Songfacts®:

• Over a soft-rock arrangement and a lively bongo beat, Cass McCombs narrates a karaoke performance by the object of his affection. It is so convincing that he questions whether it's genuine or just a facade.
  
  Is it karaoke, your antics?
  Or is it all some kind of pantomime?
  Playing the role of romantic
  
  The woman's karaoke act is a metaphor for a couple merely going through the motions. It raises the question of whether their romance is a performance.
• Mojo magazine asked Cass McCombs whether "Karaoke" suggests that music can become a substitute for real feelings. He replied, "Karaoke is an allegorical kind of song about relationships. I'm always wondering if our thoughts and expressions are being fed to us in some sinister way and how do we really authenticate the true human? Sometimes, to authenticate what your feeling, you have to poke yourself, you have to draw blood a little."
• "Karaoke" lyrically references several classic tunes. Did you spot them all? They are:
  
  "Vision Of Love" by Mariah Carey
  "Under The Boardwalk" by The Drifters
  "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers
  "Stand By Your Man" by Tammy Wynette
  "Your Love Is King" by Sade
  "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" by Buddy Holly
• McCombs co-produced "Karaoke" with guitarist Shahzad Ismaily, Frank Ocean's touring keyboardist Buddy Ross, and longtime collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid. Their arrangement evokes imagery of a crowded atmosphere with abundant drinks, unspoken tension, and a strong longing for the dream to continue even after the music ends.