Houdini

Album: Torches (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Harry Houdini (1874-1926) was a Hungarian-born American stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts. His repertoire included escaping from ropes slung from skyscrapers, straitjackets under water, and prison cells. When Mark Foster introduced this upbeat track at the 2011 Coachella Festival he said it was about his "favorite magician." The song finds Foster comparing how a magician like Houdini can hide behind their tricks, whilst as a musician he is unable to escape when performing.
  • The band performed this song, together with "Pumped Up Kicks," on the Saturday Night Live episode broadcast on October 8, 2011. American saxophonist Kenny G guested on "Houdini."
  • The song appears on the soundtrack for the snowboarding video game SSX.
  • The song's music video was directed by Daniels (The Shins, Chromeo), and shows the band dying in a horrible production accident, when a lighting rig crushes the trio. However, they are reborn as rocking cyborgs, whose arms and heads are manipulated as if they were puppets.
  • Here's some more musical connections to Harry Houdini:

    (1) "Houdini" by Kate Bush. Written from the perspective of the great escapologist's lover.
    (2) "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds. Part-inspired by Houdini's debunking of spiritualists exploiting the bereaved.
    (3) "Moonlight Shadow" by Mike Oldfield. Part-inspired by the Tony Curtis-starring Houdini movie.
    (4) "Laughing With" by Regina Spektor. Contains the lyric: "And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini. Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus God can be so hilarious. Ha ha. Ha ha."
    (5) De-loused in the Comatorium, Mars Volta's 2003 album, was recorded at Harry Houdini's house, which is said to be haunted.

Comments: 1

  • Siahara Shyne Carter from United StatesGet Ready to be BLOWN AWAY!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Corey Hart

Corey HartSongwriter Interviews

The Canadian superstar talks about his sudden rise to fame, and tells the stories behind his hits "Sunglasses At Night," "Boy In The Box" and "Never Surrender."

Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence Clearwater RevivalFact or Fiction

Is "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" about Vietnam? Was John Fogerty really born on a Bayou? It's the CCR edition of Fact or Fiction.

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Joe Jackson

Joe JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Joe talks about the challenges of of making a Duke Ellington tribute album, and tells the stories behind some of his hits.

George Clinton

George ClintonSongwriter Interviews

When you free your mind, your ass may follow, but you have to make sure someone else doesn't program it while it's wide open.