Music
Taylor Swift’s “The Alchemy” Is Chock-Full Of Football Jargon
It seems the new record isn’t entirely a breakup album after all.
When Taylor Swift announced The Tortured Poets Department back in February, she described the album as a “secret that I have been keeping from you for the last two years.” Given that time frame, the moody aesthetic, and the tracklist with songs such as “So Long, London” and “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart,” fans predicted that the musician’s 11th studio album would likely be a breakup record about the final days of her relationship with actor Joe Alwyn.
But it seems there are nods to new love on the album, too — with songs such as “The Alchemy,” which fans quickly speculated could be about Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce.
Come for the cheeky sports references. Stay for the more emotional lyrics, which might reveal something deeper about the musician’s personal life.
All The Football Metaphors
Remember the viral fake audio that imagined what a Swift song about her Kansas City Chiefs beau might sound like? (To jog your memory: “So happy that my Travy made it to the big game...”) Well, it wasn’t too far off.
“The Alchemy” uses football imagery to paint a picture of a thriving relationship — even if she can’t help but compare it to past romances. “So when I touch down, call the amateurs and cut ’em from the team,” Swift sings in the chorus.
Later, she describes being on a “winning streak,” and illustrates a cheerful victory scene about being the “greatest in the league.”
“Where’s the trophy? He just comes running over to me,” Swift continues toward the end of the song — a sweet lyric that would fit perfectly as an audio track over a clip of Swift and Kelce’s Super Bowl kiss.
The Nods To Her Relationship History
The football jargon is the most obvious clue about the meaning of “The Alchemy,” but there could also be subtler nods to Swift’s personal life. “I haven’t come around in so long, but I’m making a comeback to where I belong,” she sings at one point. The line appears to echo sentiments from her TIME Person of the Year interview, in which she opened up about returning to the public eye after a more private era.
“Me locking myself away in my house for a lot of years — I’ll never get that time back,” she told the magazine. “I’m more trusting now than I was six years ago.”
In “The Alchemy,” the narrator tells the person she’s singing to that “I circled you on a map,” which could be a playful nod to the jokes about her putting Kelce on the map.
And finally, the title of the song itself — which is repeated in the line “Who are we to fight the alchemy?” — evokes a kind of connection that’s stronger than just chemistry. Even if Swift and Kelce seemed to get close quickly, “The Alchemy” suggests that neither felt like fighting their strong feelings.
“The Alchemy” Lyrics
Read the full lyrics to “The Alchemy” below.
This happens once every few lifetimes
These chemicals hit me like 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 stickin’ to the floor, cheers chanted ‘cause they said
“There was no chance trying to 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 white wine
