Karma – English Lyrics

• By: MARINA
• Album: Love + Fear

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into MARINA's "Karma," a catchy pop track with a tropical beat that packs a powerful lyrical punch. While the language is contemporary English, the song's theme—the inevitable return of one's negative actions—offers a universal lesson in moral consequence that transcends language barriers.

[English]

Heartbreaker, real faker

Getting off on bad behaviour

I know you inside and out, out, out

You're losing your temper

Do you think they won't remember?

You're only sorry when you're coming down, down, down

(I know)

Real hearts don't lie

Take it from me (I know)

You'll see in time

Take it from me

It's funny how it all goes down

Don't be sorry when it comes around

I'm like "Oh my god, I think it's karma"

Ain't it funny how it all adds up

When you're always trying to push your luck?

I'm like "Oh my god, I think it's karma"

"Oh my god, I..."

...

"Oh my god, I think it's karma"

It starts with one snowball

Then you watch the dominos fall

You carried on and on without a doubt, doubt, doubt

So vicious, this cycle

When you live in sweet denial

But you'll be sorry when you're coming down, down, down

(I know)

Real hearts don't lie

Take it from me (I know)

You'll see in time

Take it from me

It's funny how it all goes down

Don't be sorry when it comes around

I'm like "Oh my god, I think it's karma"

Ain't it funny how it all adds up

When you're always trying to push your luck?

I'm like "Oh my god, I think it's karma"

"Oh my god, I... think it's karma"

"Oh my god, I think it's karma"

And when your world comes crashing down

(It won't save you)

All of the money in this town

(It won't save you)

Won't save your reputation now

(It won't save you)

...

Real hearts don't lie

Take it from me (I know)

You'll see in time

Take it from me

It's funny how it all goes down

Don't be sorry when it comes around

I'm like "Oh my god, I think it's karma"

Ain't it funny how it all adds up

When you're always trying to push your luck?

I'm like "Oh my god, I think it's karma"

"Oh my god, I... think it's karma"

"Oh my god, I think it's karma"

"Think it's karma"

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
karma /ˈkɑːrmə/ A2	noun - the spiritual principle of cause and effect where intent and actions of an individual influence the future of that individual
heartbreaker /ˈhɑːrtˌbreɪkər/ B1	noun - a person who causes emotional pain or distress to others, often in romantic relationships
behaviour /bɪˈheɪvjər/ A2	noun - the way a person or animal acts or behaves
temper /ˈtɛmpər/ B1	noun - a person's state of mind or mood, especially when it is bad
sorry /ˈsɒri/ A1	adjective - feeling regret or sadness about something wrong or unpleasant
funny /ˈfʌni/ A2	adjective - amusing or comical
vicious /ˈvɪʃəs/ B2	adjective - cruel or violent
cycle /ˈsaɪkəl/ B1	noun - a series of events that are repeated in the same order
denial /dɪˈnaɪəl/ B2	noun - the refusal to admit the truth or reality of something
reputation /ˌrɛpjʊˈteɪʃən/ B1	noun - the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something
crash /kræʃ/ A2	verb - to fall or collide with something violently and noisily
snowball /ˈsnoʊbɔːl/ B1	noun - a ball of snow pressed together, often used in play verb - to increase or accumulate rapidly
dominos /dəˈmɪnoʊz/ B1	noun - a game played with small rectangular blocks, each marked with two groups of spots
luck /lʌk/ A1	noun - success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions
push /pʊʃ/ A1	verb - to apply force to an object in order to move it

Key Grammar Structures

• Heartbreaker, real faker

  ➔ Vocative or appositive nouns

  ➔ “Heartbreaker” and “real faker” are used as appositive nouns to describe the subject directly, providing additional information without a linking verb.

• You're losing your temper

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ “You're losing” uses the present continuous tense to describe an action happening now or around now.

• Do you think they won't remember?

  ➔ Tag question

  ➔ “Won't remember?” is a tag question added to the sentence to seek confirmation or to make the statement more conversational.

• Real hearts don't lie

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement with a negative contraction

  ➔ “Don't lie” is a negative contraction where the subject “hearts” (plural) agrees with the verb “lie.”

• It's funny how it all goes down

  ➔ Pseudo-cleft sentence

  ➔ “It's funny how it all goes down” is a pseudo-cleft sentence emphasizing the clause “how it all goes down.”

• I'm like 'Oh my god, I think it's karma'

  ➔ Quotation within a sentence and present tense

  ➔ “I'm like” introduces direct speech (“Oh my god...”), and “think” is in the present tense to express a current thought.

• When you're always trying to push your luck?

  ➔ Adverbial clause with present participle

  ➔ “When you're always trying” is an adverbial clause using the present participle “trying” to indicate a condition or time.

• All of the money in this town (It won't save you)

  ➔ Parenthetical expression

  ➔ “(It won't save you)” is a parenthetical expression added for emphasis or additional information without disrupting the main sentence.