Travis Kelce may be the inspiration behind Taylor Swift’s track “Wood,” but he recently admitted to being a little behind on the lyrical lore. During the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end found himself momentarily stumped by a fan’s clever reference to the song.
In the episode released Wednesday (Jan. 21), Travis and his brother, Jason Kelce, were reading through listener comments when they stumbled upon a suggestion to sell “New Heights of ‘manhoodie’” merchandise. The pun left both brothers scratching their heads. “What is a man-hoodie? Is that actually a thing?” Jason asked, genuinely perplexed.
The confusion cleared when their producer pointed out that the suggestion was a play on a specific line from “Wood,” where the pop icon sings: “New heights of manhood / I ain’t gotta knock on wood.” Upon realizing the connection, Travis couldn’t help but laugh at his own lapse in memory. “I didn’t catch that at all,” he admitted. “Taylor’s going to kill me for missing that one!”
Jason, the former Philadelphia Eagles center, attributed the oversight to their lack of experience with complex fan theories, noting they aren’t quite as skilled at spotting “Easter eggs” as the Swifties are. Travis agreed, marveling at the fanbase’s ability to plant and uncover hidden meanings with such precision.
The track “Wood” generated significant buzz upon its release, largely due to its suggestive wordplay regarding Travis. When the song debuted last October as part of Swift’s record-breaking album The Life of a Showgirl, Jason wasted no time teasing his younger brother. He even went as far as asking if Travis felt “cocky” about having his physical attributes praised in a chart-topping hit.
At the time, Travis tried to remain modest. “It’s a fantastic song,” he told the New Heights audience. “I love that girl… and any song where she might reference me like that.” Jason, however, wouldn’t let him off the hook, jokingly clarifying that the lyrics were directed at a very “specific appendage.”
Beyond the personal headlines, The Life of a Showgirl has become a commercial juggernaut. It spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and produced the longest-running chart-topper of Swift’s career, “The Fate of Ophelia,” which has held the summit of the Hot 100 for ten weeks. The album also made history by securing the largest opening sales week of the modern era, moving over 4 million equivalent units and eclipsing the long-standing record held by Adele’s 25.
You can catch the full conversation and the brothers’ reaction in the latest New Heights episode linked above.
