Karma Police

Radiohead

About Karma Police

"Karma Police" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their third studio album OK Computer (1997) on 25 August 1997. The song charted at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart and at 14 on the US Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. It was included on the Radiohead: The Best Of (2008).


Year:
1997
4:21
370 
#1

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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

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Radiohead

Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments), Colin Greenwood (bass), Phil Selway (drums, percussion) and Ed O'Brien (guitar, backing vocals). more »

6 fans

Written by: Colin Charles Greenwood, Edward John O'Brien, Jonathan Richard Guy Greenwood, Philip James Selway, Thomas Edward Yorke

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Song Origin
"Karma Police" is a song by the British alternative rock band Radiohead from their 1997 album, "OK Computer."
Chart Performance
The song peaked at number 8 in the UK Singles Chart, making it one of the band's highest-charting songs.
Music Composition
"Karma Police" in large part embodies the experimental sound that Radiohead was known for during this period, featuring a melodic piano lead and contrastingly strong guitar choruses.
Song Inspiration
The title "Karma Police" was inspired by an inside joke within the band. They used to say "the karma police will get you" whenever someone did something they weren't supposed to do.
Song Structure
The composition is unusual, with a recurring piano line that is manipulated into solos, and a distinct separation between the song's verses and choruses.
Music Video
The song’s music video, directed by Jonathan Glazer, follows a man being pursued by a car which eventually runs out of gas before the man sets it on fire.
Critical Acclaim
Many music critics applauded "Karma Police" for its evocative lyrics and memorable melody, and it has since been regarded as one of Radiohead's best songs.
Cultural Impact
The song has since been covered by various artists over the years, cementing its influence within the alternative rock genre.
Award Nominations
The song's music video earned Radiohead a Music Video Production Association award for best alternative video, and a Grammy nomination for Best Short Form Music Video.
Lyrics Interpretation
While there are many interpretations of the song's lyrics, Radiohead's Thom Yorke has merely stated that the song is about the feeling of "just trying to make sense of what's going on around you."

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    "Karma Police Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/1416670/Radiohead/Karma+Police>.

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