Travis Kelce Admits 'Taylor Swift's Gonna Kill Me' for Not Understanding Raunchy 'Wood' Song Lyrics Dedicated to NFL Star's Manhood
Jan. 21 2026, Updated 6:08 p.m. ET
Travis Kelce just had a major pop‑culture fail – and even he knows it, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end and New Heights podcast co‑host admitted on the January 21 episode that he completely missed a raunchy Taylor Swift lyric reference that dozens of fans immediately caught.
'New Heights of Manhood'
Travis Kelce reacted to realizing he had missed a raunchy lyric referencing him in Taylor Swift’s song.
Reading from listener mail about the latest merch drop, Travis' brother Jason Kelce shared a fan's comment: "I can't believe none of the hoodies are called 'New Heights of Man‑Hoodie.'"
Both brothers were baffled — with Jason quipping, "I don’t know what the f--- that means, but she's disappointed. What's a 'man‑hoodie'? Is that a thing?" before their producer stepped in to explain the joke, pointing to Taylor Swift’s song Wood from her album The Life of a Showgirl.
Producer Brandon Borders clarified: "It's a Life of a Showgirl reference, come on. 'New Heights of manhood,' it's the time we were referenced in the album."
Jason Kelce joined his brother on the New Heights podcast.
'I Didn't Understand That'
Fans quickly connected Swift’s 'Wood' lyric to Travis Kelce and the podcast’s merchandise.
That's when Travis admitted his ignorance with a laugh: "I didn't understand that. Taylor's gonna kill me for not knowing that!"
Jason then joked that neither he nor his brother are as sharp with Easter eggs as Swift's fans, adding: "We're not as good with the Easter eggs as these Swifties."
Travis chimed in, "They sure know how to plant 'em and call 'em out."
Raunchy Lyrics
The song 'Wood' from Swift’s latest album sparked widespread social media chatter about Travis.
The lyric in question — which fans instantly linked to New Heights — appears in Swift's Wood: "New Heights of manhood / I ain't gotta knock on wood."
And if that wasn't suggestive enough, the song also includes lines like, "His love was the key that opened my thighs," which only fuelled fan chatter about how explicit Swift's ode to her fiancé really is.
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Another 'Wood' Laugh
Travis laughed off missing the hidden lyric that Swift fans noticed instantly.
This isn't the first time the Kelce brothers have chatted about Wood on their show – but it's the first time Travis has openly admitted he totally missed a Swift lyric Easter egg.
In another episode of the brothers' podcast, Jason asked Travis, "Do you feel, do you feel – not confident – do you feel cocky about the song Wood?"
"No," Travis said. "Any song that she references me in is very..."
"That's not just any song. This is a very specific you," Jason interjected.
Travis replied, "I love that girl, so what do you mean? Any song that she would reference me in that way."
Jason interrupted his younger brother again, saying, "It's not just you. It's an appendage. It's a very specific thing."
"What?" Travis laughed at his brother. "I think you're not understanding the song."
