Originally formed in 1997 for Easy Star Records’ first recordings, the All-Stars primarily existed as a studio entity until releasing Dub Side of the Moon. The success of that album led to the formation of a touring version of the collective. The core of the touring line-up has remained relatively intact, including Ras Iray (bass/vocals), Junior Jazz (guitar/vocals), Ive-09 (drums) and Jeremy Mage (keyboards) in the rhythm section. Tamar-kali and Menny More provide additional lead and backing vocals, while the group is filled out by the Chronic Horns (Jennifer Hill on saxophone & flute and Buford O’Sullivan on trombone). The band is always mixed live by a dub engineer, usually Marcos Ferrari or Jocko Randall (of John Brown’s Body). Other members of the musical collective, such as Victor Rice (Victor Rice Octet, Version City All-Stars and bassist on Dub Side of the Moon), reggae legend Ranking Joe, trumpet player Pam Fleming (of the Burning Brass), singers Kirsty Rock (of Trumystic) and Stephanie McKay, Groove Collective’s Jay Rodriguez, Antibalas’s Stuart Bogie, John Brown Body’s Josh Driscoll, and even Ticklah and Michael G join the All-Stars on specific gigs, adding their abilities to the already talented ensemble.
The Easy Star All-Stars—in any combination of members—have been a resounding success. The band has played at numerous major festivals or headlined their own shows in the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Chile, Poland, Turkey, Mexico, Argentina, Israel, Croatia, Ireland, Egypt, Brazil, and beyond.
As individuals, the band’s vocalists and instrumentalists have toured and recorded with Burning Spear, Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Gil Scott-Heron, The Toasters, The Meditations, Bernie Worrell, DJ Logic, MC Solaar, King Django, Antibalas, The Scofflaws, Diana King, Dennis Brown, Monty Alexander, Sister Carol, and many others. Each of these musicians gets a chance to shine in the typical Easy Star set, whether it is through soloing, composing, or singing, or simply through playing an essential part in this tight-knit collective. Each line-up may result in slightly different sounds for this unique reggae band, but regardless of who plays, the one thing that never changes is that the Easy Star All-Stars deliver a fun, exciting, and different show every time out.
Karma Police
Easy Star All-Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Arrest this man
He talks in maths
He buzzes like a fridge
He's like a detuned radio
Karma Police
Arrest this girl
Her Hitler hairdo
Is making me feel ill
And we have crashed her party, yeah
This is what you'll get
This is what you'll get
This is what you'll get
When you mess with us
When you mess with us
Karma Police
I've given all I can
It's not enough
I've given all I can
But we're still on the payroll, yeah yeah
This is what you'll get
This is what you'll get
This is what you'll get
When you mess with us
When you mess with us
And for a minute
I lost myself, I lost myself
Yeah, for a minute
I lost myself, I lost myself
And for a minute
I lost myself, I lost myself
And for a minute
I lost myself, I lost myself
In "Karma Police," the singer is addressing the titular law enforcement agency, using them as a metaphor for the universe's way of balancing the scales of justice. The first two verses refer to specific individuals who have crossed some kind of line and are therefore being dealt with accordingly: the man who "talks in maths" is likely someone who overanalyzes everything in his life, possibly to the point of being oblivious to the bigger picture, while the girl with the "Hitler hairdo" is probably someone who has adopted an extreme or offensive look or attitude to make a statement or get attention. The singer seems to take pleasure in watching these people get their comeuppance - even crashing the girl's party - but then admits in the chorus that this is simply what happens when anyone tries to mess with them.
In the final verse, the singer seems to be losing faith in the power of karma and the ability to bring about justice. Despite having given everything they can, they're still "on the payroll," meaning they're still stuck in their current situation and unable to move on. The repetition of the chorus at the end is a reminder that karma will always come back around, but the line "for a minute, I lost myself" shows that even those who believe in it can sometimes be overwhelmed by the chaotic and unfair nature of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Karma Police
The universe's natural law enforcement
Arrest this man
Make him face the consequences of his actions
He talks in maths
He communicates only through logic and facts
He buzzes like a fridge
He emits an annoying, monotonous noise
He's like a detuned radio
He is not in harmony with the world around him
Karma Police
The universe's natural law enforcement
Arrest this girl
Make her face the consequences of her actions
Her Hitler hairdo
Her hairstyle resembles that of a notorious dictator
Is making me feel ill
It inspires a visceral sense of disgust
And we have crashed her party, yeah
We have disrupted her plans and expectations
This is what you'll get
These are the results of your choices
This is what you'll get
These are the results of your choices
This is what you'll get
These are the results of your choices
When you mess with us
When you try to manipulate or control others
When you mess with us
When you try to manipulate or control others
Karma Police
The universe's natural law enforcement
I've given all I can
I have exhausted all my resources
It's not enough
It is insufficient to achieve our goals
I've given all I can
I have exhausted all my resources
But we're still on the payroll, yeah yeah
But we still have to fulfill our obligations
This is what you'll get
These are the results of your choices
This is what you'll get
These are the results of your choices
This is what you'll get
These are the results of your choices
When you mess with us
When you try to manipulate or control others
When you mess with us
When you try to manipulate or control others
And for a minute
For a brief moment in time
I lost myself, I lost myself
I lost my sense of identity and purpose
Yeah, for a minute
Yes, it was only temporary
I lost myself, I lost myself
I lost my sense of identity and purpose
And for a minute
For a brief moment in time
I lost myself, I lost myself
I lost my sense of identity and purpose
And for a minute
For a brief moment in time
I lost myself, I lost myself
I lost my sense of identity and purpose
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Music India Private Limited, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Colin Charles Greenwood, Edward John O'Brien, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind