"Karma Police" is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead from their 1997 third studio album OK Computer. The song's title and lyrics derive from an in-joke among the band, referring to nonsensical retributive enforcement of karma.
"Karma Police" was released as the second single from OK Computer, and became a commercial success, charting at number eight on the UK Singles Chart and number fourteen on the US Hot Modern Rock Tracks. The song made #33 on the Dutch Top 40. Critical reception to the single was also favourable. In addition, it made #50 in The Netherlands, #35 in Belgium, #15 in Finland and #32 in New Zealand.
Karma Police remains as one of the most famous songs from Radiohead.
Music Video:
The music video for the song was directed by Jonathan Glazer, previously responsible for Radiohead's "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" clip. The video premiered in August 1997 and featured Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke as well as Hungarian actor Lajos Kovács. Glazer won MTV's Director of the Year award in 1997 for his work on this, as well as Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity".[citation needed] Glazer however revealed in an interview that he considers this video to be a failed attempt.
The video starts with the camera, an unseen driver, looking at the empty back seat of 1976 Chrysler New Yorker at night. The 'driver' then faces the windshield and begins driving. For 35 seconds, it shows nothing but a road through grass illuminated by headlights, with bugs visible around the windshield. A figure is then seen running from the car. In time for the chorus the view shifts back to the back seat, where Thom Yorke now sits, almost mumbling his lyrics. The view yet again moves to the figure, who is close to being mowed down, as the view again switches to Yorke, now slouching drowsily against the back of the front seat, barely lipsyncing any longer. The camera swivels again and the figure appears again, close this time. For the first time another perspective reveals the outside of the car. The pursued figure sharpens and is revealed to be a large man with a frightened look. As the car comes to a stop before him, the man raises his hands and puts them behind his back as if in resignation, then takes matches from his pocket, lights one, and throws it down. The perspective shifts to the car's interior. The car suddenly reverses, away from the man, revealing a petrol leak which now blazes a path on the road back toward the car. The car slowly catches fire, and the camera/driver finally turns frantically to the back seat and robotically swivels back and forth, only to find that Yorke is no longer there.
Lyrics:
Karma police, arrest this man, he talks in maths
He buzzes like a fridge, hes 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 get, this is what you get
This is what you get, when you mess with us
Karma police, Ive given all I can, its not enough
Ive given all I can, but were still on the payroll
This is what you get, this is what you get
This is what you get, when you mess with us
And for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself
And for a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself
For a minute there, I lost myself, I lost myself
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