Choke

OneRepublic's song 'Choke' delves deep into the emotional turmoil of dealing with loss and the haunting presence of memories. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of someone grappling with the absence of a loved one, where everyday objects and routines become painful reminders of what once was. The opening lines, 'Well I see breakfast on the table / And I can smell you in the halls,' set the stage for a narrative filled with sensory memories that evoke a profound sense of longing and sorrow. The protagonist acknowledges their inability to cry, suggesting a numbness or emotional paralysis that often accompanies deep grief.

The chorus, 'I’ll keep a picture of you on the wall, of you on the wall / And choke on the memories,' encapsulates the central theme of the song. The word 'choke' is a powerful metaphor for the suffocating nature of these memories, indicating that while the protagonist clings to these remnants of the past, they also find them overwhelming and painful. This duality of wanting to remember yet being hurt by those memories is a common experience for those dealing with loss.

Further into the song, the lyrics 'I wrote some letters that I might burn / Cause then you’re not just history' reveal a struggle to let go. The act of writing letters that might be burned symbolizes an attempt to process emotions and perhaps find closure, yet the hesitation to burn them shows a reluctance to fully move on. The recurring imagery of the loved one's belongings, like clothes in the closet and a phone ringing in the drawer, reinforces the inescapable presence of their memory. 'Choke' is a poignant exploration of grief, memory, and the painful process of coming to terms with loss, all set to OneRepublic's signature emotive musical style.