Radiohead: Karma Police Meaning

Song Released: 1997

Karma Police 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...

1. mcyieDakootyroaches

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   Jul 9th 2008 !⃝

   I got a band, I wrote my own stuff, and the lyrics somehow inspired some of my songs, just like the movie, Fight Club did.
   
   I dunno bout you people, but this song was somehow like a soundtrack of my life when I was at the uni and few jobless and shitty job years after that.(and that was somewhere btw year 2000-2005, not the 90's lol)
   ' he talks in maths He buzzes like a fridge, he's like a detuned radio'', the song was playing in my head in the lecture hall with the professor 'buzzing' with theories and stuff, and my mind was completely in different place if not zzzz..., thus, "the detuned radio". God, please, somebody, arrest this man, could somebody in the world be more boring that him?
   
   'Ive given all I can, its not enough Ive given all I can, but were still on the payroll"- when I was working at the bank doing sales job, with my boss, it's always, sales target, sales target and sales target, it was never enough, I was totally like robot, doing the same thing every single day. The payroll kept me in office for almost a year, after that, unemployed again.
   One more thing was with the political scenario in malaysia that time, the authoritarian govt, the self-censored media and masses, I was like living in ORWELL'S 1984. So depressing. Luckily I got my 'speakwrite'- my punk band at that time.
   
   So there, that's my personal interpretation of the song. It's like an alter ego, or when you are smiling, nodding at your boss' speech, the voice inside of you said, "I wanna bite his ears for breakfast"- kind of thing. It's you getting away from the hyper consumerist-popular culture-capitalistic society of the day.
   
   one thing that puzzled me tho'.who's that girl with the Hitler hairdo? It wasn't Mag Thatcher, was she?
2. mcyieDakootyroaches

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   Jul 9th 2008 !⃝

   I dunno bout you people, but this song was somehow like a soundtrack of my life when I was at the uni and few jobless and shitty job years after that.(and that was somewhere btw year 2000-2005, not the 90's lol)
   ' he talks in maths He buzzes like a fridge, he's like a detuned radio'', the song was playing in my head in the lecture hall with the professor 'buzzing' with theories and stuff, and my mind was completely in different place if not zzzz..., thus, "the detuned radio". God, please, somebody, arrest this man, could somebody in the world be more boring that him?
   'Ive given all I can, its not enough Ive given all I can, but were still on the payroll"- when I was working at the bank doing sales job, with my boss, it's always, sales target, sales target and sales target, it was never enough, I was totally like robot, doing the same thing every single day. The payroll kept me in office for almost a year, after that, unemployed again.
   One more thing was with the political scenario in Malaysia that, the authoritarian govt, the self-censored media and masses, I was like living in ORWELL'S 1984. So depressing. Luckily I got my 'speakwrite'- my punk band at that time.
3. anonymous

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   Mar 17th 2008 !⃝

   I think it's great that we are getting so many interpretations and none of them perfectly correct, synced-up with what Yorke is getting across. I do not know what "Phew, I lost myself" is supposed to make us think as listeners. Maybe that we are all under the influence (drug reference intentional) of authority-mind-societal norm-crap and that we better wake up or we're gonna wind up like the fuckers voting Republican and kicking people out of Starbucks for writing obscene poetry and playing dissident jazz for free, without any graft or will to profit--as Neitzche once said. Long live RADIOHEAD! I want to bear Thom's Children! He's not gay is he?
4. Odysseus

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   Dec 29th 2007 !⃝

   It's about a totalitarian government that uses a technology which can read your thoughts. The lyrical I is a subordinate citizen who denunciates others (the man, the girl), because they are mad(the man) or show a non-conform attitude(hitler-hairdo). The girl criticizes the government by comparing it to another totalitarian state (germany under hitler). The lyrical I even committed vigilantism (crashing her party) with like-minded people(we). After this the lyrical I has a moment of doubt on the whole system but wipes it away. phew, a colloquial phrase maybe shows the low intelligence and lack of reflection by the citizens, which are kept stupid by the government. I would appreciate comments in any way.
5. anonymous

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   Dec 23rd 2007 !⃝

   Your right this is an inside joke. I repent of my judge not lest you be judged nonsense. "Phew, I almost lost myself."
6. anonymous

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   Dec 19th 2007 !⃝

   Judge not lest you be judged. "For a minute there I lost myself." Tolerance for the evil in others because the fraught battle between good and evil within ourselves is usually in bad shape so we should have compassionate towards other's failings.
7. Ahnfelt

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   Oct 12th 2007 !⃝

   This is speculation, but in light of recent events:
   http://www.inrainbows.com/
   
   They're talking about the music industry (the man/woman). First verse is about how they only think of money (maths), and how they're not listening (detuned radio).
   
   The chorus is a thread talking about the plan they now realized (see link).
   
   Third verse is about how they tried to change it, but failed (I've given all I can, but we're still on the payroll).
8. Bstrap000

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   Jan 4th 2007 !⃝

   This song is funny, don't take it so seriously then listen to it. It sounds like an inside joke to me.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
9. paniqluv

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   Jan 2nd 2007 !⃝

   well, honestly, the only reason I know what this song is is that my my favorite all-time band Panic! At the Disco did a cover on it. I think this song is just saying that karma can nip ya in the butt if your not "good." hey the song even has a lesson... be good!

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
10. anonymous

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    Oct 27th 2006 !⃝

    Taking away the freedom of thought and expression. It beholds references or similarities to 'the thought police' in george orwells book '1984.' thom loves this book with its political theme of a fucked up totalitarian society. It makes you wonder if it could really get like this. Certain aspects have. There are other refernces to this book on other albums 2.
11. Kornelius

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    Oct 10th 2006 !⃝

    Ever crashed a car when you forget to look while reversing I have, the karma police got me.
12. anonymous

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    Jun 6th 2006 !⃝

    Karma police is about the persuer becoming the persued. If you watch the video it is the car persuing the man but in the end he realises that it has a petrol leak and manages to set it alight.
13. anonymous

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    May 7th 2006 !⃝

    For me, this song is about a private place inside each of our minds, from which we silently pick on others' foibles and quirks - misanthropy surging within us for no good reason, while we remain completely calm on the outside. (Think about how you feel commuting to work.)
14. anonymous

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    Jan 26th 2006 !⃝

    The band used the term "go get the Karma police" frequently while being on tour when pissed off by certain people around them.
    
    The Karma police means a force to arrest people and don't let them be reborn like in reincarnation.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
15. anonymous

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    Jan 3rd 2006 !⃝

    George Orwell's "1984", go read it.

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