Smoke and Mirrors – English Lyrics

• By: Gotye
• Album: Making Mirrors

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the intricate world of Gotye's "Smoke and Mirrors," a compelling song that offers a unique lens for language learners. Its rich, evocative lyrics explore universal themes of authenticity, self-perception, and the facades we present to the world. Through Gotye's distinctive vocal delivery and layered musicality, learners can uncover nuanced vocabulary related to emotions, introspection, and societal pressures, making it a perfect track to deepen comprehension and spark discussions about personal identity and expression in English.

[English]

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 tryin' 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

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?

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

...

Key Grammar Structures

• You're a fraud, and you know it

  ➔ Present simple tense with contraction

  ➔ The contraction 'You're' (You are) is used for informal or conversational tone.

• But it's too good to throw it all away

  ➔ Present simple with 'it's' (it is)

  ➔ 'It's' is a contraction of 'it is', emphasizing the present state or condition.

• Sometimes you even fool yourself a bit

  ➔ Present simple with adverb 'sometimes'

  ➔ 'Sometimes' indicates an indefinite frequency, showing the action is not constant.

• Anyone would do the same

  ➔ Conditional structure with 'would'

  ➔ 'Would' is used to express a hypothetical or general truth.

• What is it that you've done to make the grade

  ➔ Present perfect with 'have done'

  ➔ 'Have done' indicates an action completed before now, with relevance to the present.

• Are you only tryin' to please them?

  ➔ Present continuous with contraction 'tryin''

  ➔ 'Tryin'' is a colloquial contraction of 'trying', used in informal contexts.

• You're desperate to deliver

  ➔ Adjective 'desperate' in predicative position

  ➔ 'Desperate' describes the subject's state after the verb 'to be'.

• Mother, are you watching?

  ➔ Present continuous question

  ➔ The question asks about an action happening now, using 'are you watching?'