Wood – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift
• Album: The Life of a Showgirl

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the playful, double-meaning-laden English of Taylor Swift's 'Wood.' This energetic pop track is a masterclass in modern, cheeky wordplay and slang, blending the classic superstition of 'knock on wood' with explicit metaphors about love and luck. Learn to spot the cultural references, like the direct nod to the 'New Heights' podcast, while enjoying one of her most joyous and vibrant vocal performances.

[English]

Daisy's bare naked

I was distraught

He loves me not

He loves me

not

Penny's unlucky

I took him back and then

Stepped on a crack

And the black cat laughed

And baby, I'll admit I've been a little superstitious

Fingers crossed until you put your hand on mine

Seems to be that you and me we make our own luck

A bad sign, is all good

I ain't got to knock on wood

All of that bitchin', wishing on a falling star

Never did me any good

I ain't got to knock on wood

It's you and me forever dancing in the dark

All over me, it's understood

I ain't got to knock on wood

Forgive me, it sounds cocky

Hypnotized me

And opened my eyes

Redwood tree

It ain't hard to see

His love was the key

That opened my thighs

Girls, I don't need to catch the bouquet

To know a hard rock is on the way

And baby, I'll admit I've been a little superstitious

The curse on me was broken by your magic wand

Seems to me that you and me we make our own luck

New high off manhood

I ain't gotta knock on wood

All of that bitchin', wishing on a falling star

Never did me any good

I ain't got to knock on wood

It's you and me forever dancing in the dark

All over me, it's understood

I ain't got to knock on wood

Forgive me, it sounds cocky

Hypnotized me

And opened my eyes

Redwood tree

It ain't hard to see

His love was the key

That opened my thighs

Forgive me, it sounds cocky

Hypnotized me

And opened my eyes

Redwood tree

It ain't hard to see

His love was the key

That opened my thighs

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
bare /beər/ A2	adjective - not covered or clothed; exposed
naked /ˈneɪ.kɪd/ A2	adjective - not wearing clothes; unclothed
distraught /dɪˈstrɔːt/ C1	adjective - deeply distressed or agitated
loves /lʌvz/ A2	verb - has a strong affection for
unlucky /ənˈlʌk.i/ B1	adjective - having bad luck
crack /kræk/ B1	noun - a line or opening produced by breaking something
cat /kæt/ A2	noun - a small domesticated carnivorous mammal
laughed /læft/ A2	verb - past tense of laugh; to produce a sound in amusement
superstitious /ˌsuː.pərˈstɪʃ.əs/ C1	adjective - believing in superstitions; irrational
fingers /ˈfɪŋɡərz/ A2	noun - digits on a hand
crossed /krɒst/ B2	adjective - arranged or placed across; linked in a cross shape
luck /lʌk/ A2	noun - good fortune
sign /saɪn/ A2	noun - an indicator or symbol
wood /wʊd/ A2	noun - the hard material of trees; used for building or fuel
wishing /ˈwɪʃɪŋ/ A2	noun - the act of hoping for something; desire
star /stɑːr/ A2	noun - a luminous celestial body
opened /ˈəʊpənd/ A2	verb - caused to become open or revealed; past participle of 'open'
thighs /ðaɪz/ B1	noun - the two upper parts of the legs

Key Grammar Structures

• Daisy's bare naked

  ➔ Elliptical sentence structure (inverted predicate)

  ➔ This line uses an elliptical structure where the verb "is" is omitted, creating a concise, shocking expression without a full sentence. It's an example of "predicate inversion" in poetic language.

• I was distraught

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ This line demonstrates "past simple" tense to describe a state of emotional distress in the past, using "was" with an adjective.

• He loves me not

  ➔ Negative sentence with ellipsis

  ➔ This is a negative structure using "not" to negate "loves", implying doubt, with "me" elided after "not" for rhythm. "Not" negates the verb.

• Baby, I'll admit I've been a little superstitious

  ➔ Present perfect continuous tense with contraction

  ➔ This uses "present perfect continuous" ("I've been") to describe an ongoing habit, with "I'll admit" as a future-action modal. "I've" is a contraction of "I have".

• Seems to be that you and me we make our own luck

  ➔ Clausal complement with colloquial structure

  ➔ This features a "clausal complement" after "seems", where "to be" implies an infinitive clause. The repeated subject "you and me" is colloquial, emphasizing possession with "our own".

• All of that bitchin', wishing on a falling star

  ➔ Gerund phrase in apposition

  ➔ This uses "gerund phrases" ("bitchin'", "wishing") as objects of "all of that", forming a noun phrase listing past actions, with "falling" as a participial adjective modifying "star".

• It's you and me forever dancing in the dark

  ➔ Gerund participle in attributive position

  ➔ Here, "dancing" is a "gerund participle" acting as a complement to "forever", describing a state, with "in the dark" as a prepositional phrase modifying the action.

• Girls, I don't need to catch the bouquet

  ➔ Direct address with modal verb negation

  ➔ "Girls" is "direct address" to the audience, setting a conversational tone. "don't need" negates "modal verb" "need", expressing lack of necessity with an infinitive "to catch".

• His love was the key

  ➔ Metaphorical nominal clause in past simple

  ➔ This line uses "past simple" with a metaphorical equation: "was" links "his love" to "the key", implying causation or unlocking, common in poetic "metaphor" where nouns symbolize abstract concepts.

• Forgive me, it sounds cocky

  ➔ Imperative inflection with concessive structure

  ➔ "Forgive me" is an "imperative" request for pardon, followed by "it sounds cocky" as a "concessive" clause admitting fault, creating self-aware humility.