Songfacts®:

• This was one of first tracks Portishead recorded for Third and its vibe helped them to know the direction they should go. Guitarist Adrian Utley told Pitchfork Media: "I always loved 'Magic Doors.' We came up with it one afternoon, and everything seemed to change, in the kind of miniscule way that we change. And we become slightly hopeful that there might be a crack that we could push our finger through and say, 'Let's have a look in here.'"
• Multi-instrumentalist Geoff Barrow told Mojo magazine that this track was completed back in 2003. He added that it stayed on the shelf for four years before the album was finally finished.
• Long-time friend and associate Will Gregory from Goldfrapp played the sax on this song.