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Cupid's Chokehold

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"Cupid's Chokehold"
Single by Gym Class Heroes featuring Patrick Stump
from the album The Papercut Chronicles and As Cruel as School Children
Released2005
Length
  • 4:03 (The Papercut Chronicles version)
  • 3:58 (As Cruel as School Children version)
Label
Songwriters
ProducerS*A*M
Gym Class Heroes singles chronology
"Papercuts"
(2005)		 "Cupid's Chokehold"
(2005)		 "The Queen and I"
(2006)
Gym Class Heroes singles chronology
"New Friend Request"
(2006)		 "Cupid's Chokehold"
(2006)		 "Shoot Down the Stars"
(2007)
Music video
"Cupid's Chokehold" on YouTube

"Cupid's Chokehold" is a song by American rap rock band Gym Class Heroes, featuring the vocals of Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy. The song relies heavily on the melody and chorus from Supertramp's song "Breakfast in America" written by Roger Hodgson and Rick Davies.

Gym Class Heroes first released "Cupid's Chokehold" on their album The Papercut Chronicles (2005). It was reissued on the album As Cruel as School Children (2006), which was released as a single on November 4, 2006, along with a new music video. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2007, No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 radio chart, No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and the Canadian Hot 100.

Overview

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Gym Class Heroes initially released "Cupid's Chokehold" on their 2005 album The Papercut Chronicles, but it attracted little attention.[1][2] The band returned to the song for their 2006 album As Cruel as School Children after it began to gain airplay when the radio station WXSS-FM in Greater Milwaukee added it to its rotation.[3][4] "I always knew 'Cupid's' had potential," McCoy said to Newsday.[4] "I think people are sick of bands banking off brokenhearted-ness. It's time for a song about how awesome girls can be."[4]

The song was featured on Discover and Download and Total Request Live. It won an ASCAP award on April 9, 2008, for being one of the most-played songs in the ASCAPs repertory from the end of 2006 through the end of 2007. As of September 2011, the song has sold 1,936,000 digital downloads.[5]

In 2021, "Cupid's Chokehold" went viral on TikTok, appearing in more than 350,000 videos.[6] In March, the song received over 12 million streams, 800% increase from February, propelling Gym Class Heroes to a career high No. 388 on Rolling Stone's Artist 500 chart.[6]

Composition

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Drummer Matt McGinley described the song's creation as an accident, explaining that the band had gathered to rehearse rather write new material.[7] Their friend Sie One (Steve Decker) played the chorus of Supertramp's "Breakfast in America," singing "Take a look at my girlfriend, she's the only one I got."[7] The band developed their own bridge around the chorus, and, McGinley recalled, "that song happened really, really quickly. And then we went and recorded it for under $300 in probably 3 or 4 hours."[7]

They couldn't clear the sample for "Breakfast in America," so labelmate Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy sang the chorus.[8][9] The first version is a slower tempo and includes female backing vocals throughout the song. The second version includes vocals from Rand Bellavia of Ookla the Mok.[10]

Music videos

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The Papercut Chronicles version

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The first version of the "Cupid's Chokehold" music video, directed by Andrew Paul Bowser for the album The Papercut Chronicles, features Travie McCoy working at a toy factory, where he discovers a life-size prototype doll that becomes his girlfriend and fulfills his wishes. The relationship deteriorates when the doll grows tired of being exploited, humorously spelling out "krush," "kill," and "destroy" during a game of Scrabble. After she begins malfunctioning, McCoy pushes her off a bridge. At the end of the video, Patrick Stump awakens the doll, revealing himself to be a robot as well. The two fall in love and walk down the road together. This version features repeated background vocals of the word "girlfriend," which does not appear in the second version of the song.

As Cruel as School Children version

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Katy Perry (pictured in 2008), who was dating McCoy, starred as his "ideal girlfriend" in the 2006 "Cupid's Chokehold" music video.[11]

The second version of "Cupid's Chokehold" was directed by Alan Ferguson for the album As Cruel as School Children.[12] It follows the lyrics more literally than the original and became the more widely recognized version thorough airplay on MTV and VH1.

The video begins with a Krump dancing Cupid, portrayed by Princetón, shooting McCoy with a love arrow as he passes a woman played by actress Porscha Coleman.[6] Patrick Stump watches from behind a newspaper. McCoy and the woman initially all in love, but their relationship ends after she discovers him gambling with his friends. Cupid then matches McCoy with another woman, but their relationship also fails after he disrupts a party by performing a part of "Wejusfreestylin Pt. 2" from The Papercut Chronicles, and he later finds her in a compromised position with a masked man.

McCoy's final relationship is with a fan, who was played by his real life girlfriend Katy Perry.[13][14] The two meet at a bar, and a romance develops without Cupid needing to shoot McCoy again. In the closing scene, a female Cupid shoots Cupid with an arrow, and the two dance as McCoy and Perry watch.

In the United Kingdom, some music channels aired an edited version of the video the substantially cut the party scene.[15]

Charts

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Certifications

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Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[56] 3× Platinum 240,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[57] 2× Platinum 60,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[58] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[59] 5× Platinum 5,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Format Release date
North America (original release) March 2005
North America (re-release) December 19, 2006
France April 30, 2007
United Kingdom April 2, 2007

Covers

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UK happy hardcore producers Darren Styles and Whizzkid covered the song in 2007, this version being simply titled 'Girlfriend', which got an extended release on vinyl in 2009.

