Darnielle began the new millennium with The Coroner's Gambit for Absolutely Kosher before signing to 4AD for the release of the surprisingly polished Tallahassee in 2002. We Shall All Be Healed followed in 2004, and one year later, Darnielle was back with The Sunset Tree. Remaining as prolific as ever, Darnielle turned away from the intensity of The Sunset Tree for a calmer, more reflective set of songs on 2006's Get Lonely. The accessible and assured Heretic Pride appeared in 2008. Next up was the Bible verse-inspired The Life of the World to Come, the group's sixth album for 4AD, in 2010. Switching to Merge Records in 2011, Darnielle released All Eternals Deck, which was recorded in four different studios in Brooklyn, Boston, North Carolina, and Florida with four different producers -- John Congleton, Scott Solter, Brandon Eggleston, and Morbid Angel guitarist and Hate Eternal frontman Erik Rutan -- helming various tracks. That year the band was also handpicked by Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival that he was curating in Minehead, England, but they were ultimately unable to appear due to scheduling issues.
Choked Out
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All reserves completely spent
Someone set up the oxygen tent
Everybody here's real proud to present
Choked out
Two hundred dollar take-all purse
Half-nelson to suplex reverse
At one, for once, with the universe
Choked out
Choked out, choked out, choked out
I stretch and strain with all my might
Drift off into the velvety arms of the night
Kick and claw and scratch and bite
Fire up the grill, everybody eats tonight
Choked out
No brakes down
An endless dark incline
Most of the boys
Won't ever cross this line
If they all want to die dead broke that's fine, that's fine
Everybody's got their limits
Nobody's found mine
Crowd screaming like hounds at the heat of the chase
All the colors of the rainbow flood my face
I lift right off into space
I can see the future, it's a real dark place
Choked out, choked out, choked out
The opening lines of The Mountain Goats's song Choked Out, "Diamonds in the firmament / All reserves completely spent / Someone set up the oxygen tent / Everybody here's real proud to present," sets the tone with metaphors describing a wrestling match at a crowded, wrestling arena. The diamonds could refer to the bright lights illuminating the wrestling ring in the center of the arena. The line "All reserves completely spent" could be a reference to the wrestlers exerting all their energy into their match. The line "Someone set up the oxygen tent" acknowledges the potential dangers of wrestling as athletes are pushed to their limits. The last two lines, "Everybody here's real proud to present / Choked out," could suggest two different things: either the crowd is excited and anticipates the thrilling chokehold maneuver, or they are proud of their town's wrestling culture.
In the chorus, the repeated phrase "Choked out" suggests the theme and the meaning of the song. The phrase refers to a wrestling move where the wrestler uses a chokehold to make their opponent unconscious.
The verses go on to elaborate on the match's events, including the prize money, wrestlers' moves, and the intensity of the audience's emotions. The line "At one, for once, with the universe" could suggest the wrestler's connection to the cosmos as they perform their ultimate move on their opponent. The phrase also hints at the transcendental experience the wrestler might encounter in the wrestling ring, where they become one with the universe and feel a higher level of consciousness.
Line by Line Meaning
Diamonds in the firmament
Stars in the sky
All reserves completely spent
Exhausted all resources
Someone set up the oxygen tent
Medical assistance for exhaustion
Everybody here's real proud to present
Proud to showcase their fighting skills
Choked out
Lost consciousness due to a chokehold
Two hundred dollar take-all purse
Winner receives a $200 cash prize
Half-nelson to suplex reverse
Wrestling moves performed
Worried look on the face of the ringside nurse
Nurse concerned for the well-being of the fighter
At one, for once, with the universe
Feeling a sense of oneness with everything
Choked out
Lost consciousness due to a chokehold
Choked out, choked out, choked out
Repetition of the chorus
I stretch and strain with all my might
Fighting with all one's strength
Drift off into the velvety arms of the night
Becoming unconscious
Kick and claw and scratch and bite
Fighting using any means necessary
Fire up the grill, everybody eats tonight
Celebrating the winner with a feast
Choked out
Lost consciousness due to a chokehold
No brakes down
On a relentless, dangerous path
An endless dark incline
Continuing to participate despite the risks
Most of the boys
Most of the fighters
Won't ever cross this line
Won't participate in such a dangerous sport
If they all want to die dead broke that's fine, that's fine
Accepting the risks of the sport for the possibility of success
Everybody's got their limits
Everyone has a breaking point
Nobody's found mine
Speaker has not yet reached their limit
Crowd screaming like hounds at the heat of the chase
Audience cheering intensely
All the colors of the rainbow flood my face
Sensory overload during the fight
I lift right off into space
Feeling out-of-body
I can see the future, it's a real dark place
Feeling uncertain about what lies ahead
Choked out, choked out, choked out
Repetition of the chorus
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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