt McGinley said,
"That song was kind of an accident that it even happened. We wrote it in our old bass player's bedroom one afternoon, and it was really unintentional. We were just going to rehearse for our show. We didn't sit down and say, "Okay, let's write a song." That song just sort of happened. Our friend Sie One had the Supertramp Breakfast in America record. And so he put that on and he would play that line, "Take a look at my girlfriend, she's the only one I got." Then drop it, and we would try to keep playing. So we sort of wrote our own verses and our own bridge and stuff, and every time the chorus would come around we would just drop that as the chorus. So that song happened really, really quickly. And then we went and recorded it for under $300 in probably 3 or 4 hours."
The first version of the "Cupid's Chokehold" video directed by Andrew Paul Bowser for the album The Papercut Chronicles features MC Travis McCoy working at a toy factory. While working, he stumbles upon a "prototype toy" which turns out to be a life-size doll. The doll acts as McCoy's girlfriend in the video and fulfills his every wish.
However, she eventually becomes tired of being exploited and expresses this in a humorous scene where the two are playing Scrabble (she spells out the words 'krush', 'kill', and 'destroy'). The doll then begins to malfunction, and McCoy has no choice but to destroy her. He pushes her off a bridge, and she appears to be dead.
At the end of the video, she is awakened by Patrick Stump, who also appears to be a robot. The two fall in love and walk down the road together.
The second version of "Cupid's Chokehold" is the official video directed by Alan Ferguson for the album As Cruel as School Children and is a more literal interpretation of the lyrics of the song. The second version is more widely recognized because music networks such as MTV and VH1 play this version instead of the original, and because the original does not appear on iTunes. The video begins with a dancing Cupid (portrayed by Princetón), who shoots McCoy with a love arrow as he passes a girl, portrayed by actress and singer Porscha Coleman. Patrick Stump can be seen watching from behind a newspaper as this happens.
The two are madly in love at first, but as the video moves forward, the two begin fighting, and their relationship meets its end when McCoy's girlfriend walks in on him and his friends gambling. Cupid tries a second time to get McCoy into a relationship. This time, McCoy's girlfriend is more romantically involved with McCoy, but she becomes increasingly angry when he invites his friends to a party her parents are hosting. The relationship ends when McCoy comes home to find his girlfriend on top of a masked man in a compromising position. He proceeds to beat up the guy.
McCoy's final relationship is with one of his fans in the audience at one of the band's performances (played by McCoy's then-girlfriend, Katy Perry). Initially, she went up to him when they were at a bar. This time the relationship works out, and Cupid does not have to shoot McCoy with an arrow even though he is prepared to at first.
However, Cupid himself gets shot with an arrow by a female Cupid, and the video closes with the two of them dancing together with McCoy & Perry watching from in front. (Cupid also dances several times before the ending). In this version of the music video, when McCoy and his friends are interrupting his girlfriend's party, McCoy raps a small part of "Wejusfreestylin Pt. 2" from The Papercut Chronicles.
In the UK, some music channels had a re-edited version of the video with the party scene cut to a minimum (The party scene ends with the girlfriend closing the door).
Musically, this version has the word Girlfriend repeated constantly in the background not found in other versions of the song exclusive to the video.
Cupid's Chokehold / Breakfast in America
Gym Class Heroes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ba ba da da, ba ba da da, ba ba da da
Take a look at my girlfriend
She's the only one I got (ba ba da da)
Not much of a girlfriend
I never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
This is gonna sound like a bad joke (bad joke)
But momma, I fell in love again
It's safe to say I have a new girlfriend
And I know it sounds so old
But cupid got me in a choke-hold (choke-hold)
And I'm afraid I might give in
Towels on the mat my white flag is wavin' (ba ba da da)
I mean she even cooks me pancakes
And Alka Seltzer when my tummy aches
If that ain't love then I don't know what love is
We even got a secret handshake
And she loves the music that my band makes
I know I'm young but if I had to choose her or the sun
I'd be one nocturnal son of a gun (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
Take a look at my girlfriend
She's the only one I got (ba ba da da)
Not much of a girlfriend
I never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
Take a look at my girlfriend
She's the only one I got (ba ba da da)
Not much of a girlfriend
I never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
It's been awhile since we talked last
And I'm tryin' hard not to talk fast
But dad, I'm finally thinkin' I may have found the one
Type of girl that will make you way proud of your son
And I know you heard the last song
About the girls that didn't last long
But I promise this is on a whole new plane
I can tell by the way she says my name (ba ba da da)
I love it when she calls my phone
She even got her very own ringtone
If that ain't love then I don't know what love is (ba ba da da)
It's gonna be a long drive home but I know as soon as I arrive home
And I open the door, take off my coat and throw my bag on the floor
She'll be back into my arms once more for sure like (la la la la)
Take a look at my girlfriend
She's the only one I got (ba ba da da)
Not much of a girlfriend
I never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
She's got a smile that would make the most senile
Annoying old man bite his tongue (I'm not done)
She's got eyes comparable to sunrise
And it doesn't stop there (Man I swear)
She's got porcelain skin, of course, she's a ten
And now she's even got her own song (but movin' on)
She's got the cutest laugh I ever heard
And we can be on the phone for three hours (not sayin' one word)
And I would still cherish every moment
And when I start to build my future, she's the main component
Call it dumb, call it luck, call it love or whatever you call it but
Everywhere I go, I keep her picture in my wallet like here
Take a look at my girlfriend
She's the only one I got (ba ba da da)
Not much of a girlfriend
I never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
Take a look at my girlfriend
She's the only one I got (ba ba da da)
Not much of a girlfriend
I never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
The song "Cupid's Chokehold" by Gym Class Heroes featuring Patrick Stump is about a man who has fallen in love with a woman. He proclaims that she is his only girlfriend even though she is not much of a girlfriend. The man explains that he has fallen in love with the woman again after some time has passed since they last spoke. The man acknowledges that he is young but states that he would choose the woman even over the sun. He also mentions how the woman cooks him pancakes, gives him Alka Seltzer when he has a stomachache, they have a secret handshake, and she loves the music his band produces. Essentially, the man is in love with this woman and cannot help it.
