Karma Chameleon

Culture Club

About Karma Chameleon

"Karma Chameleon" is a song by English band Culture Club, featured on the group's 1983 album Colour by Numbers. The single spent three weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1984, becoming the group's biggest hit and only US number-one single among their many top 10 hits. The sleeve features work from the photographer David Levine. In the group's home country of the United Kingdom, it became the second Culture Club single to reach the top of the UK Singles Chart (after "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me"), where it stayed for six weeks in September and October 1983, and became the UK's biggest-selling single of the year 1983. To date, it is the 38th biggest-selling single of all time in the UK, selling 1.52 million copies. It has sold over 5 million global copies, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time worldwide. In 2015, the song was voted by the British public as the nation's ninth favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV. 


Year:
1987
4:01
45 

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Dessert loving in your eyes all the way
If I listen to your lies, would you say 
I'm a man without conviction
I'm a man who doesn't know
How to sale a contradiction? 
You come and go, you come and go

Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon
You come and go, you come and go
Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams
Red, gold, and green, red, gold, and green

Didn't you hear your wicked words every day
And you used to be so sweet I heard you say 
That my love was an addiction
When we cling, our love is strong
When you go, you're gone forever
You string along, you string along

Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon
You come and go, you come and go
Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams
Red, gold, and green, red, gold, and green

Every day is like survival
You're my lover, not my rival
Every day is like survival
You're my lover, not my rival

I'm a man without conviction
I'm a man who doesn't know
How to sale a contradiction? 
You come and go, you come and go

Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon
You come and go, you come and go
Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams
Red, gold, and green, red, gold, and green

Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon
You come and go, you come and go
Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams
Red, gold, and green, red, gold, and green

Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon
You come and go, you come and go
Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams
Red, gold, and green, red, gold, and green

Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon
You come and go, you come and go
Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams
Red, gold, and green, red, gold, and green

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Culture Club

Culture Club is an English pop band that was part of the 1980s New Romantic movement. The original band comprised Boy George (lead vocals), Mikey Craig (bass guitar), Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards) and Jon Moss (drums and percussion). Their second album, Colour by Numbers, has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, and they had several international hits with songs such as "Church of the Poison Mind", "Karma Chameleon" and "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me". Boy George's androgynous style of dressing caught the attention of the public and the media. more »

3 fans

Written by: George Alan O'Dowd, Jonathan Aubrey Moss, Michael Emile Craig, Roy Ernest Hay, Philip Stuart Pickett

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


15 facts about this song

Year of Release
"Karma Chameleon" was released in the year 1983, appearing on Culture Club's album "Colour By Numbers."
Chart-Toppers
The song was a chart-topper in 16 countries, including the U.K. and the U.S., making it one of their most successful releases.
Grammy Award
"Karma Chameleon" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal in 1984.
Lyrics' Interpretation
The song's lyrics are about the fluidity of love and relationships, emphasizing the importance of honesty and open communication.
Music Video
The music video for "Karma Chameleon" was set in the 1870s Mississippi riverboats era and was filmed at Desborough Island in Weybridge during the summer of 1983.
Number One Track
This song was Culture Club's biggest hit, reaching number one on Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and remaining there for three weeks.
Band Dispute
There was a dispute among band members about whether to include the song on "Colour By Numbers" due to its stylistic difference from the rest of the album.
Song Title
The song was originally to be called "Cameo Chameleon"; the title was switched to Karma Chameleon, a play on the words cameo and karma.
Sales Milestone
"Karma Chameleon" sold over 5 million copies globally, making it one of the biggest-selling singles of the 1980s.
Promotion in Australia
The song was used by the Australian supermarket chain Coles in a 2012 advertising campaign.
Funko Representation
A pop culture collectible company, Funko, released a figure of lead singer Boy George in 2018, featuring him in the colorful costume he wore in the "Karma Chameleon" video.
Banned in China
In 2011, China's Ministry of Culture blacklisted "Karma Chameleon," citing it as unhealthy and negative towards the state.
Iconic Image
Boy George's look in the "Karma Chameleon" music video – with long braids, a bowler hat, and colorful face paint – became an iconic image for 1980s pop culture.
Cover Versions
The song has been extensively covered by artists worldwide, showing enduring popularity. These covers have spanned genres from pop to rock, jazz, and even punk.
Popular in Karaoke
"Karma Chameleon" is frequently chosen in karaoke venues due to its catchy tune and iconic status.

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    Karma Chameleon

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 1984

    Billboard #1


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