A Friend Named Karma
After the Fall Lyrics


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He's the scum that you never want to know
He's like the flesh beneath my toe.
If there's a chance you'll ever pass me by
Lets just say you'll need an alibi.
Bit the venom into one so pure
Then took the soul without the cure

Slither snake now, slither snake snake now.

I gotta friend named karma and he told me to say.
(Slither snake now, slither snake snake now)
That your time has come, your ends are frayed.
(Slither snake now, slither snake snake now)
I gotta friend named karma and he told me to say.

Shed the skin change identity
The next victim will be me.
I think you'll get more than you bargined for
As you lay down on the floor.
And as you wake to your surprise
No legs, no arms, no cries.

Slither snake now, slither snake snake now.

I gotta friend named karma and he told me to say.
(Slither snake now, slither snake snake now)
That your time has come, your ends are frayed.
(Slither snake now, slither snake snake now)
I gotta friend named karma and he told me to say.

No legs (no legs no arms no cries)
No arms (no legs no arms no cries)
No cries (no legs no arms no cries)
No legs (no legs no arms no cries)
No arms no cries (no legs no arms no cries)

Slither snake now, slither snake snake now.

I gotta friend named karma and he told me to say.
(Slither snake now, slither snake snake now)
That your time has come, your ends are frayed.




(Slither snake now, slither snake snake now)
I gotta friend named karma and he told me to say.

Overall Meaning

The song "A Friend Named Karma" by After the Fall begins with a description of a malevolent figure: "He's the scum that you never want to know," and "he's like the flesh beneath my toe." The person described seems to be a manipulative and poisonous individual who preys on the innocent: "Bit the venom into one so pure, then took the soul without the cure." As the song progresses, the singer warns this harmful presence that their time is up, and they will receive a karmic retribution. The line "I gotta friend named karma and he told me to say, that your time has come, your ends are frayed," suggests that the singer is serving as a messenger of karma.


The lyrics also contain slightly cryptic lines about shedding one's skin and changing identity, followed by a foreboding description of what could happen: "And as you wake to your surprise, no legs, no arms, no cries." This could be interpreted in a few different ways, but it seems to suggest that changing one's identity or harming others will lead to karmic consequences.


Line by Line Meaning

He's the scum that you never want to know
He is an unpleasant person that you would rather not associate with.


He's like the flesh beneath my toe.
He is a constant source of irritation and discomfort.


If there's a chance you'll ever pass me by
If there is any possibility that you will come into contact with me.


Lets just say you'll need an alibi.
You will need an excuse to account for your whereabouts or actions.


Bit the venom into one so pure
He directed his spite or malice towards someone who was innocent or blameless.


Then took the soul without the cure
He caused emotional or spiritual harm to someone who had no way to heal or recover from it.


I gotta friend named karma and he told me to say.
I have a belief in the idea that what goes around comes around, and it has influenced my actions and comments.


(Slither snake now, slither snake snake now)
This phrase is repeated throughout the song as a metaphor for deception, manipulation, or destructive behavior.


That your time has come, your ends are frayed.
Your actions have caught up with you, and now you will experience negative consequences.


Shed the skin change identity
Take on a new persona or identity in order to deceive or hide from others.


The next victim will be me.
I am aware that my actions or words may eventually come back to harm me.


I think you'll get more than you bargined for
You will experience more negative consequences than you anticipated or deserved.


As you lay down on the floor.
As you suffer or endure the effects of your negative actions or choices.


And as you wake to your surprise
When you eventually face the negative consequences of your actions and realize how severe they are.


No legs (no legs no arms no cries)
This phrase is repeated several times as an expression of the harm that will come to the subject of the song, including potentially being rendered physically incapable of responding or reacting.


No arms (no legs no arms no cries)
This phrase is repeated several times as an expression of the harm that will come to the subject of the song, including being unable to take physical or defensive action.


No cries (no legs no arms no cries)
This phrase is repeated several times as an expression of the harm that will come to the subject of the song, including being unable to vocalize or respond to the harm being inflicted.


I gotta friend named karma and he told me to say.
This phrase is repeated throughout the song as a reminder that the subject believes in the concept of karma and the idea that negative actions will eventually come back to harm the perpetrator.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDREW JAY J ATKINS, BENJAMIN WHITNEY WINDSOR, CHRISTOPHER MARC BUTCHERINE, MARK EDWARD WARNER, MATTHEW PETER GORE

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