Taylor Swift’s “Wood” About Travis Kelce Is Her Most NFSW Ever

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Taylor Swift is no longer barking up the wrong trees.

Ultimately, she’s happily settled down with her fiancé Travis Kelce. On her new album The Life of a Showgirl, specifically in the song “Wood” (one of the 12 tracks), Taylor openly celebrates every aspect of their relationship-and we truly mean everything.

The song starts out simply enough, with the Grammy-winning artist talking about a run of unfortunate experiences in love-like finding unlucky pennies, stepping on sidewalk cracks, or seeing black cats-before she met Travis. She sings that her relationship with him doesn’t need any good luck charms-she doesn’t have to “knock on wood.”

But wood, of course, is a double entendre. And after the chorus, the lyrics take a turn.

“I apologize if it comes across as arrogant, but he captivated me and showed me a new perspective,” Taylor sings. “Like a towering redwood, it was obvious / His affection was what allowed me to become intimate.”

And yes, Redwood tree likely means exactly what you think it does.

Shortly after, Taylor mentions, “The curse on me was lifted by your magic wand,” and then playfully connects it to the podcast Jason Kelce and Travis host, called “New Heights of manhood.”

In a gentler nod to what’s to come, Taylor also hints at her relationship with Travis (he proposed in August).

“Girls, I don’t need to catch the bouquet,” she sings, “To know a hard rock is on the way.”

A large part of The Life of a Showgirl celebrates her relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, beginning with the first song, “The Fate of Ophelia.”

In the song, Taylor sings, “You dug me out of my grave and / Saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia,” meaning Travis rescued her from a potentially tragic situation, much like the character of Ophelia in Hamlet. She continues with, “Keep it one hundred on the land, the sea, the sky / Pledge allegiance to your hands, your team, your vibes / Don’t care where the hell you’ve been ’cause now you’re mine.”, expressing complete devotion and a fresh start.

In the song “Honey,” she shares the sweet nickname Travis has for her. Then, in “Wi$h Li$t,” she expresses her desire for a peaceful future centered around family with him.

As you’d expect from Taylor, The Life of a Showgirl is full of hidden details and references. Keep reading for a full list!

The first song on Taylor Swift‘s album, The Life of a Showgirl, alludes to Ophelia, a character in William Shakespeare‘s play Hamlet, who experiences a heartbreaking story.

The song suggests Taylor could have been overwhelmed by sadness if her true love hadn’t rescued her.

“I heard you calling / On the megaphone,” Taylor sings. “You wanna see me all alone.”

The song’s words seem to reference Travis Kelce playfully teasing Taylor on his New Heights podcast. He mentioned she didn’t meet up with him after her Eras Tour shows, and that’s actually how their relationship started.

“I swore loyalty to me, myself and I,” the lyrics continue. “Right before you lit my sky up.”

Prior to meeting Travis, Taylor had recently ended her relationship with Matty Healy. She had described herself as one of the “independent girlies” in July 2023.

But after Travis went to her concert in Kansas City that same month, sparks began to fly.

Even Taylor’s fiancé is participating in her tradition of hiding clues, playfully sharing lyrics from “The Fate of Ophelia” on Instagram back in July. He captioned photos of them together, saying, “Had some adventures this offseason,” and added, “Kept it [100].”

How does this relate to Taylor’s song? It’s reflected in the lyrics: “You dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia / Keep it one hundred.”

In the album’s second song, Taylor pays tribute to the iconic performer Elizabeth Taylor, referencing places the actress loved, including the Plaza Athénée in Paris and Musso & Frank’s in Los Angeles.

In the song, Taylor also compares herself to the Cleopatra actress. Just like Taylor experiences today, Elizabeth frequently appeared in the news because of everything – from her romantic relationships to her stunning clothes.

But, as Taylor notes in her song, “Oftentimes it doesn’t feel so glamorous to be me.”

Oh my gosh, you guys, in the super cheerful “Opalite” – which Travis already told everyone is his absolute favorite song from Showgirl – Taylor *totally* references their whole love story! I mean, it’s so obvious, and it makes me feel things! It’s like she wrote it *for* us to decode, you know? I’m seriously obsessed!

Having experienced a lot of heartbreak in past relationships, Taylor now seems to have found peace and tranquility with Travis – her current relationship feels like a calm, shimmering opal.

Taylor, Max Martin and Shellback are listed as the writers of Showgirl. However, the late George Michael is also credited on “Father Figure” because the song samples part of his 1987 song with the same title.

Taylor Swift’s team showed their support too, with George’s team posting on Instagram on October 2nd, saying, “Thank you @taylorswift for including George in such a special moment.”