References

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  1. ↑ Ross, Curtis (June 24, 2005). "Heroes Make Own Kind of Hip Hop". The Tampa Tribune. p. 102. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  2. ↑ Eloise, Marianne (November 18, 2020). "Decaydance Records: an oral history told by Pete Wentz, Travie McCoy, Gabe Saporta, Spencer Smith and more". The Forty-Five. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  3. ↑ Saldana, Hector (March 30, 2007). "Gym Class Heroes Get a Hassle-Free Return". San Antonio Express-News. pp. 12H. Retrieved October 30, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 Gamboa, Glenn (October 26, 2006). "They Have an Eclectic Personality". Newsday (Suffolk ed.). pp. B2. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Yahoo Music".
  6. 1 2 3 Greene, Andy (2021-04-01). "Gym Class Heroes' Travie McCoy on Surprise TikTok Resurgence: 'It's F—ing Awesome'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  7. 1 2 3 MacIntosh, Dan (August 11, 2011). "Gym Class Heroes: Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Travie McCoy breaks down every song on The Papercut Chronicles". Alternative Press Magazine. September 23, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2026.
  9. ↑ Carlson, Erin (October 23, 2007). "Gym Class Heroes Enter Mainstream Thanks to 'Chokehold' — and Fall Out Boy". Southern Illinoisan. pp. 3C. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  10. ↑ "The Decibel System: How One Librarian Mastered the Art of Noise". DYouville. June 12, 2026. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  11. ↑ Diehl, Matt (September 2008). "High Rollers". Blender. 24 (9): 93. ISSN 0886-3032. McCoy and Perry have dated for a couple years, well before either tasted stardom (she played the ideal girlfriend in the 'Cupid's Chokehold' video).
  12. ↑ Daniels, Sharifa (November 12, 2014). "14 Music Video's Solo's Fiancé Alan Ferguson is Responsible For". VIBE.com. Retrieved October 28, 2026.
  13. ↑ Diehl, Matt (September 2008). "High Rollers". Spin. 24 (9): 93. ISSN 0886-3032. McCoy and Perry have dated for a couple years, well before either tasted stardom (she played the ideal girlfriend in the 'Cupid's Chokehold' video).
  14. ↑ Allen, Jeremy (2018-11-07). "Can you spot the pre-fame celebrities in these music videos?". BBC Music. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
  15. ↑ "GYM CLASS HEROES Cupid's Chokehold (2005)".
  16. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes – Cupid's Chokehold". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  17. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes – Cupid's Chokehold" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  18. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes – Cupid's Chokehold" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  19. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
  20. ↑ "ČNS IFPI – CZ Radio – Top 100 – 38. týden 2007" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.
  21. ↑ "Track Top-40 – Hitlisten.NU – Danmarks officielle hitlister" (in Danish). Tracklisten.
  22. ↑ "Hits of the World – Eurocharts" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 119, no. 20. May 19, 2007. p. 87. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes: Cupid's Chokefold" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
  24. ↑ "Top Singles (Week 24, 2007)". SNEP. Retrieved June 17, 2007.
  25. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  27. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes | IRMA". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes – Cupid's Chokehold". Top Digital Download.
  29. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Gym Class Heroes" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  30. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes – Cupid's Chokehold" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  31. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes – Cupid's Chokehold". Top 40 Singles.
  32. ↑ "Top Radio Hits Russia Weekly Chart: Sep 13, 2007". TopHit. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 12/5/2007 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  34. ↑ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 200735 into search.
  35. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes – Cupid's Chokehold". Singles Top 100.
  36. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes – Cupid's Chokehold – hitparade.ch". Swiss Singles Chart.
  37. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 12/5/2007 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  38. ↑ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart on 12/5/2007 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  40. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  41. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  42. ↑ "ČNS IFPI – CZ Singles Digital – Top 100 – 11. týden 2021" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.
  43. ↑ "Gym Class Heroes Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard.
  44. ↑ "Bestsellery i wyróżnienia - AirPlays - Top - Archiwum" (in Polish). ZPAV. Archived from the original. Retrieved January 13, 2020. [dead link]
  45. ↑ "ČNS IFPI". IFPI ČR. Note: Select SK SINGLES DIGITAL TOP 100 and insert 202113 into search. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  46. ↑ "2007 Annual ARIA Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  47. ↑ "European Hot 100 Singles". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 13, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  48. ↑ "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2007" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  49. ↑ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2007". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  50. ↑ "Top Selling Singles of 2007". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  51. ↑ "Top Radio Hits Russia Annual Chart: 2007". TopHit. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  52. ↑ "End of Year Singles Chart Top 100 – 2007". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  53. ↑ "Hot 100 Songs – Year-End 2007". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  54. ↑ "Rádiós Top 100 – hallgatottsági adatok alapján – 2008" (in Hungarian). Mahasz. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  55. ↑ "Top Radio Hits Russia Decade Chart: 00s". TopHit. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  56. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Gym Class Heroes – Cupid's Chokehold". Music Canada. Retrieved January 31, 2025.
  57. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Gym Class Heroes – Cupid's Chokehold / Breakfast in America". Radioscope. Retrieved May 14, 2025. Type Cupid's Chokehold / Breakfast in America in the "Search:" field and press Enter.
  58. ↑ "British single certifications – Gym Class Heroes – Cupid's Chokehold". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 1, 2022. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Cupid's Chokehold Gym Class Heroes in the "Search:" field.
  59. ↑ "American single certifications – Gym Class Heroes – Cupid%s Chokehold". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
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