Musically, “Choker” is reminiscent of twenty one pilots older style (e.g. 2009’s “Addict with a Pen”) with its slow tempo, bright sound and the poetic rap included at the end.
Its release was first teased on April 28, 2021 on the premium page live.twentyonepilots.com for fans who purchased tickets to the Scaled and Icy livestream concert. The official announcement of the single and it’s accompanying music video was later made public the following morning via a teaser on Twitter. Fans who purchased tickets to the aforementioned livestream received access to behind-the-scenes content 30 minutes before the song and video’s midnight release.
Choker
Twenty One Pilots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mhm, mhm, mhm
I don't bother anyone
Nervous when I stand
Choking on the circumstance
Only smoking second hand (mhm)
Cut us open an' spread us out (mhm)
Lay the fibers side by side (mhm)
And you'll begin to understand (mhm)
I know it's over
I was born a choker
Nobody's coming for me, coming for me
Mhm (I know it's over), mhm, mhm
I don't bother anyone
Never make demands
Choking on the circumstance
Self-sabotage is a sweet romance (mhm)
Seems like all I'm worth is what (mhm)
I'm able to withstand (mhm)
Sooner I can realize (mhm) that
Pain is just a middleman
I know it's over
I was born a choker
Nobody's coming for me
I see no volunteers
To co-sign on my fears
I'll sign on the line
Alone, I'm gonna change my circumstance
I know I need to move right now 'cause
I know it's over
I was born a choker
Nobody's coming for me (only smoking second hand)
I know it's over
I was born a choker
Nobody's coming for me, coming for me
Like a little splinter buried in your skin
Someone else can carve it out, but when you've got the pin
It hurts a little less and you can even push it further in
When your body's screaming out, trust your mind's listening
Like a silhouette that you can barely see
As a shadow cast upon the ground, where you'll eventually
Lay forever, but the day goes on, the sun moves behind you
You get taller, bolder, stronger and the rearview only blinds you
Mhm, mhm, mhm
The lyrics to "Choker" by twenty one pilots are about the struggles of the singer with their inner demons and how they feel trapped in their own circumstances. The line "I don't bother anyone" suggests that the singer feels like a burden to others and is hesitant to ask for help. They feel nervous when they stand, indicating their anxiety, and choke on their situation, showing how they feel trapped in their current circumstances. The lines "self-sabotage is a sweet romance" signify the singer's struggle with self-destructive behavior.
The chorus, "I know it's over, I was born a choker, nobody's coming for me," conveys the singer's feeling of abandonment and loneliness. They feel like they were born into their predicament, and nobody will come to help them. The following lines, "I see no volunteers to co-sign on my fears, I'll sign on the line," show that the singer realizes that they need to make a change in their own life and be their own savior.
In the final verse, the singer uses a metaphor of a splinter in the skin, saying that "someone else can carve it out, but when you've got the pin, it hurts a little less, and you can even push it further in." This suggests that the singer has been hurting themselves intentionally or unintentionally for so long that they have become numb to the pain. They are aware that they need to change their situation and that it will only happen if they take control of their life.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't bother anyone
I am a person who prefers to be left alone and not create any disturbance
Nervous when I stand
I feel anxious when I am in the spotlight or being watched
Choking on the circumstance
I am struggling to deal with the situation I am in, which makes me feel suffocated
Only smoking second hand (mhm)
I am not actively engaging in harmful habits, but I am still feeling the effects of them through other people's actions
Cut us open an' spread us out (mhm)
If we completely analyze and break down something, we might be able to understand it better
Dry us in the sand (mhm)
To obtain a better understanding of a situation, sometimes the process of drying it out and leaving all the excess behind can highlight the essential parts
Lay the fibers side by side (mhm)
By examining each aspect of a situation carefully and organizing them logically, we might be able to draw conclusions effectively
And you'll begin to understand (mhm)
By following these steps, the picture becomes clearer, and we can comprehend things we couldn't before
I know it's over
