Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel (born 1981) is a Danish singer-songwriter. Her … Read Full Bio ↴Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel (born 1981) is a Danish singer-songwriter. Her first album, Philharmonics, was released by PIAS Recordings on 4 October 2010 in Denmark, Norway, Germany and other European countries. Since February 2011, Philharmonics is certified gold. On September 30th 2013, she released her second album Aventine.

Agnes Obel was born Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel in 1981. Living in Copenhagen, and coming from a musician family, Agnes Obel learned piano at a very young age. Her mother used to play Bartók and Chopin at the piano. During her childhood, Agnes Obel found inspiration in Jan Johansson's work. Johansson's songs, European folk tunes done in a jazzy style, have influenced the young musician a lot.

She attended high school at Det frie Gymnasium and university at Roskilde University.

At the age of seven, Agnes Obel worked in a little band where she used to sing and play bass guitar. The group appeared in a festival and even recorded some titles.

Later, and with the help of Danish musician and producer Elton Theander, Obel founded the Copenhagen based band Sohio. After few years of collaboration, Obel debuted as a solo singer with her first album Philharmonics (2010).

Agnes Obel writes, plays, sings, records and produces all her material herself.

She is influenced by artists such as Roy Orbison, Joni Mitchell, PJ Harvey and also by the French composers Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Eric Satie.

Obel lives in Berlin.

Website: http://agnesobel.com

Smoke & Mirrors
Agnes Obel Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh my one, I'm so happy
That you've got so far
I know the good, the great
Is working you like a charm.

Oh my one, rushing away
With a bag full of bones
I know the place you left

Still won't leave you alone.

The crow, the cat, the bird and the bee
I'm sure they would agree
That my one is falling for tricks,
Smoke and mirrors playing your wit.

A hue and cry waiting to blow
Under your skin, wherever you go

Still I wish that I knew
The taste of something that good

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Agnes Obel's song Smoke & Mirrors speak about a person she's close to, who seems to be doing well in life but is perhaps getting drawn into something potentially deceitful. She sings about being happy for them that they're doing well, but also knowing that something is bothering them and won't leave them alone. She speaks about how animals like the crow, cat, bird, and bee would notice the person they're talking about is falling for tricks and being played by smoke and mirrors. She knows that there's something more beneath the surface that is waiting to blow, creating tension under their skin wherever they go.

The song is really about a cautionary tale of someone being careful about the path they're taking in life. The metaphor of smoke and mirrors is used to suggest that sometimes people can get tricked into believing something that isn't real. Whether it's a false sense of security or something that's too good to be true, the song highlights the idea that these things can ultimately hurt us. The last part of the song hints at the struggle of wanting something really good but being afraid of what it might cost.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh my one, I'm so happy
Expressing joy for the person she is talking to.

That you've got so far
That person has achieved a lot in life.

I know the good, the great
Referring to good things that the person has done.

Is working you like a charm.
Those good things are having a positive effect.

Oh my one, rushing away
Referring to the person leaving.

With a bag full of bones
Possibly referring to baggage or the past.

I know the place you left
Referring to the place they used to be in life.

Still won't leave you alone.
The past can still affect the person.

The crow, the cat, the bird and the bee
Referring to different animals.

I'm sure they would agree
Hypothetically stating that animals could agree on something.

That my one is falling for tricks,
The person being talked to has been tricked.