Well, I never thought I'd be digging into this song. It's catchy. And it's funny. But I feel conflicted singing to it, because it's. . . Well, gross. Too much. But here we are, because I think people are only seeing the trees (heh!) and not the forest.
There’s 3 layers (at least) to the song, Wood:
The loudest = obvious dick, sex, marriage, allusion to Travis Kelce.
Kaylor/secret, Sapphic love of it all. Daisy, redwood, magician.
Taylor’s public relationship has a hand in increasing her popularity
and fan base. She gains NFL exposure, people can project their
heteronormative fantasies onto the TayVis (TraLor?) relationship, there'sconstant speculation of marriage and children. The articles and headlines
are continuous. To the point Taylor can re-record albums and the tour
based on her catalog becomes the biggest in the world–in history.
The money generated can assist in reclaiming her creative output.
Her life’s work.
Let’s look closer.
Daisy's bare naked, I was distraught
Daisy is crucial to the Kaylor story. Taylor and Karlie Kloss went on a road trip to Big Sur.
They played on the beach, where Karlie wore a daisy behind her ear. On the ride home,
that daisy lay on the dashboard. And after the trip, Karlie tweeted, “Best roadtrip ever”
with a picture of that daisy. In materials for Reputation, Taylor’s notes for Don’t Blame Me
include a sketch of a very similar daisy… That song references Karlie writing Taylor’s
name in the sand, halos for Victoria’s Secret Angels, and is full of sex being Taylor’s drug
and how it makes her a bad girl. But she wants it anyway.
He loves me not, he loves me not
Penny's unlucky, I took him back
And then stepped on a crack
And the black cat laughed
And baby, I'll admit I've been a little superstitious (superstitious)
Fingers crossed until you put your hand on mine (ah)
Seems to be that you and me, we make our own luck
A bad sign is all good
I ain't gotta knock on wood
all of that bitchin', wishing on a falling star
Never did me any good
I ain't got to knock on wood
https://taylorswiftandx.tumblr.com/post/181062018085/taylor-swift-and-wishes
(Ah) it's you and me forever dancing in the dark
All over me, it's understood
I ain't got to knock on wood
A lot of the dancing in Taylor’s catalog
speaks to feeling free of constraint.
Or meeting with a secret lover and
enjoying private time together.
But also the “dance” of negotiations behind
closed doors, and spinning the narrative
in order to get positive PR.
Forgive me, it sounds cocky
He ah-matized me and opened my eyes
Redwood tree, it ain't hard to see
The Big Sur trip again. Obviously, this trip
and the woods made a big impact on Taylor.
Bedford NY is the location of Karlie and Jo$h’s first wedding ceremony.
10/18/2018
Years later, Bedford, NY is the location of the folklore photoshoot:
June-July 2020
His love was the key that opened my thighs [clean version, “skies”]
Open skies reminds me of the Me! Music video
where Taylor is fearless
in the middle of the street, and
rainbow is raining on her.
Also Daylight and Opalite.
Even thighs, though an obvious reference,
cough/gag* has a double meaning.
See Anita Baker’s post, where she
compares her catalog to children.
She created all of it, birthed it out
into the world, if you will.
And Taylor for sure saw that post,
because she commented:
I would think Taylor also regards her life’s work
as her children.
She even cradles them in one of the pics:
The illusion that Taylor and Travis are the perfect
couple was one ingredient
in Taylor’s recipe to regain her
masters/kids(/sourdough? ha!).
Girls, I don't need to catch the bouquet, mm
To know a hard rock is on the way
Looking past the obvious, Taylor has talked about being
crucified before:
Look What You Made Me Do, Cassandra, and
Cancelled for 3 examples.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/crucifixion-capital-punishment
Crucifixion, an important method of capital punishment particularly among the
Persians, Seleucids, Carthaginians, and Romans from about the 6th century
bce to the 4th century ce.
Crucifixion was most frequently used to punish political or religious agitators,
pirates, slaves, or those who had no civil rights.
About 32 ce Pontius Pilate had Jesus of Nazareth put to death by crucifixion.
