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 © 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
@danielalexanderromerovelas6292
LETRA
Karma police, 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
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
@thedancingcentipede
I've been listening to this masterpiece for years but it was a treat to hear it on the Invincible soundtrack. This is a song that captures the fact that it's about the loss of identity in a world full of hypocrisy in which you can get lost for a moment. Very fitting to the first episode of season 2 of Invincible. One of my favourite songs. The fact that Mark never once stopped to get any credit for the acts of heroism he performed really stands out to me. He isn't to fix his reputation and prove to the general public he's not Omn-Man. He's trying to prove to himself that he's not his dad. He also likely feels he can't stay in one place because all they see is "Omni-Man's son". One of my favourite scenes.
[Verse 1]
Karma police, arrest this man, he talks in maths
He buzzes like a fridge, he's like a detuned radio
[Verse 2]
Karma police, arrest this girl, her Hitler hairdo
Is making me feel ill and we have crashed her party
[Chorus]
This is what you get
This is what you get
This is what you get
When you mess with us
[Verse 3]
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
[Chorus]
This is what you get
This is what you get
This is what you get
When you mess with us
[Outro]
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
🖤🖤
@BoerixMr
LYRICS:
Karma police
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
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
@youngeuphoria02
Lyrics:
Karma police
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
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
@jass2889
Karma police
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
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
@aidenwhittingham3729
Fun Fact: Thom Yorke says that this music video was his favorite to have filmed because he was drunk the whole time.
@metalmask5
lmao
@CalridRobnor123srs
@@metalmask5 don't believe you: provide quotes and information. other wise it's the kharma police. :P
@KamisatoElias
haha love it
@tutan7814
XD
@sudamericanrockers6616
thom york remembers very little of what he did
@jadensteadman277
Shout out Invincible for showing this song to me
@psychicspy1234
Yeah, old fav, but had to come back again after watching invincible
@parnoico1
Same, I know and love only one song from radiohead, but after watching invincible and really liking this song Im currently listening to more of their works.
@jittyjjunior9397
same