I am aware that a particular aspect or event in my life has ended, and I need to move on
I was born a choker
I have always been self-destructive and hindering my growth
Nobody's coming for me, coming for me
I need to deal with my problems independently as no one else will do it for me
Never make demands
I try not to burden others or make any requests from them
Self-sabotage is a sweet romance (mhm)
I am familiar with self-destructive behavior, and although it harms me, I find comfort in it and indulge in it as if a form of self-love
Seems like all I'm worth is what (mhm)
I feel like only the hardships and difficulties I endure define me
I'm able to withstand (mhm)
By enduring and overcoming difficulties repeatedly, I develop a capability to endure more
Sooner I can realize (mhm) that
If I can come to the realization soon enough that
Pain is just a middleman
Pain is a temporary obstacle in the progress towards success
I see no volunteers
No one is offering to help me out in my situation
To co-sign on my fears
No one is acknowledging my anxieties and helping me work through them
Alone, I'm gonna change my circumstance
I am going to change my situation independently
Like a little splinter buried in your skin
My harmful behavior is like a tiny wound that I have inflicted upon myself through neglect and refusal to heal
Someone else can carve it out, but when you've got the pin
While others can offer guidance, it is ultimately up to me to pull myself out of my situation
It hurts a little less and you can even push it further in
Breaking free from unhelpful patterns hurt initially but can feel empowering
When your body's screaming out, trust your mind's listening
When my physical nature is resisting change, I need to trust my intellect and instincts to push through
Like a silhouette that you can barely see
I might not fully understand the full reality of an unsettling situation
As a shadow cast upon the ground, where you'll eventually
As a metaphorical obstacle that follows me wherever I go and will always be present in my life
Lay forever, but the day goes on, the sun moves behind you
While difficulties stay constant, time passes, and there is always a possibility for a brighter future
You get taller, bolder, stronger and the rearview only blinds you
As I progress through life, past difficulties that once hindered me become significantly less relevant
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Tyler Joseph
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
VAMP
Someone else can carve it out, but when you've got the pin
It hurts a little less and you can even push it further in
When your body's screaming out, trust your mind's listening
for me, this sounds like sh.
Banana
Mhm, mhm, mhm
Mhm, mhm, mhm
I don't bother anyone
Nervous when I stand
Choking on the circumstance
Only smoking second hand (mhm)
Cut us open an' spread us out (mhm)
Dry us in the sand (mhm)
Lay the fibers side by side (mhm)
And you'll begin to understand (mhm)
I know it's over
I was born a choker
Nobody's coming for me, coming for me
Mhm (I know it's over), mhm, mhm
I don't bother anyone
Never make demands
Choking on the circumstance
Self-sabotage is a sweet romance (mhm)
Seems like all I'm worth is what (mhm)
I'm able to withstand (mhm)
Sooner I can realize (mhm) that
Pain is just a middleman
I know it's over
I was born a choker
Nobody's coming for me
I see no volunteers
To co-sign on my fears
I'll sign on the line
Alone, I'm gonna change my circumstance
I know I need to move right now 'cause
I know it's over
I was born a choker
Nobody's coming for me (only smoking second hand)
I know it's over
I was born a choker
Nobody's coming for me, coming for me
Like a little splinter buried in your skin
Someone else can carve it out, but when you've got the pin
It hurts a little less and you can even push it further in
When your body's screaming out, trust your mind's listening
Like a silhouette that you can barely see
As a shadow cast upon the ground, where you'll eventually
Lay forever, but the day goes on, the sun moves behind you
You get taller, bolder, stronger and the rearview only blinds you
Mhm, mhm, mhm
Blue
I love when tyler does that talk/rap/singing stuff. Gives me self titled vibes
Metrosidian
When he does the rap / talk singing part it reminds me of Internet personas by Atlas
caleb is swag
same, gives me "taxi cab" vibes
Ulises Flores Avila
Same
lexivslyk
addict with a pen vibes
Kai Liz
same i love it
REAPER WOLF
This song makes me feel like I’m walking through a game stop with my mom in the morning...she’s dead now but that’s feeling I get from this beautiful song...it means a lot thanks Tyler and josh I love you both
BB
💜
Millannnnnn
May your mother Rest In Peace