NEWSAnderson Cooper Cracks Up Reading Taylor Swift's Risqué Lyrics Live on New Year's Eve: Watch
Anderson Cooper laughed while reading playful Taylor Swift’s 'Wood' lyrics while hosting the 'New Year's Eve Live' special.
Jan. 2 2026, Published 10:10 a.m. ET
Anderson Cooper couldn't contain his laughter while reading the lyrics to Taylor Swift's cheeky song "Wood" during CNN's New Year's Eve Live special.
Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen hosted CNN’s 'New Year’s Eve Live' in Times Square.
The track, featured on Swift's 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, includes suggestive references to her fiancé Travis Kelce's manhood. Cooper admitted he was unfamiliar with the song prior to reading its lyrics live on air.
As Cooper, 58, co-hosted the annual celebration with buddy Andy Cohen, 57, he found himself in a fit of giggles while delivering the lyrics. “You’re probably familiar with this song, I was not,” he quipped, chuckling along with the audience.
'Wood' is about Travis Kelce's manhood.
Cohen teased him, “Sweetie, yeah,” as Cooper continued to read the playful lyrics that included lines like, “Redwood tree his love was the key that opened my thighs” and “New Heights of manhood.”
Cooper broke down laughing multiple times, visibly struggling to keep it together. Cohen leaned in closer, jokingly declaring, “Oh yeah, oh yeah, knock on wood, baby!”
The couple got engaged in August 2025.
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The song features clear nods to Swift’s now-fiancé, Kelce, who has shared his thoughts on the viral lyrics during his podcast, “New Heights.” “It's a great song,” Kelce said during an October episode when his brother, Jason, asked him for his take on "Wood."
When challenged to elaborate, Travis playfully responded, “I love that girl, so what do you mean? Any song that she would reference me in that way…”
He continued the banter, insisting, “I think you’re not understanding the song.”
For her part, the pop star commented on the raunchy lyrics.
"I brought this into the studio, and I was like, ‘I want to do a throwback, kind of timeless-sounding song,’ and I have this idea about, like, ‘I ain’t gotta knock on wood,’ and we would knock on wood, and it would be all these superstitions," she explained.
Swift continued, "And it really started out in a very innocent place. [Laughs] You know, it started out… I don’t know what happened, man. I got in there. We started vibing, and I don’t know. I don’t know how we got here, but I love this song so much."
Travis Kelce shared his take on the song 'Wood' on his podcast.
"Wood" sparked major buzz upon its release, becoming the most Googled song of 2025.
One lyric, “he ah-matized me and opened my eyes,” also ranked among Genius' most viewed lyrics.
Stephen Colbert appeared alongside Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen on 'New Year’s Eve Live.'
In addition to the laughter at Taylor's lyrics, Anderson and Andy kicked off the new year with several shots on air, engaged with handmade puppets resembling themselves, and even FaceTimed Stephen Colbert for another on-camera toast.
