“Karma Police” and its Warning on 21st Century Humanity

A retrospective analysis on the classic 1997 hit Radiohead song

Credit: Still from the “Karma Police” music video from Capitol/Parlophone Records. Mubi.

It was New Year's Eve 2021 when I listened to Ok Computer.

“Karma Police” happened to be one of those singles that influenced me to listen to OK Computer. That and the fact I was fascinated by how ahead of its time the record was for the late millennium.

The album's tech allegory and Y2K anxiety prompted me to consider its retrospective significance.

In this analysis, I’m going to talk about Karma Police’s warning on 21st Century Humanity.

Background of the Record

So, “Karma Police” is the second single off Radiohead’s third album OK Computer. It’s an alternative rock song about the dissatisfaction of capitalism. The song is also considered a dark satire on authority. “Karma Police” came from an inside joke from members of the band.

The single was released in August 1997 and written by the Radiohead members. It was also produced by the band along with producer, Nigel Godrich.

The song was also paired with a memorable music video where Thom Yorke is seen in the back of a moving car down an isolated road. The car chases a man until he finds a way out of his frantic situation.

Instrumentation

“Karma Police” is mid-tempo with some reverberation and delay effects to bring out the song's drama. An acoustic guitar and piano are used with sound effects heard at the end. Most notably the “police sirens” wailing at the coda.

The instruments are not the most prominent parts of the song, but it sets the tone for the reflective record. The record can sound depressing, bitter, and alienating from start to finish which are themes that Radiohead is known for.

Frontman Thom Yorke was not happy with the ending, so he used loops and samples to complete it.

Standard Message

With Ok Computer critiquing 21st-century life, the song has aged well. It explains how eventually the bad people in this century will be punished. Eventually, it led to one of their most recognizable hits.

Inside “Karma Police” has many meanings about consumerism lifestyle, boredom, and control.

Yorke explained that it was about the stress of the middleclass Brit, but the song relates to youth culture as a whole. There are also a lot of layered meanings from the past to now.

Retrospectively

“Karma Police” serves as a message about how the middle class is losing sight of reality. How we’re getting more disconnected from interpersonal relations. Technology keeps us hooked on buying the latest gadgets. So much so, that everything minor can bother us.

Yorke is singing about how boredom is causing the youth to become petty. There is also an overwhelming anxiety theme that lingers. The verses detail how anxious millennials and even Gen Z are getting.

In the late 90s, there was the pressure to succeed while trying to be in Cool Britannia culture. The same anxiety applied to Americans as technology was feeling alienating.

There’s also a contemporary political message that’s with the song. In 1997, there was the Cool Britannica crowd embracing Tony Blair’s New Labour approach, but as the 2000s settled, he was turned against. Tony’s karma for his involvement in the Iraq War didn’t settle well with the people.

The song was about the millennial reaction to all the madness in the world. It’s also a mental health warning.

How it Relates to Mental Health

“Karma Police” is also like a mental health warning. It’s about preventing yourself from being too petty, critical, and from being antisocial. It highlights how dark human behavior can become.

Funny how Thom Yorke sings this in an era where society talked more to each other. Fast forward years later, it's a wake-up call to get the present generation in order.

The song chooses to make us hear how awful people can become so we wouldn’t have to be arrested or killed.

Millennials and Gen Z have actually “lost themselves” in the tech web of social media. It’s become a financial benefit and an addiction that’s cost us. In the record, Thom tells us to snap out of that whirlpool.

How the Song Relates Today

In today's America, we’re waiting for karma to hit our political leaders that are affecting the middle class today. With “Karma Police” we hear this satire come to life when we think of how Trump is cutting public funding and Medicaid. It lets us know that he will pay for what he has done. The song relates to even other world leaders who are affecting the youth. Or even conservatives who have strong opinions about the far left.

Final Thoughts

“Karma Police” is satire with some truth. There are always going to be people who can’t stand each other whether it's by prejudice or personality. We’re all living with each other's various opinions. But “Karma Police” and Ok Computer as a whole, serve to let us think about how we treat others. And how are we letting AI control the way we communicate? How do we communicate better as humans? Radiohead says once we address these questions, we can work to save humanity in the 21st century.

What do you think of the song “Karma Police”?

Radiohead Songs You May Like Similarly To This:

• “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” – Radiohead

• “Idioteque” – Radiohead

• “Paranoid Android” – Radiohead