The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver- Tone Analysis

Utilizing a fast-paced tempo and angst-filled lyrics to display the annoyance and frustration toward an old love interest in their song “The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver”, All Time Low employs frustrated characterization, cynical metaphors, and scathing satire to contribute to the overall tone of bitter sarcasm.

The characterization of the speaker clearly displays their current situation and their attitude toward this predicament. The speaker has ended a relationship, but his love interest does not seem so keen on moving on. He has become frustrated with his ex; he wants her to move on because neither of them cares for each other like they used to. “I'm sick and tired of false devotion,” the singer declares, “Devote yourself to moving on”. The bitterness in his tone displays the realization that she is trying to make their relationship work with “false devotion” when he just wants her to let him go. His frustration is also evident with a simple question toward to his former flame: “Why can’t you just be happy for me?” Instead of letting him pursue other possible relationships, his jealous past love cannot leave the past behind and tries to make him miserable. He describes her actions feeling “like sabotage” and he suspects that she is “always out to get [him]”, believing she is purposefully trying to prevent him from finding happiness with other people. The speaker’s tone of bitterness is exhibited through his frustration; he wishes to for his former love to let him move on and she is determined not to let that happen.

The metaphors utilized by All Time Low help further connect feeling of cynicism and bitterness. He compares his ex-girlfriend to a sneaky, cunning creature. “You're the snake hidden in my daffodils when I'm picking flowers,” frontman Alex Gaskarth states with a hint of resentment. “Picking flowers” represents his innocence in the situation, only wishing to move on to happiness. Meanwhile the past love, also known as the snake, is trying to ruin that. He believes she would rather see him miserable than happy with someone else, a belief that fuels the bitter tone. He also compares her to catastrophe and misfortune. She is “the brake lights failing as [his] car swerves off the freeway”.  The former love adds insult to injury by deterring the speaker from moving on, after the relationship had already ended on a sour note. If she cannot be happy with him, then she will not let him be happy at all. This in turn creates a feeling of disdain within the speaker. The traces of sarcasm used within the metaphors contribute to the overall tone of caustic animosity.

The satire and sarcasm used throughout the song is one of the key factors in identifying the tone. In one instance the speaker openly mocks the former love interest. “You think opinions make you savvy,” he sneers, “your running mouth falls on deaf ears”. The past love believes her opinions make her important and worth listening too, however, the speaker informs her that no one is really listening to what she has to say. The sarcastic ridicule used portrays the bitterness present in the speaker, which drives him to scorn her for being the reason for all his anger inside. He also lacks sympathy toward her having to move on from him. He says she needs to “suck it up and let go”. He wants to continue on in life, meet new people and experience new relationships, and is annoyed that she is determined to stay stuck in the past. The jabs at his past love provide another example of how his frustration toward his situation has caused him to develop a bitter, sardonic attitude.

All Time Low’s song “The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver” conveys a tone of bitter sarcasm, displayed by the use of frustrated characterization, cynical metaphors, and scathing satire throughout the lyrics. Through characterization, the frustration of the speaker becomes apparent, also why he feels the negative emotions that he does. The metaphors provide an inventive way to portray the cynicism felt by the speaker, using comparisons between unpleasant predicaments and his ex-girlfriend.  The utilization of satire and jabs of sarcasm offer clear insight to the bitterness directed toward the former lover. All Time Low incorporates the three elements to highlight and contribute to the universal tone, portraying how failed relationships and jealous ex-girlfriends often times can leave us with sarcasm and bitterness, not just the memories.