Composition and lyrics
"Wood" is described as a synth-pop [3] and disco [4] song. The arrangement includes flugelhorn, cor anglais, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, cello, Clavinet, drums, electric guitar and flute. [5] Some critics compared the song's guitar riff to that of "I Want You Back" by the Jackson 5. [6] [7]
The song is about Kelce's penis [8] and compares it to a redwood tree, a magic wand, and a hard rock. [4] [9] They also reference Western cultural associations of luck, including the practice of "knocking on wood", a tradition to avert misfortune, and the superstition that seeing a black cat is an omen of bad luck. [9] [10] In an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon , Swift stated that she had originally intended for the song to be a more "innocent", "throwback kind of timeless-sounding song" about superstitions, but acknowledged that the lyrics had become increasingly racier and more sexual during the songwriting process. [11]
Critical reception
The song was panned by critics, particularly for its lyrics. India Block of The London Times felt that "Wood" could be confused for a track from "a parody album hallucinated by some porn-addled AI". [12] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian said the song's "laid-back take on disco recalls not the sweaty hedonism of the dancefloor but the late 70s moment where four-to-floor rhythms and chicken-scratch guitar temporarily invaded the oeuvres of west coast singer-songwriters". [4] In Clash , Lauren Hague opined that, while the song fit "the Showgirl aesthetic" and Swift's vocal performance was "gutsy", the lyrics "border on the cringe". [13] Mary Kate Carr of The A.V. Club said the song "feels like an attempt to imitate [Swift's] friend and collaborator Sabrina Carpenter", highlighting how it "borrows heavily from Carpenter's cheeky-sexy shtick, laden with puns and innuendo spun out of superstitions", but felt it was "far less charming and convincing than Carpenter's work". [14] Pitchfork 's Anna Gaca felt the song had the "spiritual energy of bachelorette-party penis décor". [6]
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