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
blisters
SERPENTWITHFEET Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The mice have forgiven our greed
Still you won't kneel to kiss me
My lips the only source of water for miles, miles
Where's your concern, concern?
No love had gone between us, us
My concern
And cause the hairs on my chin to drip
Could nourish you, could sustain you
Kiss me, go
Kiss me, go
Pretend the floors cracking in the shape of our names is not a big deal
Pretend the dark flowers growing towards us is not a big deal
Pretend me loving you is not a big deal
Go
As your lips curl at the smell of sweetness in this room
(Keep tying your shoes)
You should know the world outside my door has tightened it's womb for you
Help me say the darkness of the leaves has come
Forgiveness has not forgiven it
(Tomorrow time)
The darkness of leaves has come
(Has come)
Forgiveness has not forgiven it
The darkness of the leaves has come
(You could've been safe with me)
Forgiveness has not forgiven it
(But now, the trees have grown tired)
The darkness of leaves has come
Forgiveness has not forgiven it
(What am I gonna do with you, what am I gonna do with you? With you?)
The darkness of leaves has come
Forgiveness has not forgiven it
(Forgiven it)
The darkness of the leaves has come
(The darkness of the leaves has come)
Forgiveness has not forgiven it
(You would not get smart with me
You would not kneel for me, you would not kiss me)
The darkness of the leaves has come
(Darkness of the leaves has come)
Forgiveness has not forgiven it
(Darkness of leaves has come, oh)
The darkness of leaves has come
(Forgiveness has not)
Forgiveness has not forgiven it
(Watch the world get smart for you, watch the leaves get black for you)
In "blisters," SERPENTWITHFEET sings about the complexities of love and relationships. He compares the blue of the concrete to the emotions he is feeling and the forgiveness of the mice to the lack of concern from his lover. He longs for his lover to kiss him and see the potential for nourishment and sustenance in their relationship. The cracked floors and growing flowers serve as symbols of the issues that they need to overcome, but his lover is unwilling to try. The darkness of leaves represents the darkness that has taken over their love and the forgiveness that has not been granted. At the end, the darkness of the leaves comes, and forgiveness has still not been granted. The strength and perseverance of his love end up being in vain, as his lover refuses to reciprocate.
The lyrics of "blisters" are rich with poetic language and metaphors. The blue of the concrete and the darkness of the leaves represent the emotional turmoil of the relationship, while the mice and cracked floors symbolize the small aspects of the relationship that have been neglected. SERPENTWITHFEET's use of sensory language is impressive, as he describes the blue falling from his mouth and the sweetness in the room. The repetition of "kiss me, go" emphasizes his longing for affection and the frustration of being denied.
Overall, "blisters" is a powerful song that beautifully expresses the raw emotions of love and heartbreak. The themes of forgiveness, neglect, and perseverance are expertly woven into the lyrics and make for an evocative listening experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Concrete has hurried itself into blue
The concrete surface has quickly turned into a blue color
The mice have forgiven our greed
The mice have overlooked the harm that humans have caused them due to their greed
Still you won't kneel to kiss me
The other person refuses to show affection by not kneeling down to kiss the singer
My lips the only source of water for miles, miles
The singer's lips are the only source of moisture in the surrounding area for miles and miles
Where's your concern, concern?
The singer questions the other person's lack of care or attention
No love had gone between us, us
There was never any genuine love between the two individuals
My concern
The singer's worry or apprehension
This same blue that falls from my mouth
The same blue color that appears on the concrete is also present in the singer's saliva
And cause the hairs on my chin to drip
The blue color in the singer's saliva is so potent that it causes the hairs on their chin to drip
Could nourish you, could sustain you
The blue color in the singer's saliva has the potential to nourish and sustain the other person
Kiss me, go
The singer requests a kiss before the other person leaves
Pretend the floors cracking in the shape of our names is not a big deal
The singer asks the other person to ignore the cracks on the floor that resemble their names
Pretend the dark flowers growing towards us is not a big deal
The singer asks the other person to ignore the ominous black flowers that are growing towards them
Pretend me loving you is not a big deal
The singer asks the other person to ignore the significant nature of their love for each other
As your lips curl at the smell of sweetness in this room
The other person reacts to the sweet smell in the room with a physical gesture
(Keep tying your shoes)
The singer gives the other person time to tie their shoes while they speak
You should know the world outside my door has tightened its womb for you
The outside world has become less welcoming or less accommodating for the other person
Help me say the darkness of the leaves has come
The singer asks the other person to acknowledge the arrival of the dark leaves or negative aspects of their relationship
Forgiveness has not forgiven it
Even though the singer has tried to forgive, their anger or hurt has not subsided
(Tomorrow time)
The artist reminds the other person of the future and the consequences that may arise from their actions
(Has come)
The darkness or negativity has arrived and it's not something that can be ignored or avoided
(You could've been safe with me)
The singer reminds the other person that they could have been safe and secure in their relationship
(But now, the trees have grown tired)
The singer acknowledges the weariness or exhaustion of the natural world
(What am I gonna do with you, what am I gonna do with you? With you?)
The singer questions their future with the other person since they seem unable to show physical affection or concern
(Darkness of leaves has come)
The negative aspects of their relationship have become more pronounced
(Forgiveness has not)
Even though the singer has tried to forgive, their emotions are still present and unforgiving
(Watch the world get smart for you, watch the leaves get black for you)
The singer implies that the other person's lack of concern for their feelings will ultimately result in negative consequences for them and the surrounding world
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JOSIAH WISE, ROBERT KRLIC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind