"Karma Chameleon" is a song by English band Culture Club, featured on the
group's 1983 album Colour by Numbers. The first recorded use of the phrase
"karma chameleon" was sung by Toots and the Maytals at the end of the song "In
The Dark" on their album "Funky Kingston." 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.
"Karma Chameleon" was also a huge global hit, hitting number one in 16 countries
worldwide, and the Top 10 in several more. 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, 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 31st best-selling single of all time in the UK, selling
1.49 million copies there. It has sold over 5 million global copies, making it
one of the best-selling singles of all time worldwide.
Background In an interview, Culture Club frontman
Boy George explained: "The song is about the terrible fear of alienation that
people have, the fear of standing up for one thing. It's about trying to suck up
to everybody. Basically, if you aren't true, if you don't act like you feel,
then you get Karma-justice, that's nature's way of paying you back."
The harmonica part was played by Judd Lander, who had been a member of
Merseybeat group The Hideaways in the 1960s. The song was originally to be
called "Cameo Chameleon"; the band was recorded in interviews in mid-1983
stating this was to be the title of their next single.
Reception The song won Best British Single at the
1984 Brit Awards. In 2015 the song was voted by the British public as the
nation's 9th favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV.
Other appearances The group performed the song as a finale
when they appeared in the 1986 episode "Cowboy George" of The A-Team.
Likely because of the lyric "I'm a man without conviction," and the chorus,
which includes the word chameleon, "Karma Chameleon" has been used by
several politicians in political ads. In 2006, Britain's Labour Party used "Karma
Chameleon" as the theme song for a series of political advertisements
against Conservative Party leader David Cameron in the 2006 UK local Elections.
Music video The music video, directed by Peter
Sinclair, was filmed at Desborough Island in Weybridge during the summer of
1983. The video is set in Mississippi in 1870.
It depicts a large group of people in late 1800s dress, including some dressed
in red, gold, and green. Boy George is dressed in what would be known as his
signature look: colourful costume, fingerless gloves, long braids, and a
black derby. A pickpocket and jewellery thief is seen
wandering through the crowd, stealing from unsuspecting folks. The band and
other people board a riverboat, "The Chameleon", as Boy George continues to
sing. The thief is discovered cheating at cards, and is forced to return his
ill-gotten gains and walk the plank at the points of ladies' parasols. As the
video ends, day has turned to evening and the party continues on the boat as
it cruises down the river. Charts and certifications
Parodies In 1984, country music artists Moe Bandy
and Joe Stampley recorded "Where's the Dress", a satirical song about Boy
George which sampled "Karma Chameleon". The song reached number 8 on the Hot
Country Songs chart. In the media
This song was also featured in the 2007 video game Alvin and the Chipmunks and
the 2008 video game Saints Row 2. See also
List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1984
References External links
Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics