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 and Mirrors
Agnes Obel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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.
Smoke and mirrors playing your wit.
Referring to a trick using deception.
A hue and cry waiting to blow
Something is waiting to cause upset or reveal information.
Under your skin, wherever you go
The upset will follow them around.
Still I wish that I knew
Despite everything, they wish they knew something.
The taste of something that good
They wish they knew what it feels like to have achieved something great.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AGNES CAROLINE THAARUP OBEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tishzand8029
Smoke and Mirrors
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.
@jettzopp5684
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.
@bonniejames5663
so underrated,but im almost glad she's not too well known. agnes is our little secret guys...................
@ReverseJuxtapose
Lol. Why do I feel the same way? It’s weird.
@sofiehoving_oos
I also dont really like it when all people keep commenting about the tv shows where they came form and stuff but on they other side i really want her to be succesful
@kearsimartinez1810
She’s in euphoria now
@LeonardoRossiMUA
Shes also famous but still our Little secret for deep quite 'magic' moments
@janedousse6218
@@sofiehoving_oos aaaà
@Morganville94
I've been listening to Agnes Obel for years and when they played this song on The Originals I wanted to cry! The scene and the song fit so perfectly!!!
@arielasatryan2459
I’m so glad this song was in originals too
@jayson6419
Freya
@josephmartillopalacios8121
This was the only song from my melancholic side that I kept listening to from TVD and the originals after saving them in a special folder.