Taylor Swift has never shied away from sharing her love life through music, but her latest song, “Wood,” from The Life of a Showgirl, took it to a whole new, very explicit level. Fans are buzzing over it, which doesn’t just nod to her fiancé, NFL star Travis Kelce. It openly references intimate details of their relationship in ways Swift has never done before.
Taylor Swift references Travis Kelce’s manhood in new song
Swifties are experts at decoding Taylor Swift’s lyrical clues, and “Wood” provides a treasure trove of direct allusions to her fiancé, Travis Kelce. Moving beyond the subtle hints of past albums, Swift employs cheeky, sexually charged lyrics. The song’s central theme revolves around how finding Kelce broke a streak of bad luck, a story punctuated by very specific imagery.
Its provocative post-chorus contains the most talked-about lyrics in “Wood.” Taylor Swift sings, “Forgive me, it sounds cocky / He ah-matized me / And opened my eyes / Redwood tree / It ain’t hard to see / His love was the key / That opened my thighs.” The “Redwood tree” metaphor is a clever double entendre. It is likely inspired by SNL’s Bowen Yang. He once described the famously tall couple as making him feel like he was “in the Redwood Forest.”
The references continue in the second pre-chorus, where Swift declares, “The curse on me was broken by your magic wand.” This playful line is followed by another direct nod to Kelce’s life outside of football: “Seems to be that you and me, we make our own luck / New heights (New heights), manhood (Manhood).” This is a clear reference to the podcast Kelce co-hosts with his brother, Jason, aptly titled New Heights.
All in all, the combination of humor, explicit lyrics, and affectionate nods to Kelce has made “Wood” one of the most talked-about songs on the album. It continues to generate conversations among listeners and critics alike. Critics note that while Swift has often referenced her relationships in her music, this track is unusually candid. It leaves little to the imagination while still maintaining her artistic charm.
