Lyric discussion by ContraryMissMary 

Cover art for Magpie lyrics by Patrick Wolf

I noticed that, during the counting part, it relates to an old rhyme about superstition over crows and magpies (go figure), to help one remember whether the number of either they see foretells good or bad things:

One for sorrow, two for mirth, Three for a wedding, four for a birth, Five for silver, six for gold, Seven for a secret no to be told, Eight for heaven, nine for hell, And ten for the devil's own sel'.