I've been magic-in' for some time
Know what can go wrong and what's probably fine
Had some calls that came too close
So if there's one thing I know:
There's some things that you can't replace, don't replace
The components when you make a potion, mate
But if you must replace, gotta take
All the right precautions, mate, don't seal your fate

So let's say you're out of oregano again
Can't just go without, stops the bugs comin' in
Livin' in the forest so the shops are a trip
That's hard to just make, pack the whole day's plans in
Do somethin' else instead, if the magic wants a spice
Got a cupboard full of that in a rack that's lookin' nice
Some paprika, let's go and put that in, stir it twice
Now those spiders will all be banished in a trice
Trust me, man, I did this, thought it was a clever trick
But when I dropped a drip on where they tend to live
It did not make 'em leave, it just enhanced the brittleness
Of the shelf, that's a problem, not a real equivalence, what a pain

I've been magic-in' for some time
Had things go real wrong 'cause my bottles were dry
And I thought I could transpose
Fur for hair, made my head glow
So I learnt that you can't replace, don't replace
Ingredients when you make a potion, mate
Real risky to replace, gotta take
So many precautions, mate, don't seal your fate

To swap the sage for thyme, that makes sense, not contradictory
Made my hair fall out, turned the skin all blistery
You're in for hell if you think that consistency
'Twixt the two items would give your potion victory
It makes all the sense that someone would botch magic
If they tried to put in some shit that's not matchin'
Dump in half a melon when it calls for chopped carrots
No big surprise when you've summoned not-rabbits
It's hard to hide the pain when imbibin' shite drinks, mate
That only gets compounded when they don't un-grime your face
Instead all the boils grow, pretty bad, I remember it
Forget? Not at all, cursed my mum with bad equivalence-ah

I've been magic-in' for some time
I've pronounced words wrong, flicked left wands meant for right
The results were awful jokes
People stared, you want that? No
That's why I say you can't replace, don't replace
The components when you make a potion, mate
Say you can't not replace stuff? Afraid
That I've gotta re-explain my simple take

Said there were precautions to take of a sort
'Cause what I meant was to make really damn sure
You're never runnin' out of things, fate can be ignored
If you keep your cupboards stocked, no space in your store
'Bout once a week, go check on what's low, don't just discover
That you've got no onions and you're almost out of butter
Can tell me margarine is just as good but I just shudder
This ain't for toast, it's spells that might grow me an udder
So check and double-check and never think that "maybe" works
It's preventatives that's solvin' all my problems, mate, it hurts
That people think magic is flexible, bullshit
I'm not paranoid or crazy, I just know equivalence brings you pain

I've been magic-in' for some time
Where things can go wrong, punch a hole into time
Or just make blue mushrooms grow
In my hair, that kinda blows
Believe me, you cannot replace, don't replace
Ingredients when you make a potion, mate
You could destroy your brain or just make
Your skin a bright purple shade, not worth the pain