Karma Police, like several other songs that would make up OK Computer, was debuted live in 1996, when the band briefly supported Alanis Morissette on an American tour. A live version of Karma Police, performed with a Rhodes piano on The Late Show with David Letterman, is captured in the Radiohead documentary Meeting People Is Easy. Today the song is usually an audience singalong when performed at live concerts, often as an encore.
Radiohead members used to tell one another that they would call "the karma police" on them if they did something wrong. The joke was incorporated as the title of the song. Thom Yorke explained the idea of the lyrics to The Independent in 2006, saying, "It's for someone who has to work for a large company. This is a song against bosses. Fuck the middle management!" He also said it was about those who are judgmental. The sound at the end of the song was created by Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien by "feeding sound through a digital delay machine".
The song was covered in 2003 by Christopher O'Riley on his first Radiohead tribute album True Love Waits: Christopher O'Riley Plays Radiohead. The song has also been covered by Panic at the Disco, The Dresden Dolls and Tori Amos. The song is also covered on the album Radiodread by the Easy Star All-Stars, sung by Citizen Cope.
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Karma Police
Radiohead 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
Is making me feel ill
And we have crashed her party
This is what you'll get
This is what you'll get
This is what you'll 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'll get
This is what you'll get
This is what you'll 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 Radiohead is a commentary on the concept of karma and how it applies to societal justice. The lyrics "karma police, arrest this man" and "arrest this girl" suggest that the consequences of one's actions catch up with them eventually. The man in question is someone who "talks in maths" and "buzzes like a fridge," suggesting that he is aloof and disconnected from the emotions of those around him. The girl is described as having a "Hitler hairdo" that makes the singer feel ill, indicating that she represents something morally repugnant or oppressive.
The chorus, "this is what you'll get when you mess with us," suggests that the band sees themselves as oracles of justice, wielding the power of karma to take down those who have done wrong. The lines "I've given all I can, but we're still on the payroll" imply that there are still hierarchies and power structures in place that prevent justice from being fully realized. The song ends with the lines "for a minute there, I lost myself," suggesting that the singer is grappling with the power and responsibility that comes with being a member of the karma police.
Line by Line Meaning
Karma police
Justice is being served
Arrest this man
This man should be held accountable for his actions
He talks in maths
This man is difficult to understand or connect with
He buzzes like a fridge
He has an irritating presence
He's like a detuned radio
This man is disconnected and disruptive
Karma police
Justice is being served
Arrest this girl
This girl should be held accountable for her actions
Her Hitler hairdo
This girl's appearance is triggering and offensive
Is making me feel ill
Her appearance is causing discomfort
And we have crashed her party
We are disrupting her life or plans
This is what you'll get
You will face consequences
This is what you'll get
You will face consequences
This is what you'll get
You will face consequences
When you mess with us
When you try to harm or upset us
Karma police
Justice is being served
I've given all I can
I have done everything possible
It's not enough
My efforts were insufficient
But we're still on the payroll
We are still expected to do our jobs despite difficulties or challenges
This is what you'll get
You will face consequences
This is what you'll get
You will face consequences
This is what you'll get
You will face consequences
When you mess with us
When you try to harm or upset us
For a minute there
During a brief period of time
I lost myself, I lost myself
I became consumed by my own thoughts
Phew, for a minute there
Expressing relief after a moment of stress or anxiety
I lost myself, I lost myself
I became consumed by my own thoughts
Lyrics © 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
Me me
on No Surprises
The way i interpret the lyrics: ; Once excitement of youthful perspective,, hopes, dreams are broken, into an almost nihilistic acceptance of patterns world, we coast,….. become a part of the dull hum we swore we never would become part of. Time pulls us forward, wears and tears until we accept. Can not fight against the current yet knowing we swore we would never.
no
on Radio Head - no surprises
heylo aaa