Smoke and Mirrors—Lyrics - Christopher Kent

Smoke and Mirrors

Words and Music by Christopher Kent

Many years ago at a magic show I saw things I couldn’t explain
The magician made a dove appear and then he made it disappear again
Then a woman climbed into a box, and he sawed the box in half
Then he pulled the halves apart, and when he touched her foot, she laughed
Now maybe I was just an impressionable age
But I got to meet him later as he greeted fans backstage
And I told him I’d believe him if he said he raised the dead….
He took me to one side, and in a quiet voice he said:

It’s all smoke and mirrors, though I try to make it real
It’s all about illusion, and the way it makes you feel
It’s fun to take the ride, but don’t be fooled — it’s all pretend
It’s all smoke and mirrors in the end
Smoke and mirrors

Quite a few years later, I met an innovator at a science and technology convention
He invited me to see how virtual reality could let me experience new dimensions
I wore a pair of goggles, and as far as I could see
Were strange, fantastic images that totally surrounded me
I soared above a canyon in a hot air balloon
Then I floated down a jungle river underneath the moon
I flew across the galaxy, with a million stars bejeweled
And I marveled at how easily our senses can be fooled

It was all smoke and mirrors, though this time I was aware
It made me laugh and reach for things I knew weren’t really there
Sometimes it took my breath away as it made perception bend,
But it was all smoke and mirrors in the end
Smoke and mirrors

Not long ago I got a call to let me know that a friend of mine had died
I had not seen him for a couple of years, but I felt torn up inside…
Then he came to me in a dream, and told me he was fine
He said, “I’m just as much alive right now as when I lived that life of mine…”
He said, “The world around you seems very real
And believing that it’s all there is, helps us learn and grow and feel
But I can see from where I stand it’s all just an illusion
And dying is just a way to bring one chapter to conclusion

It’s all smoke and mirrors, everything you hear and see
The world is just a masterpiece of virtual reality.
So make the most of life, but don’t fear death, my friend
‘Cause it’s all smoke and mirrors in the end
And like me you will survive,
‘Cause it’s all smoke and mirrors in the end

Smoke and mirrors