Album: Magic (2007)

License This Song 

• I got a coin in your palm
  I can make it disappear
  I got a card up my sleeve
  Name it and I'll pull it out your ear
  
  I got a rabbit in the hat
  If you wanna come and see
  This is what will be
  This is what will be
  
  I got shackles on my wrists
  Soon I'll slip and I'll be gone
  Chain me in a box in the river
  And rising in the sun
  
  Trust none of what you hear
  And less of what you see
  This is what will be (This is what will be)
  This is what will be
  
  (I'll cut you in half)
  
  I got a shiny saw blade (a shiny saw blade)
  All I need's a volunteer
  I'll cut you in half
  While you're smilin' ear to ear
  
  And the freedom that you sought
  Driftin' like a ghost amongst the trees
  This is what will be
  This is what will be (This is what will be)
  
  Now there's a fire down below
  But it's coming up here
  So leave everything you know
  Carry only what you fear
  
  On the road the sun is sinkin' low
  Bodies hanging in the trees
  This is what will be (This is what will be)
  This is what will be Writer/s: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
  Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 7

• Ohsteve from MissouriIntroducing this song said it was more about tricks than magic. Basically said, be weary of the information you’re getting from politicians.
• Bt from AlabamaIt's a damn good song no matter what your interpretation of its meaning is.
• Tom from Washington, DcHeine - He has several songs in which he never mentions the title, in fact one on nearly all his studio albums - Reno and The Hitter (from Devils and Dust), Incident on 57th Street, New York Serende, and Wild Billy's Circus Story (from The Wild ...), Meeting across the river (from Born to Run), The Last Carnival (from Working on a dream), Open all Night and Highway Patrolman (from Nebraska), Does this bus stop ... (from Greetings from Asbury Park), Valentine's Day (from Tunnel of Love).
• Heine from Sarpsborg, NorwayI believe this is one of two Springsteen songs in which he never mentions the title og the song. the other is Goin' Cali.
• Sarah from Kennewick, WaBrilliant. Just listen to the lyrics; hauntingly poetic, forget the war stuff when you listen to it & apply it to your own personal past.
• Gene from San Diego, CaPeople like the previous person claims that it is against the War in Iraq. While it was possibly inspired by such times, it is actually a song about how war is formed and how it happens. Honestly, this song makes me shiver because of it's truthfulness. It maintains that cold, evil (can I say "evil"), shady feel that is real. It can apply to the current war, but it is mostly about all wars that occur.
• 13scarecrows from Sallisaw, OkIts juz a protest song about the Bush Administration. C'mon bruce get over it! :)

More Songfacts:

Thinking Out LoudEd Sheeran

Ed Sheeran wrote the 2014 love song "Thinking Out Loud" about his girlfriend at the time, Athina Andrelos. They split the following year, and Ed started seeing Cherry Seaborn, whom he married in 2019; songs like "Perfect" and "No Strings" are about her.

When I'm With YouSheriff

Sheriff had been disbanded for years when "When I'm With You" hit #1 in America thanks to rediscovery by radio stations. The group never re-formed and never made a video for the song.

Dancing In The DarkBruce Springsteen

Before she was famous on Friends, Courteney Cox danced on stage with Bruce Springsteen in his "Dancing In The Dark" video.

That's What Friends Are ForDionne & Friends

Elton John didn't win a Grammy until 1986, when he got one for singing on "That's What Friends Are For."

PanamaVan Halen

"Panama" by Van Halen is not about the country or the canal, but about a stripper David Lee Roth met in Arizona.

Super FreakRick James

The Temptations sang backup on "Super Freak" by Rick James. He mentions them in the song when he says, "Temptations, sing!"

Editor's Picks

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)Songwriter Interviews

The former Metallica bassist talks about his first time writing a song with James Hetfield, and how a hand-me-down iPad has changed his songwriting.

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Gilby ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

The Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist in the early '90s, Gilby talks about the band's implosion and the side projects it spawned.

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & FireSongwriter Interviews

The longtime bassist of Earth, Wind & Fire discusses how his band came to do a holiday album, and offers insight into some of the greatest dance/soul tunes of all-time.

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.