Taylor Swift Fans Think Her 'The Alchemy' Lyrics Are About Travis Kelce

19 April 2024, 10:27 | Updated: 19 April 2024, 11:45

Are Taylor Swift's 'The Alchemy' Lyrics About Travis Kelce? The Romantic Meaning Explained
Are Taylor Swift's 'The Alchemy' Lyrics About Travis Kelce? The Romantic Meaning Explained. Picture: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Recording Academy, Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Sam  Prance

By Sam Prance

'The Alchemy' is Taylor Swift's only love song on 'The Tortured Poets Department' and the meaning behind it is adorable.

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Taylor Swift fans are swooning over her romantic 'The Alchemy' lyrics and they think she wrote the song about Travis Kelce.

'The Tortured Poets Department' may be Taylor Swift's most heartbreaking album to date. Over the course of 16 tracks, she, in her own words, examines "a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time - one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure". Songs like 'So Long, London' and 'Fortnight' allude to relationships with Joe Alwyn and Matty Healy ending.

However, there is a love song at the end of the album and it appears to contain multiple references to her current boyfriend.

What does The Alchemy mean?

Taylor Swift shares cryptic message

'Alchemy' is a medieval term for the process of turning metals into gold and nowadays it's used as a term for transformation in general, most often in a positive sense. In the song, Taylor sings about coming back to her senses in a new relationship.

In the first verse, Taylor sings: 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. After the heartbreak of the rest of the album, Taylor is back to her real self.

Then the chorus appears to be a direct nod to Travis. It opens with an American football reference. Taylor sings: 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 be / 'Cause the sign on your heart / Said it's still reserved for me / Honestly, who are we to fight thе alchemy?

In the bridge, Taylor gets more specific and alludes to Travis winning games and celebrating with her. She sings: 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.

The Alchemy

As it stands, Taylor is yet to personally discuss the meaning behind 'The Alchemy' but fans are crying over how moving it is. One person tweeted: "THE ALCHEMY IS A TRAVIS SONG WE WON" and "THE ALCHEMY….. TAYVIS NATION WE ARE SOOOOOOOOOOO UP". Another Swiftie praised "the football references in the alchemy".

Someone also shouted out the bridge writing: "Okay the bridge of The Alchemy just made me cry... I am in love with this song, with this whole album... Taylor is a genius."

Ending an album about heartbreak with one of your most gorgeous love songs? Pretty legendary if you ask me.

Taylor Swift - 'The Alchemy' lyrics

VERSE 1
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

CHORUS
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 be
'Cause the sign on your heart
Said it's still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight thе alchemy?

VERSE 2
Hey, you, what if I told you we'rе 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

CHORUS
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 be
'Cause the sign on your heart
Said it's still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

POST-CHORUS
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?

BRIDGE
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

CHORUS
Touch down
Call the amateurs and cut 'em from the team
Ditch the clowns, get the crown
Baby, I'm the one to be
'Cause the sign on your heart
Said it's still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?

POST-CHORUS
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?

OUTRO
This happens once every few lifetimes

Read more about Taylor Swift here:

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