Karma Police
John Vanderslice Lyrics
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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
This is what you get
This is what you get
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
This is what you get
This is what you get
This is what you get
When you mess with us
For a minute there
I lost myself, I lost myself
Phew, for a minute there
I lost myself, I lost myself
For a minute there
I lost myself, I lost myself
Phew, for a minute there
I lost myself, I lost myself
The song "Karma Police" by John Vanderslice is a cover of the iconic song of the same name by Radiohead. The lyrics are a cryptic portrayal of the concept of karma, the idea that the consequences of one's actions will eventually catch up with them. The first two lines accuse someone of talking in maths, which could be a metaphor for a person who communicates in a logical, but cold and impersonal way, unable to understand the emotional nature of human interactions. The second person targeted in the song is a girl with a Hitler-like hairstyle, which could be seen as symbolic of her adherence to a destructive or oppressive ideology. The line "And we have crashed her party" could imply that the singer has chosen to disrupt her plans as a form of retribution for her actions.
The chorus, "This is what you get / When you mess with us," suggests that any negative consequences resulting from their actions are justified as a form of punishment for disturbing the peace or hurting others. The following verse finds the singer feeling that they have done everything in their power to seek justice, yet the offending party is still able to continue with their wrongdoings without repercussions, suggesting a sense of frustration and helplessness. The final lines, "For a minute there / I lost myself," seem to acknowledge a moment of weakness or ambivalence towards taking action against those who have wronged them, but ultimately reaffirm their commitment to pursuing justice.
Line by Line Meaning
Karma Police, arrest this man
The singer wants the karma police to take action against a man who speaks in a language that is coded and difficult to understand, and who emits a weird buzzing sound like that of a malfunctioning appliance.
He talks in maths, he buzzes like a fridge
The man's speech is so convoluted that it is more like solving a math problem than engaging in a conversation, and he is emitting an off-putting sound reminiscent of a fridge on the fritz.
He's like a detuned radio
The man's communication is distorted, like a radio that has lost its proper tune and can only transmit a static-filled message.
Karma Police, arrest this girl
The artist wants the karma police to take action against a girl who has a hairstyle that reminds him of Hitler, which makes him feel sick.
Her Hitler hairdo is making me feel ill
The girl's hairstyle resembles a historically significant figure that invokes negative emotions in the artist and makes him physically ill.
And we have crashed her party
The singer and his friends have disrupted this girl's gathering without her permission, and possibly caused a scene.
This is what you get
This is what you get
This is what you get
When you mess with us
The singer is expressing a sense of retribution against those who have wronged him, suggesting that the aforementioned man and girl deserved whatever negative consequences they received for their actions.
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
The artist has done his part in seeking revenge against those who have wronged him, but despite this, he still feels compelled to keep the retribution going, possibly due to societal pressure or other external factors.
For a minute there
I lost myself, I lost myself
Phew, for a minute there
I lost myself, I lost myself
Despite his apparent justification for pursuing revenge against those who have wronged him, the artist admits to feeling momentarily overwhelmed and out of control, jolted back to reality by the phonetic repetition of the phrase 'I lost myself.'
Writer(s): Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke, Edward John O'brien, Colin Charles Greenwood
Contributed by Jake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.