Lyric discussion by vingtquatre 

Cover art for Smoke and Mirrors lyrics by Magnetic Fields, The

Written at the end of a five-year relationship, "Smoke and Mirrors" combines the new-wave classic "Fade to Grey" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMPR6Ujop4k&feature=youtu.be) with my perennial endless-travel motif. I think travel is a natural subject for songs because that's really what music is: mysterious movement.

taken from: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/stephin-merritt-my-life-in-15-songs-20151030/smoke-and-mirrors-20151023