oh my god finally a happy song we have come to through this album. What a man trav is to make it public knowledge that he wanted to give her a friendship bracelet and exactly 8 months later he had a whole entire set dedicated to him on tour lol.
While Travis attended – The last night in Paris – on the 87th Show, she did a mash up of Treacherous and The Alchemy. The crowd was losing their mind and she was a smiley baby doll. His reactions were even cuter. The indications of mashing the Alchemy with Treacherous … we all lost it.
So yes, this song, somehow she had written and recorded during the Eras Tour in 2023 when they first met, and somehow this love escalated so fast that it made the new album. So let’s dive into this romantic love – that allowed her to begin again. Side note that this song is much longer than most of the others – as if Matty didn’t need to be talked about as long each time – just quick to the point moments that angered her, while she elaborates more about Travy.
I have seen some weird takes about how this song cant be about him because its far too close to the release date…however, as much as i love her, this album doesn’t feel as edited – lyrically – as her others. Even with the ‘he saw forever so he smashed it up’ in MBOBHFT feels… out of place. She also has a few songs down the album that to me are just not the best and could have been cut from the album – however, I understand adding them conceptually. So with that – I do think there were some last minute adds to this album – which is why I think we DO have the Anthology – because I think some of those songs got added a bit later once TTPD was already pressed.
Lyrical Breakdown
This happens once every few lifetimes
These chemicals hit me like white wine
The first line makes me think of her lyrics in Timeless. Or Mary’s Song. The love she dreamed about, but this time it isn’t we would have been timeless, it is safe, it has the potential to be timeless.
As for the wine line… we know girly loves some white wine with ice.
What if I told you I’m back?
The hospital was a drag
Worst sleep that I ever had
THE HOSPITAL!!! A reference to fortnight. Causing her mentally to go insane. She went to the hospital [mental or physical to bring her back to life], and it was hard – but she made it out.
I circled you on a map
He reached out to her with a video about a bracelet. She met him in secret and went to a location to see what he was about.. and I’m assuming that moment they hit it off. She didn’t think that she could trust someone again [referring to the lines below], but she’s becoming herself again.
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
I mean, the image says it all.. all of a sudden Taylor is a football girly. Call the amateurs and cut em from the team because he’s a pro football player, but also because he is showing up for her, in ways that no one else has before.
Even as fans we see this heavily. NO ONE has realized who the fuck they were dating until Travis. Joe hid her, Matty looked down on her [clearly], but Travis is public with her.
She said in past interviews that she doesn’t want to be in relationships where she has to hide. I feel like she had to change her narrative to make her feel better about it throughout 2018-2022. Romance is not dead if you keep it just yours. But was that true? Sometimes we tell ourselves things over and over to convince ourselves that is what we want.
Ditch the clowns, get the crown
Baby I’m the one to beat
clowns in the west, ya know? She’s shaking off the old relationships that ended up being untrue, and crown just her, because she’s the only one he has to conquer –
Moving on to the next lines, it shows she’s the only one he has set his eyes on.
Cause the sign on your heart
Said it’s still reserved for me
Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?
Alchemy is far more than transforming metal into gold. It is the practice of inner transformation. We all have the potential to transform our lives, by aligning our thoughts, feelings, and actions with our highest and most authentic self. The ancient art of alchemy was the search for spirit in matter. In this she is stating that she is finally allowed to be herself. He let’s her be seen as she is. No hiding from him or the press. She is finally free.
Hey you, what if I told you we’re cool?
is it cool that I said all that?
That child’s play back in school
Is forgiven under my rule
I do think this is way to poke fun at the past interviews he has had.
The past is the past and she knew at this moment he didn’t think that one day he’d actually DATE HER. What a wild time.
I haven’t come around in so long
But I’m making a comeback to where I belong …
stop. WHERE I BELONG. I dont have anything to decipher – I am just in my feels. I love this line because she finally feels like who she is again – after years of shape shifting for someone else’s needs she is finally being who she wants, on her own terms, in the spotlight and hidden when she chooses to be.
These blokes warm the benches
We been on a winning streak
When I first heard this I screamed. The BLOKES…the english word for ‘man’ but derogatory. The last 2 men she dated were english – they lost the game, but she and Trav have been winning at every turn – together.
He jokes that it’s heroin but this time with an “E”
lol not matty healy. She somehow put a dig on him in this song too.
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
First off… Jason Kelce lol…
Beer sticking to the floor
She is just explaining this new environment she’s been introduced to. Something so simple and so human. Something so normal that she has never been able to be apart of.
Cheers chanted, cause they said
There was no chance, trying to be
The greatest in the league
Everyone doubted this relationship the MOMENT it appeared in the media. But they continue to ‘win’ and prove them wrong.
I can’t embed this video of the superbowl game with taylor but I can link it 🙂
Where’s the trophy?
He just comes running over to me
AND THIS WAS THE SWEETEST THING IN THE WORLD WHEN IT HAPPENED. The fact that after he won the superbowl – his only concern was finding Taylor.
This happens once every few lifetimes
These chemicals hit me like white wine
I really love when she introduces a line, tells the story and then ends with the line again. To create this cinematic feeling of a million thoughts in a second – she also does this in guilty as sin. Showing this longing feeling to be loved and desire for who she is singing about.
I listen to this song when TTPD makes me sad as an album lol
And don’t worry, we’ll get to So High School – because that also, makes me feel some type of way.
Visual Representation
I know we think of Gold transformation with the Alchemy reference – however this song just feels still, like high school love, football, running away from the spectacle and into the unknown. However, the unknown isn’t scary anymore. The moment is electric, fun, playful, and honest.
