“Poems” was written during the band’s second batch of writing, with Jake Luppen saying in an interview that:
the second half of the record, to me, is more introspective. The songs feel more honest and related to direct experiences that happened; there was a lot of personal revelation.
In a reddit...
[Verse 1: Jake]
Mary packed her bags and left home on a Christmas Eve
For sea soaked skies and dashing lads with cars
An actress orphaned by the social constructs of her art school
A victim of their esoteric rule
So pretentious that she almost thought it cool
But all you'd hear is
[Chorus: All]
La, la la la la
La la la la la, la la
La, la la la la
La la la la la, la la
[Verse 2: Jake]
Purpose was a vague ideal that she would always talk on
Till she fell in love with the salesman from TV
Yeah, she fell in love with a salesman from TV
While all of Hollywood sang
[Chorus: All]
La, la la la la
La la la la la, la la
La, la la la la
La la la la la, la la
[Interlude: Jake]
Poems (poems)
Poems (poems)
Poems (poems)
Poems (poems)
Poems (poems)
Poems (poems)
Poems (poems)
Poems (poems)
Poems (poems)
Poems (poems)
[Bridge: Jake, Jake & Nathan]
Pearly, pretty prize, and a ribbon box of sighs
In a collared shirt
She thought it wouldn't hurt
Certain love of mine with the palest blue eyes
In her collared shirt
I thought it couldn't hurt
Wood flavored kiss taste the concrete of this
It really fucked with me, it really fucked with me
California eyes are a death wise from design
You really fucked with me
[Outro: Jake, All]
La, la la la la
La la la la la, la la
La, la la la la
La la la la la, la la
La, la la la la
La la la la la, la la
La, la la la la
La la la la la, la la
poems was written by brotherkenzie & Whistler Isaiah & Lupin & Mono Moon.
poems was produced by BJ Burton.
Hippo Campus released poems on Fri Feb 24 2017.
I think “Poems” is probably my favorite right now to play… for the fact we’ve never really done anything like that, there’s all these ambient breaks and I think it really catches people off guard."
- Jake Luppen
Not officially but there is a fan-made piano cover that doesn’t have any vocals: