Backer was born in Belgium, but moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia when he was two. Originally a member of the indie band Downstares, Backer began performing under the name Gotye in 2001 when the band disbanded. Aside from his solo work, De Backer has been a member of the indie band The Basics since its formation in 2002.
Gotye's second album Like Drawing Blood was featured by Triple J in May 2006 and was voted Number 1 in the listeners poll of the Best Album of 2006 . The album was also nominated for a J Award that year. Two tracks from that album, Learnalilgivinanlovin and Heart's A Mess, were ranked 94 and 8 respectively in Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2006. Like Drawing Blood has been certified Platinum.
In September 2006, Gotye was nominated for an Australian Recording Industry Music Award (ARIA award) for best independent release for his album Like Drawing Blood, and won 'Most Outstanding New Independent Artist' at the inaugural Australian Independent Record (AIR) Chart Awards.
In 2007, Gotye won the ARIA for best male artist. As a result of the publicity of the nomination, Like Drawing Blood re-entered the ARIA album chart and was named iTunes UK Album of the Year in 2008.
In 2009, Heart's A Mess came in at #77 in Triple J Hottest 100 of all time, voted by the Australian public.
Amidst the lead-up to Gotye's third album, Like Drawing Blood re-entered the ARIA charts in mid 2011, peaking at its highest ever position of 13.
After the success of Like Drawing Blood, De Backer was able to establish a permanent home, still in Melbourne's South East. In 2010, De Backer set up a recording studio in a barn at his parents' farm and set about recording tracks for his third album. He released a new single, Eyes Wide Open, in mid-October 2010, online and on 10" vinyl. The single received generally positive reviews and reached number 25 in the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2010. It was also shortlisted for the 2011 APRA Music Awards in the Song of the Year category.
In late March 2011, De Backer revealed the album's title to be Making Mirrors. This title was inspired by an artwork, painted by De Backer's father in the 1980s, discovered by De Backer amongst old bills and newspapers in his parents' barn, which was later edited in Photoshop to become the album artwork. "The mirror reflects on artwork and it is all very related to self-reflection and introspection on the album."
On 19 May, it was announced that the album would be released on 19 August 2011, with the album launch the following day at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Graphic Festival which will feature animators and a 10-piece orchestra as part of Gotye's performance. De Backer also released a follow-up single to Eyes Wide Open titled Somebody That I Used to Know, which was released 6 July 2011, and debuted at #27 on the ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart. The single became something of a sensation, quickly moving up the ARIA singles chart despite comparatively low airplay to many other charting singles at the time. The track was further boosted by endorsements from well-known celebrities Ashton Kutcher and Lily Allen via Twitter, exposing Gotye's music to their millions of followers. The single has gone on to reach 6× Platinum (420,000 units sold) status.
On 15 July 2011, it was announced that Gotye's single Somebody That I Used to Know had come third in the 2011 Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition. As part of the prize, Gotye won a spot to perform at Song Summit 2012 at Darling Harbour, 26–28 May 2012.
On its first week of release, Making Mirrors came in at number one on the ARIA Australian album chart, making Gotye the first Australian act to simultaneously hold both the number one single and album since Silverchair, who achieved the same feat in 2007.
On 11 October 2011, it was announced that Gotye had been nominated for seven ARIA Awards. Due to the release date restrictions of the eligibility period, Making Mirrors could not be nominated, and the seven nominations all related to the single Somebody That I Used to Know. Gotye was nominated for Highest Selling Single, Single of the Year, Best Pop Release, Best Male Artist and three awards in the ARIA Artisan category: Best Video (Natasha Pincus), Engineer of the Year (Francois Tetaz) and Producer of the Year (Wally De Backer). On the same day the nominations were revealed, the winners of the Artisan categories were announced, with Gotye and the album personnel winning all three. On 27 November 2011, Gotye took out three of the four remaining ARIA Award nominations. Single of the Year, Best Male Artist and Best Pop Release.
"Somebody That I Used To Know" has become an international hit, reaching #1 in Australia, Belgium, United Kingdom, Poland, Austria, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands, New Zealand and Germany, and also reached #1 on the alternative radio airplay charts in The United States and Canada (on the pop charts in those countries, the song has reached #5 and #11, respectively).
Smoke and Mirrors
Gotye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it's too good to throw it all away
Anyone would do the same
You've got 'em going
And you're careful not to show it
Sometimes you even fool yourself a bit
It's like magic
But it's always been a smoke and mirrors game
So now that you've arrived well you wonder
What is it that you've done to make the grade
And should you do the same?
(Is that too easy?)
Are you only trying to please them
(Will they see then?)
You're desperate to deliver
Anything that could give you
A sense of reassurance
When you look in the mirror
Such highs and lows
You put on quite a show
All these highs and lows
And you're never really sure
What you do it for
Well do you even want to know?
You put on quite a show
(Mother)
Are you watching?
Are you watching?
(Mother)
Are you watching?
(Mother)
You're a fraud and you know it
And every night and day you take the stage
And it always entertains
You're giving pleasure
And that's admirable, you tell yourself
And so you'd gladly sell yourself
To others
(Mother)
Are you watching?
(Mother)
Are you watching?
(Mother)
Are you watching?
(Mother)
Are you watching?
Such highs and lows
You put on quite a show
All these highs and lows
And you're never really sure
What you do it for
Well do you even want to know?
