In case you hadn’t picked up the signals from the Super Bowl kisses or the romantic Bahamas getaways or the Coachella hand-holding, Taylor Swift isn’t hiding much when it comes to her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce. Perhaps that’s why the transparent references to Kelce’s football career in her Tortured Poets Department track “The Alchemy” come across so cheeky. Swift’s nods at “touch[ing] down,” “the team,” “warm[ing] the benches,” “winning streak[s],” “the trophy,” and “the league” are so on the nose that some fans have wondered if the song is actually a bait-and-switch, ostensibly about Kelce but, in reality, about Swift’s relationship with her own persona.
Regardless of the song’s ultimate target, there’s no question Swift’s aware her sports references will draw immediate attention to Kelce, and to the ever-growing phenomenon that is the Tayvis era. “The Alchemy” is an anthem of sorts, a no-holds-barred embrace of Swift’s latest chapter. Even her less obvious lyrics speak to a sense of playfulness: “I circled you on a map” could be a wink at claims Swift put Kelce “on the map.” Or “those blokes warm the benches,” a barb at her British exes, including both Joe Alwyn and Matty Healy. “Child’s play back at school”? Perhaps a callback to her own earlier catalogue, in which she referenced high-school jock-and-cheerleader stereotypes in songs like “You Belong With Me.”
Swift isn’t exactly kissing and telling. But if everyone’s already paying attention to every move she and Kelce make together, the singer might as well enjoy her wordplay. You can read the full lyrics to “The Alchemy” ahead:
This happens once every few lifetimes
These chemicals hit me like a white wine
What if I told you I’m back?
The hospital was a drag,
Worst sleep that I ever had
I circled you on a map
I haven’t come around in so long
But I’m coming back so strong
So when I touch down
Call the amateurs and cut ’em from the team
Ditch the clowns, get the crown,
Baby I’m the one to beat
’Cause the sign on your heart
Said it’s still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?
Hey you, what if I told you we’re cool?
That child’s play back in school
Is forgiven under my rule
I haven’t come around in so long
But I’m making a comeback to where I belong
So when I touch down
Call the amateurs and cut ’em from the team
Ditch the clowns, get the crown,
Baby I’m the one to beat
’Cause the sign on your heart
Said it’s still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?
These blokes warm the benches
We’ve been on a winning streak
He jokes that it’s heroin but this time with an ‘E’
’Cause the sign on your heart
Said it’s still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?
Shirts off and your friends lift you up over their heads
Beer sticking to the floor,
Cheers chanted ’cause they said
There was no chance tryna be the greatest in the league
Where’s the trophy?
He just comes running over to me
Touch down
Call the amateurs and cut ’em from the team
Ditch the clowns, get the crown,
Baby I’m the one to beat
’Cause the sign on your heart
Said it’s still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?
These blokes warm the benches
We’ve been on a winning streak
He jokes that it’s heroin but this time with an ‘E’
’Cause the sign on your heart
Said it’s still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?
This happens once every few lifetimes
These chemicals hit me like a white wine
Go Even Deeper on Taylor Swift
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s Full Relationship Timeline
Taylor Swift’s 30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn’s Complete Relationship Timeline
Lauren Puckett-Pope is a staff culture writer at ELLE, where she primarily covers film, television and books. She was previously an associate editor at ELLE.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
