The group AJR is an American group made up of three brothers. Their music depicts very  down to earth messages that are relatable to the listeners. Their music covers topics such as divorce, the pandemic, success and failure, growing up, guilty pleasures, mental health and more.

The song Karma by AJR is one of the tracks of the band’s third album, Neotheater. Like many of their other songs, this song has a strong and relatable message that really brings to light that anyone, even celebrities can go through tough times and experience mental health challenges.

The song Karma depicts the lead vocalist, Jack, in a therapy session. In this song he expresses how despite working hard, being good, and going through hard times, he still feels down and hasn’t had the happy times he thought he would. 

Towards the end of the song Jack gets frantic and emotional, desperate for answers as to why he feels so down despite the therapist saying he is better, and seeking for a direction of where to go.

‘Time, I know we’re out of time
But what if sad thoughts come and I can’t stop it?
Bye, I don’t wanna say bye
If only I could keep you in my pocket

To give me some diagnosis of why I’m so hollow
Please give me instructions, I promise I’ll follow
I tripped on my ankle and fractured my elbow
But doesn’t that mean that the tour’s gonna sell though?
I try to explain the good faith that’s been wasted
But after an hour it sounds like complaining
Wait, don’t go away, can I lie here forever?
You say that I’m better, why don’t I feel better?
The universe works in mysterious ways
But I’m starting to think it ain’t working for me
Doctor, should I be good, should I be good this year?’

Listen to the full song here

Image Credits:
Feature Image: Toa Heftiba, On Unsplash, Creative Commons