Yeah you put on quite a show
"Smoke and Mirrors" by Gotye is a song that speaks to the idea of imposter syndrome in the entertainment industry, although it can be broadly applied to any profession where one's identity is so closely tied to their work. The lyrics describe the feeling of being a fraud who has been able to achieve success through deception, and the constant pressure to maintain the illusion. The singer acknowledges that they're not alone in feeling this way, and that anyone in their position would likely do the same. The highs and lows of performing and the fleeting feeling of validation it brings are explored.
The lyrics show an awareness of the character the performer has become and how they often rely on the temporary validation offered by their audience or adoration of their fans to feel any sense of assurance. The pressure to perform is so great that they often relinquish their very selves in service to others. The repeated mentioning of "Mother" in the song implies searching for a sense of validation from one's originator, or even the impulse to protect oneself by separating art from the personal self.
In short, "Smoke and Mirrors" is a song about the tension between one's public and private selves, the pressure to maintain a persona, and the acknowledgement of an artist's sense of guilt for allowing themselves to be consumed by it. It serves as both a warning and empathetic message to those who find themselves struggling in a similar situation.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a fraud and you know it
You feel like an imposter and know that you're not as good as you appear to be
But it's too good to throw it all away
You have achieved great success and don't want to lose it all
Anyone would do the same
Others in your position would act similarly
You've got 'em going
You have convinced others of your talent and are winning them over
And you're careful not to show it
You try to conceal your doubts and fears
Sometimes you even fool yourself a bit
You pretend to be more skilled than you are, and sometimes you even believe it
It's like magic
Your success seems almost supernatural
But it's always been a smoke and mirrors game
Your success relies on tricks and deception
So now that you've arrived well you wonder
Despite your success, you question whether you truly deserve it
What is it that you've done to make the grade
You question the actions that led to your success
And should you do the same?
You're unsure if you should continue taking the same actions or try something different
(Is that too easy?)
You question whether what you're doing is too simple or not enough
Are you only trying to please them
You wonder if your actions are motivated by a desire to impress others
(Will they see then?)
You question whether your efforts will result in others noticing and valuing your work
You're desperate to deliver
You feel a great responsibility to continue performing at a high level
Anything that could give you
You're willing to do anything to maintain your success
A sense of reassurance
You seek comfort in knowing that you're still valued
When you look in the mirror
You question your own worth and talent
Such highs and lows
Your emotions are constantly fluctuating between pride and doubt
You put on quite a show
Your public persona is very different from your private self
All these highs and lows
You experience a range of emotions as you maintain your facade
And you're never really sure
You question whether your actions are genuine or just for show
What you do it for
You're unsure of the motivation behind your actions
Well do you even want to know?
You wonder if it's better not to know the truth behind your success
(Mother)
You seek your mother's approval and validation
Are you watching?
You address your mother as a symbol of approval and support
You're giving pleasure
You take satisfaction in entertaining others
And that's admirable, you tell yourself
You try to justify your actions as being for the benefit of others
And so you'd gladly sell yourself
You're willing to sacrifice your true self for the sake of entertaining others
To others
You crave the approval and validation of those around you
(Mother)
You still seek your mother's approval and validation
Yeah you put on quite a show
Your success is built on a false persona and a series of deceptive tricks
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Walter Andre De Backer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vermouth
You're a fraud and you know it
But it's too good to throw it all away
Anyone would do the same
You've got 'em going
And you're careful not to show it
Sometimes you even fool yourself a bit
It's like magic
But it's always been a smoke and mirrors game
Anyone would do the same
So now that you've arrived well you wonder
What is it that you've done to make the grade
And should you do the same?
(Is that too easy?)
Are you only trying to please them
(Will they see then?)
You're desperate to deliver
Anything that could give you
A sense of reassurance
When you look in the mirror
Such highs and lows
You put on quite a show
All these highs and lows
And you're never really sure
What you do it for
Well do you even want to know?
You put on quite a show
Are you watching?
Are you watching?
(Mother)
Are you watching?
(Mother)
You're a fraud and you know it
And every night and day you take the stage
And it always entertains
You're giving pleasure
And that's admirable, you tell yourself
And so you'd gladly sell yourself
To others
Are you watching?
(Mother)
Are you watching?
(Mother)
Are you watching?
(Mother)
Are you watching?
Such highs and lows
You put on quite a show
All these highs and lows
And you're never really sure
What you do it for
Well do you even want to know?
Yeah you put on quite a show
Brad Young
Gotye is awesome. He doesn't really even want to make millions or become famous. He turned down the profits from youtube for his "somebody that I used to know" video. Not only that, but he is one of the rare artists that Tags the visual designers/editors and collaborators on his videos. I cant believe no one credits the dancers, performers, actors or production crew in their videos. But this man does. Props.
Magalie Kalash
aw why did he turn down the revenue? There are ads in that song and now I will always think that all the money is going to youtube instead of Gotye. That depresses me.
Bunsenn
@Magalie Kalash YouTube still got a normal share. The money went to the producers of the video, but Gotye personally turned down any share of money that he would’ve gotten.
Nirav Savla
The visual imagery is insane. Very few songs carry a deep meaning.
moodymango
He’s amazing
🇧🇷Hel
Damn I love this man 🤧💗💗💗
Miyuru Eranda
we need a comeback from Gotye. The universe need a comeback from Gotye. <3
Darking omg
True
lovemedearly
Yes
Alexa
OMG YESSS