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
Receipts
SERPENTWITHFEET Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who taught you how, how?
Who taught you how to love me?
Who taught you how, how? (how, how, how, how, how, how)
Was it the hummingbird that gave you the word
Or the father of three that poured the tea?
Who gave you permission to bag me?
Or the anthems of hope that populate the morning?
Who taught you how to love me?
Who taught you how, how?
Who taught you how to love me?
Who taught you how, how? (how, how, how, how, how, how)
Tell me, how did I deserve you?
Tell me, is this real or am I dreaming?
I've been dealing with some demons
She's an angel
I'm sure they told you I'm disgraceful
Who gave you permission?
You ran up on me, put me in your bag
And I'll go rounds in that
Baby girl, you've met your match
Or whatever huh, call it what you want it, huh
You know I love it
Who taught you how to love me?
Who taught you how, how?
Who taught you how to love me? (ooh, how to)
Who taught you how, how? (oh, how, how, how, how, how, how)
Was it the full moon or was it the fog?
Was it the loon that lurks by the log?
Or the preacher's cadence that gave you the patience?
Was it the paintbrush or was it the paint?
Was it the fresh meal, or the chlorophyll?
When did you gain the skills to steal
The skills to steal my heart?
Who taught you how to love me?
Who taught you how, how?
Who taught you how to love me? (was it the fresh meal, or the chlorophyll?)
When did you gain the skills to steal
Who taught you how, how? (how, how, how, how, how, how)
Who taught you how?
In SERPENTWITHFEET's song Receipts, the singer is questioning his partner about who taught them how to love him. He asks if it was the hummingbird that taught them sweet words or the father of three that showed them how to serve. He wonders who gave them permission to be with him, and suggests that it might have been the doorman who gave them the layout of the building or the hope-filled anthems that fill the morning air. SERPENTWITHFEET then goes on to express his disbelief that he deserves this kind of love, and reveals that he has been dealing with inner demons. He questions whether this love is real or a dream, and admits that he has been judged harshly by others. Despite all of this, he seems to give in to the love that he's receiving, saying that the other person has "stolen his heart" and that they are a perfect match.
The lyrics of Receipts are complex and layered, with each question leading to more confusion about the source of the love that the singer is receiving. The song is a meditation on the nature of love and how it can transform people, but also on the difficulties of truly accepting and receiving love. The lyrics also contain references to nature, spirituality, and mundane aspects of everyday life, creating a sense of mysticism and groundedness at the same time. Overall, SERPENTWITHFEET's song is a powerful exploration of the contradictions and beauty of human love.
Line by Line Meaning
Who taught you how to love me?
I am curious to know who taught you how to love me.
Who taught you how, how?
I want to know the way you were taught to love me.
Was it the hummingbird that gave you the word
Did a hummingbird tell you how to love me?
Or the father of three that poured the tea?
Did a father of three teach you how to love me?
Who gave you permission to bag me?
Who authorized you to capture my heart?
Was it the doorman, that gave me my floor plan
Did your doorman give you guidance towards loving me?
Or the anthems of hope that populate the morning?
Did the inspirational music that you listen to teach you how to love me?
Tell me, how did I deserve you?
I do not understand how I was lucky enough to have you.
Tell me, is this real or am I dreaming?
I am questioning if our love is genuine or if it is just a figment of my imagination.
I've been dealing with some demons
I have been struggling with my inner demons.
She's an angel
You are perfect and amazing, like an angel.
I'm sure they told you I'm disgraceful
I am certain that someone has spoken badly about me to you.
Who gave you permission?
Who allowed you to come into my life and love me?
You ran up on me, put me in your bag
You pursued me and caught my heart easily.
And I'll go rounds in that
I am willing to fight battles for our love.
Baby girl, you've met your match
You have found someone that is just as good as you are in every way.
Or whatever huh, call it what you want it, huh
Our love can be interpreted in any way you choose.
You know I love it
You know that I love you and our relationship.
Was it the full moon or was it the fog?
Did the full moon or the fog inspire you to love me?
Was it the loon that lurks by the log?
Did the bird by the log show you how to love me?
Or the preacher's cadence that gave you the patience?
Did the rhythms of the church teach you how to be patient with me?
Was it the paintbrush or was it the paint?
Did the artist or the artwork inspire you to love me?
Was it the fresh meal, or the chlorophyll?
Did the food or the process of photosynthesis remind you to love me?
When did you gain the skills to steal
When did you acquire the ability to capture my heart so easily?
The skills to steal my heart?
The way you love me is so effective, it feels like you stole my heart.
Who taught you how?
I want to know who taught you how to love so perfectly.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Josiah Wise, Tyrone William Griffin Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@FastPacedSound
I’m surprised this song hasn’t blown up, it’s absolutely beautiful
@NoThoughtAllFeels
This guy has the best runs i’ve ever heard. Wow. effortless
@ursaminorjim
Jeepers, this is great. The shifting keys, the harmonies (giving me a total Scritti Politti vibe, actually)...it's like being an inflatable at a wave pool!
@megantheestallionzl3214
ursaminorjim ❤️
@Rahbinknight
Serpent is insane. No one compares
@Samstyles634
This is everything...two beautiful voices goin crazy💕
@BlissBlueDreamXoXo
Bryson Tiller’s tweet brought me here ❤️This song is absolutely divine 💗 the two harmonies together are breathtaking.
@gilespeterson6832
Real question here is who taught you how to make a whole BOP
@carstarsarstenstesenn
Giles Peterson he always had it in him
@breannat6125
serpentwithfeet is a GIFT!!!!