Teenage Cool Kids were an Indie rock/Punk Rock band from Denton, Texas. Read Full Bio ↴Teenage Cool Kids were an Indie rock/Punk Rock band from Denton, Texas.

The band started in summer 2006 by Andrew Savage, later joined by Daniel Zeigler whom Savage met while attending the University of North Texas in Denton. The bands earlier material, from the self-released demo and "Remember Me as a Silhouette" 7", was lo-fi, poppy and often compared to early '90s indie rock. The band's first full length was Queer Salutations, released in 2007. Shortly after the release of Queer Salutations the band embarked on its first tour. The band is decidedly DIY, keeping all recording, songwriting, booking and visual art within the band. Teenage Cool Kids spent much of 2008 touring the United States and recording their next album. In 2009 the band was issued a cease and desist by Chicago hip-hop duo The Cool Kids over alleged trade mark infringement. The dispute ended with a settlement initiated by the Cool Kids. The dispute delayed the band's second LP release by several months, but in June 2009 Foreign Lands was released by Protagonist Music.

Albums:
Queer Salutations (2007, Protagonist)
Foreign Lands (2009, Protagonist)
Denton After Sunset (2011, Dull Tools)

Singles:
Remember Me As a Silhoutte (2007, C&C Music Factory)
Speaking in Tongues b/w Crucial Talk (2009, Copper Lung)
Poison Sermons (2009, Leroy St. Records)

Band members:
Andrew Savage (Fergus & Geronimo, Parquet Courts)
Bradley Kerl
Chris Pickering
Daniel Zeigler (Wiccans)

Sleeper Hold
Teenage Cool Kids Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've got a swelling gut. You think its serious, I'm about to explode. You put your hand on me. You make it hard to breath, put me in sleeper hold. Try not to mind it when you get reminded it's nobody's job but yours. You tell the shitty jokes I'll convince all the folks its no one's fault but ours. You can't bury it and pray that it won't come back to life someday. You walk around and stomp your feet to keep it underground, I hear the thumps where I am. "Am I an idiot?" You asked me to shut up. "You'll wake my roommates bro." You make this hard on me, spilling your arms on me melting into my mold. You can't bury it and pray that it won't come back to life someday. Cause there's a mouth in my ear and its dragging names like empty lakes because you throw all your trash in there man.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Teenage Cool Kids’s “Sleeper Hold” seems to talk about the complexity of a relationship that is gradually moving towards being toxic. The first lines “I've got a swelling gut. You think it's serious, I'm about to explode” gives the impression that the singer is holding in something, perhaps a grudge or intense emotions he has towards his partner. The partner's actions make things worse, with the line, “You make it hard to breath, put me in a sleeper hold.” This line has a double meaning as the sleeper hold could be referring to a wrestling move, meaning that the singer seems trapped or held down in the relationship. The other interpretation could be that the partner’s actions make him feel suffocated and trapped, like a sleeper hold would.

The lines, “You can't bury it and pray that it won't come back to life someday” and “You walk around and stomp your feet to keep it underground” seem to allude to inadequately addressing issues that arise within the relationship. This action can lead to repressed feelings and emotions that can rupture at any time with detrimental effects. The line, “cause there's a mouth in my ear and it's dragging names like empty lakes because you throw all your trash in there man” depicts the partner as someone who is always complaining and nagging, and probably projects their insecurities onto the singer.

As for the chorus, the lines, “Try not to mind it when you get reminded it's nobody's job but yours” and “You tell the shitty jokes then convince all the folks it's no one's fault but ours” seems to highlight the partner's tendency to avoid responsibility for their actions. The singer seems to bear the brunt of the relationship's problems, and the partner absconds from their share of responsibility.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got a swelling gut.
I am burdened by an overwhelming feeling that is building up inside of me.

You think its serious, I'm about to explode.
You are aware of my distress, but the intensity of it is challenging to express.

You put your hand on me.
You are trying to comfort me, but your touch has an unsettling effect on me.

You make it hard to breath, put me in sleeper hold.
Your actions are suffocating me and further exacerbating the issue at hand.

Try not to mind it when you get reminded it's nobody's job but yours.
Don't take offense when I remind you that only you are responsible for your own actions and emotions.

You tell the shitty jokes I'll convince all the folks its no one's fault but ours.
You make light of the situation, but I will persuade others that we are both at fault.

You can't bury it and pray that it won't come back to life someday.
You cannot ignore the underlying problem and hope that it won't resurface later.

You walk around and stomp your feet to keep it underground, I hear the thumps where I am.
You are trying to suppress your emotions, but I am directly affected by your attempts to do so.

"Am I an idiot?" You asked me to shut up. "You'll wake my roommates bro."
You are questioning your own intelligence and becoming defensive when I try to express my feelings to you, fearing that you may disturb others that are nearby.

You make this hard on me, spilling your arms on me melting into my mold.
You are making things more difficult for me by getting too close and losing yourself in my personality and behavior.

Cause there's a mouth in my ear and its dragging names like empty lakes because you throw all your trash in there man.
I am hearing hurtful words that you are saying to me, which are like vast, empty spaces because you are projecting your own negative emotional baggage onto me.

Contributed by Anna Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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