Death occurred through a combination of constrained blood circulation,
organ failure, and asphyxiation as the body strained under its own weight.
He was taken down before sunset (in deference to Jewish custom) and
buried in a rock-hewn tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea.
Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, abolished it in the Roman
Empire in the early 4th century ce out of veneration for Jesus Christ, the most
famous victim of crucifixion.
I have no idea what's going on with this border formatting.
I'm just trying to tell you this section of writing isn't by me.
And baby, I'll admit I've been a little superstitious (superstitious)
The curse on me was broken by your magic wand (ah)
I rearranged the lyrics of So It Goes:
All eyes on me, your illusionist [Taylor is not what she seems] All eyes on us [Guests, media,
the public?] See you in the dark All eyes on you, my magician [magical but twists the truth
does tricks to obscure] All eyes on us You make everyone disappear, and [Taylor only has eyes
for Karlie]
Cut me into pieces Gold cage, hostage to my feelings
[Taylor is in love, yet still in her metaphorical cage. She has to hide this love from the public for
the sake of her career].
But when you get me alone, it’s so simple ‘Cause baby, I know what you know We can feel it
And all the pieces fall Right into place Getting caught up in a moment Lipstick on your face
So it goes I make all your gray days clear and Wear you like a necklace [lesbian sex graphic reference]
But when I get you alone, it’s so simple ‘Cause baby, I know what you know We can feel it
You know I’m not a bad girl [Commenting on public stigma of gays] But I do bad things with
you [Sexually-speaking] So it goes Come here, dressed in black now So, so, so it goes Scratches
down your back now So, so, so it goes
[sex, sex, sex is so passionate and great and makes all the public image and commitments to others
momentarily disappear]
I’m yours to keep [Karlie could choose Taylor] And I’m yours to lose [will Karlie choose Jo$h?]
You did a number on me [Staying committed to Jo$h while seeing Taylor] But honestly, baby,
who’s counting? I did a number on you [bearding, anxious about their relationship] But honestly,
baby, who’s counting? [Proceeds to count. Maybe saying resentments are building up on both sides]
https://kit10phish.wordpress.com/2022/01/23/reputation-re-listen-3rd-lens/
In public, Taylor and her lover are magicians and illusionists, hiding their truth in plain sight.
And when they are alone there is sex and bliss (Question… [Part 9]). Secret moments in a crowd
convey the closeted aspect of the relationship. These two are in plain sight, but protected in a
magical cloak of friendship thanks to heteronormativity (Question… [Part 4]). Taylor says this
couple are starting on a fresh page and writing as they go in Cornelia Street (Question… [Part 16]).
There is no precedent for this new type of relationship. Even without a gameplan, this love is making
Taylor drunk with happiness and a type of enthrallment she’s never felt before. It’s stronger than
anything they order at the bar.
But Taylor’s back is against the wall. In order to maintain Taylor’s public image–these lovers have
to walk on breaking branches to keep their true love a secret. Each of them must beard and tell
the rich people what they want to hear. Still, neither person can let go of this love–Taylor especially
is a hostage to her feelings (Question… [Part 9]).
https://kit10phish.wordpress.com/2023/07/11/taylor-swifts-question-my-analysis-series-all-links/
So, yes, Wood is an obvious and explicit song.
But ALSO there are layers if you can see beyond
the phallic references. There’s some obvious Kaylor
clues, that pop out if you know the lore.
I think a main, albeit hidden, thesis of this song is
that Taylor stopped wishing for her life’s work,
and started taking her fate into her own hands.
Taylor’s actions of re-recording, creating positive
buzz in the media and socials, and touring her back
catalog all helped make her the money required to
buy her masters.
Seems to me that you and me, we make our own luck
New Heights (New Heights) of manhood (manhood)
I ain't gotta knock on wood
all of that bitchin', wishing on a falling star
Never did me any good
I ain't got to knock on wood
(Ah) it's you and me forever dancing in the dark
All over me, it's understood
I ain't got to knock on wood
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 [clean version, “skies”]
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/skies