I cannot understand the line "Magic gone from a pretty thing." Why would he say this?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

The song is about giving up and doing anything for the promise of luxury. Here, "pretty thing" refers to luxury, and "magic" references the appeal that luxury had. In the end, realizing that luxury only grants you a small amount of happiness that doesn't last long; the "magic" of it goes away. Ex: When the new phone model came out, it was like the magic disappeared from the old one.

How do native speakers use this expression?

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Popular Q&As

01/15

1
Can I say it in this order, "I was just saying it"?
Yes, that is correct. "I was just saying it" can be used instead of "I just was saying it" without changing the meaning of the sentence. Ex: I was just touching it, I wasn't going to buy it. Ex: I just was touching it, I wasn't going to buy it.

2
What's "bring back" mean? Is it a phrasal verb?
That's right! "Bring back" is a phrasal verb. It means reintroducing something or returning someone or something to a place. You can use it to talk about trends, things that went out of style, or old versions of things. Ex: They brought back the giant burger at the restaurant. Ex: We're trying to bring skinny jeans back into style. Ex: You should bring your friend back to meet the owner.

3
What is the meaning of "set oneself up for"?
"Set oneself up for" means "prepare conditions to guarantee a certain outcome." Usually, "set oneself up for" has a negative connotation and is used to describe doing something to result in a negative outcome. Ex: She set herself up to fail that test because she didn't study

4
Why did she say "have passed" here rather than just "passed?"
In this particular sentence, both could be used, but I will explain why "have passed" was used. "Have passed" is using the present perfect tense - something has started in the past and continues now. "Passed" is the past simple tense - something started and ended in the past in an unspecific time. Because Mrs. Puff is delivering the results as she speaks, the test is not technically over until she has finished speaking and giving Spongebob his results. This is why it is acceptable for her to say "You have passed" because the "passing" is happening as she speaks. She could have also said "you passed" to indicate that all the answers he gave in the past were correct. Both constructions work in this particular context. Ex: You have given me something to think about. (the event happened just before this is said) Ex: You gave me something to think about. (the event has happened in an unspecific time in the past from when this is said)

5
Isn't "bible" a religious book? Why did he use the word "bible" here?
Yes, "The Bible" is a Christian religious book. However, "bible" can also be used to describe other religious books, or any book that is reliable and informative. For example, if there was a large, thorough and reliable book about "fitness", it could be called "The Fitness Bible".

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