Wise was raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up amongst a religious family; his father owned a Christian bookstore and his mother was a choir director. Wise joined the church choir as a child and grew up with classical and gospel music as a primary influence.
He attended the University of the Arts and sang with a couple of neo-soul bands in Philadelphia, before re-locating to New York City where he started working with Robin Carolan of Tri Angle Records. The blisters EP was released in September 2016 with previously available songs 'flickering', 'blisters' and 'four ethers' , alongside 'penance' and 'redemption'. The EP was co-written and produced with The Haxan Cloak.
Wise is openly gay and from a young age used gospel music to express his sexuality.
http://tri-anglerecords.com/serpentwithfeet
Mourning song
SERPENTWITHFEET Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My voice is far too deep
It's buried in the ground
Sound like the demon
The demon needed me to be
Now you're nowhere to be found
What'll be, be, be, mourned
I am so embarrassed
Shadows layer the corners of my smile
They will not go away
It's too much work
To be the monster and miss you too
Why didn't you just stay?
I'm annoyed with clothes today
I'd rather swaddle myself in sorrow today
I don't want to be small, small, sad
I want to be big, big, sad
I want to make a pageant of my grief
Cut out our better half
And carry your side everywhere with me
Yes I do, yes I do
I'm not through you yet [?]
I'm never through you again [?]
I'm sure my friends are tired of me talking about you
But it's a gift, it's a gift to miss you
What kinda lover would I be
If I didn't properly grieve?
I'll miss you, I miss you
What'll be, be, be, mourned
What'll be, be, be, mourned
What'll be, be, be, mourned (This sorrow is mine)
What'll be, be, be, mourned (This sadness is mine)
What'll be, be, be, mourned
What'll be, be, be, mourned
In "mourning song" by SERPENTWITHFEET, the artist explores the complexities of grief after the end of a relationship. The song opens with the artist expressing embarrassment and shame over the deepness of his voice, which he feels is like that of a demon. This feeling of not being good enough carries over into his grief over the loss of his lover. He becomes annoyed with the mundane aspects of life, like clothes, and longs to be consumed by his sadness, to make a "pageant" of his grief. He acknowledges that his friends may grow tired of hearing him talk about his lover, but to him, missing his lover is a gift.
As the song progresses, the artist speaks directly to his lover, questioning how he could properly love them if he didn't allow himself the space to grieve. He acknowledges that the mourning process is his own, saying "This sorrow is mine" and "This sadness is mine," reiterating that he must go through it his own way. The chorus, "What'll be, be, be, mourned" is a sort of mantra for the artist, reminding him and the listeners that mourning is a necessary part of healing.
Overall, "mourning song" is a raw and vulnerable exploration of grief, showing that it is okay to feel all the complex and confusing emotions that come with losing a loved one.
Line by Line Meaning
I am so embarrassed
I feel ashamed
My voice is far too deep
My voice doesn't sound the way I want it to
It's buried in the ground
I feel like my voice isn't heard or appreciated
Sound like the demon
I sound scary, like a monster
The demon needed me to be
I feel like I have to be scary to protect myself
Now you're nowhere to be found
I miss you and I can't find you
What'll be, be, be, mourned
I have to accept what has been lost and grieve
Shadows layer the corners of my smile
I am sad even when I try to be happy
They will not go away
My sadness is always present
It's too much work
Trying to be both scary and sad is exhausting
To be the monster and miss you too
I feel like I have to be scary to protect myself from missing you
Why didn't you just stay?
I wish you didn't have to go
I'm annoyed with clothes today
I am frustrated with superficial things
I'd rather swaddle myself in sorrow today
I want to focus on my sadness and not pretend to be happy
I don't want to be small, small, sad
I don't want to hide my sadness
I want to be big, big, sad
I want to express my sadness to its fullest extent
I want to make a pageant of my grief
I want to show the world how sad I am
Cut out our better half
I feel incomplete without you
And carry your side everywhere with me
I want to keep your memory close to me
Yes I do, yes I do
I really do miss you
I'm not through you yet [?]
I still need time to process my grief
I'm never through you again [?]
I will always miss you
I'm sure my friends are tired of me talking about you
I talk about you a lot because I miss you
But it's a gift, it's a gift to miss you
Even though it hurts, missing you is a reminder of how much you meant to me
What kinda lover would I be
I want to show that I loved you deeply
If I didn't properly grieve?
If I didn't show my sadness, I wouldn't be honoring our love
I'll miss you, I miss you
I will always miss you
This sorrow is mine
My sadness is a part of me
This sadness is mine
My grief is personal and unique
What'll be, be, be, mourned
I have to accept my loss and mourn it
What'll be, be, be, mourned
I have to accept my loss and mourn it
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Josiah Wise, Michael Volpe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind