’90s music has come full circle now that Radiohead’s 1997 hit “Karma Police” has been covered by Pierce The Veil. Everyone from Panic! At the Disco to Brassroots has covered the song, but few people know what the lyrics mean. In fact, most fans don’t even realize the band based the lyrics on an inside joke.
Radiohead’s lead singer would call the ‘karma police’ on haters
According to The Independent, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke shared that “Karma Police” lyrics were inspired by the nasty looks he would sometimes receive.
“I can’t handle having people looking at me in that certain way,” he said. “That’s what ‘Karma Police’ and a lot of the album is about.”
Radiohead’s lead guitarist, Jonny Greenwood, also weighed in on the band’s inside joke. According to Pitchfork, the band often would joke about calling the karma police on people.
“It was a band catchphrase for a while on tour—whenever someone was behaving in a particular s**tty way, we’d say, ‘The karma police will catch up with him sooner or later.'”
This joke ultimately led to the song’s satirical lyrics that call for the karma police to arrest people for silly offenses.
The ‘Karma Police’ music video is savage
Radiohead’s music video for “Karma Police” has a more serious message than the song’s lyrics. The video shows a car chasing a man on foot from the perspective of the driver. Yorke is in the backseat, portraying an angel or devil figure who vanishes at the end. The man getting chased is wearing a corporate uniform, complete with grey pleated pants and a white button-down.
When the car ultimately catches up to the man, he notices a gas leak and lights a match. The driver is forced to reverse the car but isn’t fast enough, and the vehicle gets torched. According to The Independent, Yorke explained the music video delivers an anti-corporate message:
“It’s for someone who has to work for a large company. This is a song against bosses. F**k the middle management!”
‘Karma Police’ lyrics
Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the lyrics to “Karma Police.”
“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 partyThis is what you’ll get
This is what you’ll get
This is what you’ll get
When you mess with usKarma police, I’ve given all I can
It’s not enough, I’ve given all I can
But we’re still on the payrollThis is what you’ll get
This is what you’ll get
This is what you’ll get
When you mess with usFor 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.”