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following Taylor’s work for years, and I’ve noticed a pattern. We’re now at track five on Showgirl, and if you’re a fan, you know this is where Taylor typically places her most emotionally raw and heartbreaking songs. It’s almost a signature move for her at this point!

Oh my gosh, in “Eldest Daughter,” Taylor – you guys, she’s the daughter of Andrea Swift and Scott Swift! They had her before Austin Swift came along – she’s singing about everything life throws at you, all the good and the bad. But the sweetest part is how she always stays true to the people she loves most. It’s so relatable, and honestly, just *chef’s kiss*.

As the song states, “Cause I’m not someone who’s mean or unkind / And this isn’t ruthless / And I promise I’ll always be there for you,” and “I’ll never abandon you / There are so many disloyal people / Those who seem charming but aren’t to be trusted / But I’ll always keep my promise.”

The sixth track on Showgirl recounts a story of wishing things had been different in a relationship that never really began. The song is full of longing and memories, with lyrics like, “Have fun, it’s prom / Wilted corsage dangles from my wrist / Over his shoulder I catch a glimpse / And see…You looking at me / And it was not an invitation / But as the 50 Cent song played / Should’ve kissed you anyway.”

Taylor Swift mentions her close friend Abigail Anderson in these sad lines about loss: “When I left school, I lost track of you / Abigail called me with the bad news Goodbye, and we’ll never know why.”

“Actually Romantic” isn’t really a song about love, not exactly. Instead, it’s a reaction to someone-unnamed in the lyrics-who has apparently talked about Taylor quite a bit.

Taylor sings, “I high-fived my ex, and then you told me you were happy he disappeared on me.” She continues, “You wrote a song about how it bothers you to even look at me. / Some people might be upset by that, / but I actually think it’s sweet.”

Although Taylor doesn’t often share the real-life inspirations behind her songs, many fans online think this one was influenced by Charli XCX. Charli opened for Taylor on the Reputation Tour and is also friends with Taylor’s former boyfriend, Matty, and his partner, Gabbriette Bechtel.

When Charli-whose husband is George Daniel, a member of the band The 1975-released her album brat in June 2024, some people thought her song “Sympathy is a Knife” was a dig at Taylor Swift. However, two months later, Taylor appeared to dismiss those rumors by publicly expressing her appreciation for Charli’s work.

Taylor shared with New York magazine on August 26th that she’s been incredibly impressed with Charli’s musical talent ever since hearing ‘Stay Away’ back in 2011. She described Charli’s songwriting as both dreamlike and original, noting that she consistently pushes songs in unexpected directions. Taylor added that it’s rewarding to witness such dedication and effort being recognized.

TopMob News has reached out to reps for comment on the speculation and has not heard back.

On the very top of Taylor’s wish list? A forever with Travis. That includes starting a family.

“I just want you,” she sings. “Have a couple kids / Got the whole block looking like you.”

Taylor says that hoping for love by wishing on a star didn’t work for her in the past. However, now that she’s with Travis, she feels so secure that she doesn’t even feel the need to knock on wood for good luck.

Girls, I don’t need to catch the bouquet,” she sings in the lyrics, “to know tough times are coming.

She turned out to be correct. Taylor and Travis shared the news of their engagement in August 2025, following a two-year relationship.

The song features a reference to New Heights, which Taylor says is where their relationship began.

On track 10, Taylor is mentoring someone who has faced public backlash – a situation she understands well, having gone through it herself.

“Join me,” she said, offering advice. “People will flee when they see us.” She continued, “It’s a good thing my friends cancelled-I prefer them mysterious, dressed in Gucci and surrounded by a little drama.”

“Honey” truly lives up to its name! On the 11th song of the album, Taylor shares that Travis has completely changed how she thinks about certain words. Previously, words like “honey” and “sweetheart” brought up unpleasant memories, but now, she immediately thinks of Travis when she hears them.

Taylor softly sings, “Let me chase away your sadness / Whenever you call me ‘honey’.” She continues, “Think of warm summer days, a bubbly drink, and beautiful pink skies. / You’re welcome to call me ‘honey’ if you like / Because I’m exactly what you’re looking for.”

In fact, Travis did call Taylor “sweetie” during her debut appearance on New Heights in August.

For her final act, Taylor teamed up with friend Sabrina Carpenter.

The song connects with “Elizabeth Taylor,” offering a look at the life of a showgirl from the inside. Though it appears dazzling, everything comes at a cost, and an experienced performer needs to make that clear to a rising star.

The song’s words create a vivid image: “She confessed, ‘I’d give anything – even my soul – to experience a truly wonderful life, one that’s completely my own’ / But that’s not the reality for showgirls / They’re simply discarded and forgotten.”

Finally, after experiencing the world of a showgirl, the performers come together for a closing bow, saying, “That’s our show / We love you so much, goodnight!”

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2025-10-03 17:18