The song portrays a light-hearted tune that combines pop, rock, and hip-hop elements to create a laid-back feeling. "Cupid's Chokehold" gained immense popularity after its release in 2006; it spent 20 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 and peaked at number four. The song also reached the top 10 charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, making it one of Gym Class Heroes' most successful songs ever.
Line by Line Meaning
Take a look at my girlfriend
The singer wants the listener to notice his girlfriend
She's the only one I got (ba ba da da)
The singer doesn't have many options when it comes to love interests
Not much of a girlfriend
The singer's girlfriend may have some flaws or shortcomings
I never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
The artist has not had a lot of luck with relationships
It's been some time since we last spoke
The artist and his girlfriend have not talked in a while
This is gonna sound like a bad joke (bad joke)
The singer feels like he is about to say something cliché or corny
But momma, I fell in love again
Despite his previous experiences, the singer has fallen in love again
It's safe to say I have a new girlfriend
The artist is in a new romantic relationship
And I know it sounds so old
The artist acknowledges that his love story is common and predictable
But cupid got me in a choke-hold (choke-hold)
The artist is deeply in love and feels like he cannot escape its grasp
And I'm afraid I might give in
The singer is worried that he might let love take over his life
Towels on the mat my white flag is wavin' (ba ba da da)
The artist is surrendering to his feelings and embracing love
I mean she even cooks me pancakes
The singer appreciates the small acts of love his girlfriend does for him, like cooking him pancakes
And Alka Seltzer when my tummy aches
The singer's girlfriend takes care of him when he's not feeling well
If that ain't love then I don't know what love is
The singer believes that true love is shown through small acts of kindness and care
We even got a secret handshake
The artist and his girlfriend have a unique and special bond
And she loves the music that my band makes
The artist is happy that his girlfriend is supportive of his music career
I know I'm young but if I had to choose her or the sun
The singer values his girlfriend above all else, even if it seems irrational
I'd be one nocturnal son of a gun (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)
The singer would stay up all night to be with his girlfriend
And I'm tryin' hard not to talk fast
The artist is excited to tell his dad about his girlfriend but wants to take his time
But dad, I'm finally thinkin' I may have found the one
The artist believes that his current girlfriend is the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with
Type of girl that will make you way proud of your son
The artist's girlfriend is someone who his dad would approve of
And I know you heard the last song
The singer's dad may have been skeptical of his past relationships
About the girls that didn't last long
The artist has had unsuccessful relationships in the past
But I promise this is on a whole new plane
The singer believes that his current relationship is different from his past ones
I can tell by the way she says my name (ba ba da da)
The singer's girlfriend has a special way of talking to him that shows her love and affection
I love it when she calls my phone
The singer feels loved and appreciated when his girlfriend reaches out to him
She even got her very own ringtone
The artist has a special ringtone for his girlfriend's calls
It's gonna be a long drive home but I know as soon as I arrive home
The artist is excited to go home and see his girlfriend
And I open the door, take off my coat and throw my bag on the floor
The singer is eager to be reunited with his girlfriend and doesn't care about his surroundings
She'll be back into my arms once more for sure like (la la la la)
The singer is confident that his girlfriend will be happy to see him and will embrace him
She's got a smile that would make the most senile
The artist is in awe of his girlfriend's smile
Annoying old man bite his tongue (I'm not done)
The artist believes that even the grumpiest of men would be impressed by his girlfriend's smile
She's got eyes comparable to sunrise
The artist is entranced by his girlfriend's eyes, which are as beautiful as a sunrise
And it doesn't stop there (Man I swear)
The singer is trying to convey just how amazing his girlfriend is
She's got porcelain skin, of course, she's a ten
The artist believes that his girlfriend is a perfect ten, with flawless skin
And now she's even got her own song (but movin' on)
The singer is so smitten with his girlfriend that he has written a song about her
She's got the cutest laugh I ever heard
The singer finds his girlfriend's laugh adorable
And we can be on the phone for three hours (not sayin' one word)
The singer cherishes spending time with his girlfriend, even if it's just talking on the phone without saying anything
And I would still cherish every moment
The artist values every moment he spends with his girlfriend
And when I start to build my future, she's the main component
The artist's girlfriend is an important part of his life and his plans for the future
Call it dumb, call it luck, call it love or whatever you call it but
The singer acknowledges that some people may view his love as foolish or naive, but he knows it's real
Everywhere I go, I keep her picture in my wallet like here
The singer wants to keep a reminder of his girlfriend with him at all times
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Richard Davies, Roger Hodgson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind