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Karmacoma Lyrics

Tricky
You sure you want to be with me
I've nothing to give
Won’t lie and say this lovin's best
Leave us in emotional peace
Take a walk, taste the rest
No, take a rest

3D
I see you digging a hole in your neighborhood
You’re crazy but you’re lazy
No need to live in a lean-to
Your troubles must be seen to seen to
Money like it's paper with faces i remember
I drink on a daily basis
Though it seldom cools my temper
It never cools my temper

Tricky
Walking through the suburbs though not exactly lovers You’re a couple, 'specially when your body’s doubled Duplicate, then you wait for the next kuwait

(both)
Karmacoma, jamaica' aroma (x4)

3D
You sure you want to be with me i’ve nothing to give
Take a walk take a rest taste the rest
Take a walk take a rest taste the rest
Take a walk take a rest a taste of rest

Tricky
Don't want to be on top of your list
Phenomenally and properly kissed
We overcome in sixty seconds
With the strength we have to together
But for now, emotional ties they stay severed
When there’s trust there’ll be treats
And when we funk we'll hear beats

(both)
Karmacoma, jamaica' aroma (x4)

3D
Deflowering my baby, are you my baby mate I must be crazy, see i'm swazy Digging a hole in your neighborhood You're crazy but you're lazy, must be lazy

Tricky
Don't wanna on top of your list Monopoly and properly kissed

3D
Deflowering my baby, are you my baby mate My baby Deflowering my baby, are you my baby mate I must be crazy, you must be lazy

(both)
Karmacoma, what?, jamaica aroma (x4)
Song Info
Submitted by
shut On Dec 05, 2001
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Cover art for Karmacoma lyrics by Massive Attack

Verify Lyrics. Your troubles must be seen to through money like its paper...

The refarin is, Jamaica and Roma not "Jamaica aroma" "monopoly and properly kiss'd"

To take this song as a song about a girl and marijuana is to look at it improperly. As with all massive attack songs one must look a bit deeper. I think this is a social commentary comparing the world (societies, governents, etc) to lovers.

You sure you want to be with me I've nothing to give Won’t lie and say this lovin's best Leave us in emotional peace Take a walk, taste the rest No, take a rest

3D "I see you digging a hole in your neighborhood You’re crazy but you’re lazy (we're destroying ourselves, right in our own country though we not doing it ourselves. Rather via through outsourcing or immigrant labour.) No need to live in a lean-to Your troubles must be seen to see through Money like it's paper with faces i remember (We have so musch money, individually its worthless. our problems are based upon the very amount of wealth we posess.) I drink on a daily basis Though it seldom cools my temper It never cools my temper" This stanza talks of America or the West i think in reference to how we live and how we consume, most notably oil. (I drink on a daily basis but it never cools my temper. (it never satisfies me)) Tricky Walking through the suburbs though not exactly lovers You’re a couple, 'specially when your body’s doubled Duplicate, then you wait for the next kuwait (We breed and wait for war. Kuwait is a reference to the Gulf War as it was the central conflict at the time this song was produced. We just reproduce and wait for a bloodless entertaining, media covered and sucessful war for resource) (both) Karmacoma, jamaica and roma (x4)

3D You sure you want to be with me i’ve nothing to give Take a walk take a rest taste the rest Take a walk take a rest taste the rest Take a walk take a rest a taste of rest

Tricky Don't want to be on top of your list Phenomenally and properly kissed We overcome in sixty seconds With the strength we have to together But for now, emotional ties they stay severed When there’s trust there’ll be treats And when we funk we'll hear beats

(both) Karmacoma, jamaica and roma (x4)

3D Deflowering my baby, are you my baby mate I must be crazy, see i'm swazy Digging a hole in your neighborhood You're crazy but you're lazy, must be lazy

Tricky Don't wanna on top of your list Monopoly and properly kissed (We dont want the be all close up with you America because we fear satisfaction, and opulence in consumption.)

3D Deflowering my baby, are you my baby mate My baby Deflowering my baby, are you my baby mate I must be crazy, you must be lazy (i think this whole deflowering my baby thing is about the influence America and the west has, or rather had over the world. The people of nations looked on as their presidents and leaders made policy, for better or worse, usually worse at the behest of the West.) (both) Karmacoma, what?, jamaica and roma (x4)

Really its about the dawn of globalization seen back in 1997. The people in the video really epitomize the West i think, a thief, a psychotic killer with no clear motive, a sexually disfunctional man with mulitple mistresses, the narcissist covered in oil, and the woman, awed by weath.

(ive yet to put together some lines though)

@agent_hunt Thanks man, I really enjoyed reading your view on what the lyrics mean. Kinda makes sense a wee bit but still a head pickler :-)

@agent_hunt Damn fine effort at deciphering these genius lyrics.

