John Green Reads Poetry

So many poems to listen to!

Hey, there’s a missing poem!

Hi! This website is an ongoing labor of love inspired by John’s self-proclaimed love of poetry ¹ and the mission of Ours Poetica.²

We’re working very hard combing through the vast amounts of online content John and Hank have created ³ — and continue to create! — to find every instance of John reading poetry.⁴ Most of these were short poems that used to appear as an opening segment in the Dear Hank & John pod.⁵

Check out our growing list of missing or lost poetry-related John Green media:

Lost Media (help us out)!

We have a long way to go, and are using the posts’ dates as a way to organize everything chronologically with relevant tags to make everything extra useable!

So if you have a suggestion of something we missed or would like to share a piece of poetry-related media you’ve found…

Let us know!

—

  1. This is also a recurring riff in many of the opening segments of Dear Hank & John
  2. A lovely play on the Latin phrase Ars Poetica (“The Art of Poetry”)
  3. Examples: 1 | 2
  4. And, occasionally, someone else, such as his wife, his brother, or a poem inspired by one of Hank’s rants. Admittedly, some things are qualified as ‘poems’ rather loosely — John has read lyrics, and other nontraditional items as poetry, and that’s a wonderful thing!
    Because poetry is, always, what we make it.
  5. And are still missed by Nerdfighters everywhere!
ALL POEMS

Related Resources

Dear Hank & John

Or as he likes to call it: “Dear John & Hank”

Transcripts*
Patreon | X | Email
Listen for free:

Other Resources

Tags & Categories

“Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” (lyrics excerpt) by Bernie Taupin

Guest John: Felicia Day

The related banter…

Hank: …But first, Felicia, do you have a poem for us?

Felicia: Mmm yeah, I do in fact have a prepared statement.

(Reads lyrics)

Felicia: Thank you.

Hank: Thank you for that lovely poem, written by Bernie Taupin, the man who wrote almost all of the lyrics to Elton John’s songs.

Felicia: Tiny Dancer.

Hank: This is the final… This is the final Elton John lyric of Dear Hank and John because John’s hiatus will be ending next week, so he will be back but this week, even better than John we have Felicia.

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https://www.tumblr.com/dearhankandjohnpodshortpoems/161110660259/009-saturday-nights-alright-guest-john

Dear Hank & John | Ep. 009

Click to read opening lyrics

It’s getting late, have you seen my mates?
Ma, tell me when the boys get here
It’s seven o’clock and I wanna rock
Wanna get a belly full of beer
My old man’s drunker than a barrel full of monkeys
And my old lady, she don’t care
My sister looks cute in her braces and boots
A handful of grease in her hair

Oh, don’t give us none of your aggravation
We had it with your discipline
Oh, Saturday night’s alright for fighting
Get a little action in
Get about as oiled as a diesel train
Gonna set this dance alight
‘Cause Saturday night’s the night I like
Saturday night’s alright, alright, alright, ooh

Well, they’re packed pretty tight in here tonight
I’m looking for a dolly who’ll see me right
I may use a little muscle to get what I need
I may sink a little drink and shout out, “She’s with me!”

A couple of the sounds that I really like
Are the sounds of a switchblade and a motorbike
I’m a juvenile product of the working class
Whose best friend floats in the bottom of a glass

Click to read remaining song lyrics

Oh, don’t give us none of your aggravation
We had it with your discipline
Saturday night’s alright for fighting
Get a little action in
Get about as oiled as a diesel train
Gonna set this dance alight
‘Cause Saturday night’s the night I like
Saturday night’s alright, alright, alright, ooh

Oh, don’t give us none of your aggravation
We had it with your discipline
‘Cause Saturday night’s alright for fighting
Get a little action in
Get about as oiled as a diesel train
Gonna set this dance alight
‘Cause Saturday night’s the night I like
Saturday night’s alright, alright, alright, ooh

Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday night’s alright
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday night’s alright
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday!
Saturday! Saturday! Saturday night’s alright, whoo

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