MARINA’s “Karma” Lyrics Meaning

MARINA’s “Karma” is based on someone who, from the perspective of the singer, gets what he deserves when “(karma) comes around”. The lyrics never state outright what this person has done. However, we can see from the first verse that love is a factor, as he is called a “heartbreaker”. He is also described as someone who ‘loses his temper’ and does so in a way where he think justice will never catch up with him. As such, he is not the type to apologize unless he is going through a downfall.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for MARINA's Karma at Lyrics.org.

However, MARINA educates him to the fact that all it takes is “one snowball” to start the process of “dominoes fall(ing)”. So even though he may be “(living) in sweet denial” at the moment, once again she reminds him that sorrow is on its way.

Thus in the chorus she is telling him that once karma does come around, “Don’t be sorry”. Indeed when his inevitable demise does manifest, the purpose of this track is to let him know that it is what he actually deserves. And as the bridge points out, “all of the money in this town” won’t be able to save him. Thus we are made privy to the fact that this is obviously someone who is wealthy and influential.

As the audience may have already deduced, the subject of this song is a sexual predator. Moreover he has a profession in the media. Or as MARINA herself has said about the track, it is about “major shifts in our social conscience regarding the systematic misogyny and sexual abuse employed by powerful figures in the media”. Or put differently, the masses are no longer susceptible to accepting such long-established, abusive activities from major media personalities.

Lyrics of "Karma"

Facts about “Karma”

  • Marina wrote this track during the onset of the Me Too movement, never expecting Me Too to become as powerful as it is today. She wrote the song with assistance from a number of fellow songwriters, including Jack Patterson, Ben Berger, Ryan McMahon, and Ryan Rabin.
  • Jack Patterson also produced “Karma” along with Mark Ralph.
  • This is the 12th song on the playlist of the MARINA’s 2019 body of work titled Love + Fear.
  • Atlantic Records released “Karma” on 26 April 2019.

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