Magic

definately agree that this has a political bent to it. politicians and those in power spreading fear and mistrust to divide and control. US is cut in half by the left and right, both working for those in power, and separating people on non-issues such as abortion and gay marriage and illegal immigrants(all social issues that separate groups among the population but hide the huge gap between rich and poor. sorry got a bit caught up in this.

It's about how all of our leaders have taken to performing and entertaining us, to distract us, while they sell our lives, our values, our hopes, and our freedoms for their profit.

yes z4ckm0rris ... I am not sure where these lyrics come from but I didn't expect them to be wrong. Good catch.

Anyway, this song is simply about the tricks and deception of the Bush administration, as stated above.

i agree with the thought that this is about the governments tricks, and i just relized that by reading some of the early comments on this. if you think about it, som eof the metaphors to refer to how the government gets people to do their bidding, to lay themselves on the line for them, so they wont get their hands dirty. specifically the lines "i got a shiny saw blade, all i needs a volunteer" reminds me of how they will get you killed in a war if you just volunteer to go over, and also the line "carry only what you fear" can refer to that, cause you leave all your family behind and carry the fear of where you are going.

i absolutely love bruce and this is one of the few songs i actuially like on his new album (im more of an old bruce person) and i find it amazing how he can take a concept like that and make it into a song without ever mentioning the meaning behind it directly, it facinates me.

Great song, suprised I'm the first one. I guess Bruce is trying to tell another person that him and her will be like magic?

Brilliant song! I agree with tcamp4.

I'm not quite sure what I think of this song,but I don't agree with what tcamp and monkeywrench said.

Great song though

Magic is about how governments, and in particular the Bush Administration, gets young people to do their bidding (IE: go to Iraq and get killed). It's a metaphor for how people in power fool people to do things that are against their own self-interests. The line 'I will cut you in half, all I need is a volunteer' is a reference to how the Bush Admin got young people to enlist for this insane war.

I just saw Bruce perform this in concert. He referred to Orwell-ian governments, and said "The song isn't about magic, it's about tricks." So he's talking about Bush's decisions and how they discourage questions about Iraq. "Leave everything you know and take everything you fear."

Is it me or do I hear a little snyth in this track? the only snyth sound on the album?