Cover art for Karmacoma lyrics by Massive Attack

I think the title should be looked at first. Karma--Buddhist belief in cause and effect. I think the Karmacoma is the unawareness that what you do becomes who you are. If you don't own up, you're never free. I also think that this song is meant as a Koan. Trying to put together what this song means may leave you with a blank mind.. ;) Stay with it and find out. But if I should try and explain the song... All of these different characters could be his past lifes and they all fit together regardless of how different they maybe. The boot shine machine only plays when he is talking. Yet, he's not the one with the dirty shoes or a "dirty sole". It's on the robber's shoes and the dirt and muck is also on the guy with the Kango. There are more connections, but meh, I'll let you figure'em out. When he makes the realization that he is what he is and no matter if he tries to be good to fix his past mistakes or continues to do bad things, he's always free regardless. The end with the boot shine machine stopping depicts his freedom from the continual need to have his "sole" cleaned. And, theoretically his Karmacoma is lifted.

My Interpretation

Oh, btw. I think they were trying to go for Buddhist chanting, but it probably didn't fit. I think that's why they used the Tuvian throat singer. Don't try and think outside the box for the more you do, the more you'll find yourself inside. Besides, what need do boxes have for thinking anyways?

Not Valid
Cover art for Karmacoma lyrics by Massive Attack

This song KICKS ASS. one of my massive attack faves and an awesome trippy video for an awesome trippy song. I think it's about a guy and a girl and their messed up relationship, and they're goin' for a walk and smokin' the reefer. kinda reminds me of one of my relationships, actually. he's unsure of the whole thing because he doesn't think he's worth it ("you sure you wanna be with me, I've nothin to give, won't lie and say this lovin's best..."). she's trying to settle down somewhere, so she's "diggin' a hole" in her neighborhood, so she down some roots of her own...maybe she was moving around a lot or was homeless, thus explaining the "no need to live in a lean-to' line. and she needs to sort out her shit ("your troubles must be seen to"). the next line mentions money so maybe he/she/they have financial probs. then we find out the guy is pretty much an alcoholic, as he drinks "on a daily basis." and he has a temper. bad combo. the next few lines are pretty clear and pretty vague. "walkin through the suburbs, though not exactly lovers, you're a couple" they haven't had sex yet so they're not lovers, but they are a couple of sorts. I'm not sure about "specially when your bodies doubled" unless its something about seeing double when your drunk so maybe their mostly a couple (ie fool around) when they're drunk. "duplicate and then ya wait for the next kuwait" umm...having babies? I really don't know "jamaica aroma' would be the pot...i think the "taste the rest" parts are about the pot as well. Fuck this is a lot of writing...almost finished...so, "dont wanna be on top of your list, phenomenally and properly kissed" he's saying he doesn't want to be her #1 guy, even if he'll get these phenomenal and proper kisses. Even though they are good at getting over their problems together, he's still not ready ("we overcome in 60 seconds withthe strength we have together but for now the emotional ties they stay severed"). The next few lines speak for themselves; when they trust eachother, they'll get down 'n dirty. Now 3D starts talkin' bout 'deflowering', so methinks the guy either gives in to her or just gives in to his biological urges. then he's telling himself "I must be crazy"...I don't know what "swazy" means. Patrick, perhaps? yeah right. anyway, he says she's crazy too and lazy, which could mean she's too lazy to find a better man than him. I dunno about the 'monopoly' reference...pretty sure it's not the game...maybe he means like monopolizing her or her monopolizing him or whatever. I'M DONE NOW

peace

Cover art for Karmacoma lyrics by Massive Attack

This song is also very similar to the first track on Tricky's album Maxinquaye. In fact I think it's the exact same lyrics, and a very similar beat.

@Songmeaningsuser Tricky re-recorded this song for that album

@Songmeaningsuser well its not the same lyrics and i find the beat to be pretty different. i actually came from beng like "hey arnt these the same lyrics to overcome?" and wow these coments are ollld.

Cover art for Karmacoma lyrics by Massive Attack

this song is so confusing... i am at best bemuddled, but its got an amazing beat and simple entrancing

Cover art for Karmacoma lyrics by Massive Attack

such an alluring song. it is just so cool & cruisy. it's hard to really know what this is about, if at all anything, but it just has such an enchanting element to it.

Cover art for Karmacoma lyrics by Massive Attack

This is a song about marijuana, even though Tricky seems to be rapping about a girl.

Analogy? I think so :)

Cover art for Karmacoma lyrics by Massive Attack

anyone see the videoto this song ? Can't really figure out what thats all about. Any ideas? I personally thought it might be the levels of hell?

Cover art for Karmacoma lyrics by Massive Attack

Actually the Chorus goes: "Karmacoma, Jamiaca an' Roma" as in Rome, Italy. If you listen closely that is what they say. Also the church bells in the background kind of make it seem like its Rome.

Cover art for Karmacoma lyrics by Massive Attack

muus guy the video to this song is about the movie "The Shining"