It's Magic
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics


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He cut her in half
With a shiny steel saw
He put her all back together
And I was in awe

As rabbits and doves and bandanas appeared
And he pulled a quarter right out of my ear
I turned to my dad, I said, 'How'd he do it?'
And dad, he just smiled, he said, 'There's nothing to it."

It's magic and you don't want to know
Just how it's done, it would ruin the show
You've just got to believe
'Cause believing is what makes it happen

Oh it's nothing but magic
Now I fell in love the first time in 8th grade
And I started shaving the very next day
Just walking her home made me light on my feet

And I promised her things you just wouldn't believe
And when I asked my dad why girls had that effect
He said, 'Go ask your mom, I ain't figured it yet'
It's magic and you don't want to know

Just how it's done, it would ruin the show
You've just got to believe
'Cause believing is what makes it happen
Oh it's nothing but magic

Well the years have been hard, the years have been kind
These last years have taken both parents of mine
Some things you can't change with a wave of your hand
So many things I still don't understand

But, in a hospital gown, standing next to my wife
I'm watching this miracle come into life
It's magic and you don't want to know
Just how it's done, it would ruin the show

You've just got to believe
'Cause believing is what makes it happen
Oh it's nothing but magic and you don't want to know
Just how it's done, it would ruin the show

You've just got to believe
'Cause believing is what makes it happen




Oh it's nothing but magic
Yes, it's magic

Overall Meaning

The song "It's Magic" by Peter Paul & Mary is a heartfelt tribute to the magic of life. The lyrics use the metaphor of a magic show with a magician who cuts a woman in half, pulls rabbits out of hats, and levitates, to speak about the wonders of life that we often cannot explain. In the first verse, the singer is dazzled by the magician's sleight of hand, wondering how he puts the woman back together. However, the singer's father tells him not to spoil the magic by revealing the secrets of the trick, suggesting that life's wonders are better appreciated and accepted without fully understanding them.


In the second verse, the singer reminisces about falling in love in eighth grade, and how magical it felt. The singer promises his love grand things, and when his father is asked why girls have that effect, he responds that he is still trying to figure it out. The final verse brings the theme to a personal level, with the singer reflecting on the losses and miracles in his own life, culminating in the birth of his child, which he describes as a miracle. The song reinforces the idea that some things in life are best appreciated as magic, rather than explained away.


Line by Line Meaning

He cut her in half
The magician cuts a woman in half as part of the magic show


With a shiny steel saw
The magician uses a silver-colored saw to cut the woman


He put her all back together
After cutting the woman in half, the magician magically reassembles her


And I was in awe
The artist is impressed and amazed by the magician's trick


As rabbits and doves and bandanas appeared
The magician produces various objects, such as animals and pieces of cloth, using sleight of hand


And he pulled a quarter right out of my ear
The magician makes a coin appear out of thin air, seemingly from the singer's ear


I turned to my dad, I said, 'How'd he do it?'
The singer asks their father how the magician performed the trick


And dad, he just smiled, he said, 'There's nothing to it.'
The artist's father suggests that the trick is simply magic and not to be analyzed or understood


It's magic and you don't want to know
The artist notes that magic is a mysterious and unknown force


Just how it's done, it would ruin the show
Understanding the mechanics of a magic trick would detract from its entertainment value


You've just got to believe
To enjoy magic, the audience must suspend their disbelief and assume that the trick is real


'Cause believing is what makes it happen
The power of belief is what enables magic to occur


Now I fell in love the first time in 8th grade
The singer reminisces about their early romantic experiences


And I started shaving the very next day
The singer started grooming themselves more carefully in anticipation of impressing their crush


Just walking her home made me light on my feet
The singer was very happy and excited when spending time with their crush


And I promised her things you just wouldn't believe
The artist made grandiose and perhaps unrealistic promises to their crush


And when I asked my dad why girls had that effect
The artist asks their father why they feel so emotionally engaged with their crush


He said, 'Go ask your mom, I ain't figured it yet'
The singer's father humorously defers to their mother for an explanation of this phenomenon


Well the years have been hard, the years have been kind
The singer reflects on life's ups and downs over the years


These last years have taken both parents of mine
The artist has lost both of their parents in recent years


Some things you can't change with a wave of your hand
There are some things in life that cannot be easily fixed or changed


So many things I still don't understand
The artist admits that there are many things in life that they do not comprehend


But, in a hospital gown, standing next to my wife
The singer describes being in the hospital with their spouse, possibly for the birth of a child


I'm watching this miracle come into life
The arrival of a newborn child is a miraculous event in the artist's eyes


Yes, it's magic
The singer concludes that the wonders of life are akin to magic




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: DAVID ALLEN, TIMOTHY BAYS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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