Looking at it now
It all seems so simple
We were lying on your couch
I remember
You took a Polaroid of us
Then discovered (then discovered)
The rest of the world was black and white
But we were in screaming color
And I remember thinking
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods?
Looking at it now
Last December (last December)
We were built to fall apart
Then fall back together (back together)
Ooh, your necklace hanging from my neck, the night we couldn't quite forget
When we decided, we decided
To move the furniture so we could dance, baby, like we stood a chance
Two paper airplanes flying, flying, flying
And I remember thinking
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods?
Remember when you hit the brakes too soon
Twenty stitches in a hospital room
When you started crying, baby, I did too
But when the sun came up, I was looking at you
Remember when we couldn't take the heat
I walked out, I said, I'm setting you free
But the monsters turned out to be just trees
When the sun came up, you were looking at me
You were looking at me, oh
You were looking at me
(Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?)
(Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?) I remember
(Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?)
(Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good) oh, I remember
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
It all seems so simple
We were lying on your couch
I remember
You took a Polaroid of us
Then discovered (then discovered)
The rest of the world was black and white
But we were in screaming color
And I remember thinking
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods?
Looking at it now
Last December (last December)
We were built to fall apart
Then fall back together (back together)
Ooh, your necklace hanging from my neck, the night we couldn't quite forget
When we decided, we decided
To move the furniture so we could dance, baby, like we stood a chance
Two paper airplanes flying, flying, flying
And I remember thinking
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods?
Remember when you hit the brakes too soon
Twenty stitches in a hospital room
When you started crying, baby, I did too
But when the sun came up, I was looking at you
Remember when we couldn't take the heat
I walked out, I said, I'm setting you free
But the monsters turned out to be just trees
When the sun came up, you were looking at me
You were looking at me, oh
You were looking at me
(Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?)
(Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?) I remember
(Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?)
(Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good) oh, I remember
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods yet?
Are we out of the woods yet? Are we out of the woods?
Are we in the clear yet? Are we in the clear yet?
Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good
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Cowritten by Jack Antonoff of Fun. and Bleachers, it’s about the anxiety and excitement of a past relationship.
Taylor Swift spoke to ABC about the song:
This song is about the fragility and kind of breakable nature of some relationships. This was a relationship where it was kind of living day-to-day, wondering where it was going, if it was gonna go anywhere, if it was gonna end the next day. It was a relationship where you never feel like you’re standing on solid ground.
And that kind of a feeling brings on excitement, but also extreme anxiety, and kind of a frantic feeling of wondering. Endless questions. And this song sounds exactly like that frantic feeling of anxiety and questioning, but it stresses that, even if a relationship is breakable and fragile and full of anxiety, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t worthwhile, exciting, beautiful and all the things that we look for.
"Are we together? Are we completely done?" They ask.
Released this morning on iTunes and streaming at RyanSeacrest.com, Out of the Woods has massive, '80s-inspired production and an apprehensive melody that "sounds exactly like that frantic feeling of anxiety and questioning" in a fragile relationship, the singer told Good Morning America Monday.
But the second song made available from Swift's forthcoming album 1989, written and recorded with Jack Antonoff of fun. and Bleachers, is also the first Swift has written to a pre-existing track. "I tend to want to create something with my guitar or piano and bring it in, then we create the track from the ground up," Swift tells USA TODAY. "But with Jack, he has something very emotional about what he does when creating a track. I can kind of read that emotion as soon as I hear it, and we work very well that way."
The song's arrangement layers '80s and contemporary elements, especially when it comes to the synthesizers. "I used a Yamaha DX7 a lot on that song, which is so uniquely '80s, but then countered it with a super-distorted Minimoog Voyager in the chorus," Antonoff says. "That sounds extremely modern to me. It's that back-and-forth."
Out of the Woods may never be a single for radio, Swift says, but she wanted people to hear it before the rest of 1989, out Oct. 27, because "I think it's the greatest example of the sound of this album."