Noted for his intense flow and sharp wit, Francis has won acclaim both as a freestyle battler and as an unapologetic, intellectual lyricist. Francis uses a broad emotional palette to address a wide range of personal, cultural, and political issues. His unconventional style and persona have given him crossover appeal, but at the same time alienated some hip-hop listeners.
Prior to embarking on a full-time career as an MC, Francis displayed his skills in slam poetry. During the late 1990s, he recorded his first demo tape (1996), fronted the now defunct Providence hip-hop band Art Official Intelligence, and hosted a weekly slot on independent radio station WRIU (the "True School Session"). He also formed the Non-Prophets and released a 12” (Drop Bass/Bounce/I Keep Calling, Emerge Records, 1999), following up in 2003 with their first full-length offering, Hope. Francis is a contemporary of underground hip-hop artists such as Slug, Eyedea, Sole and the anticon. collective. He is also loosely affiliated with the vague underground hip-hop super-group The Orphanage.
As a solo performer, Francis won the MC battle at the 2000 Scribble Jam, and in 2001 he came close to repeating as champion (semi-finalist) while performing as his "metal" alter ego, "Xaul Zan". Francis released his first proper solo album, Personal Journals, on Anticon. in 2002. He toured with a live band on the Live Band Dead Poet Tour to support it. Francis subsequently became the first hip-hop artist to sign with Punk label Epitaph, agreeing to a three-album deal. His first album for Epitaph, A Healthy Distrust, was released in early 2005 and was followed up with Human the Death Dance in 2007.
One of Francis' best-known tracks is "Makeshift Patriot", a commentary on the American media recorded one month after the September 11, 2001 attacks which he released on the internet as an MP3 as well as a limited edition 7" single.
In February 2005 Sage dropped his second full length album on the originally punk label Epitaph, it was widely regarded as the best underground hip hop album of the year by critics and fans alike and featured heavily political tracks such as "The Buzz Kill" and "Slow Down Gandhi" and more personal material like that more similar to that of his debut 'Personal Journals' such as 'Bridle' and a few heavily satirical comments on the modern day rap and urban scene such as the satirical comment on youth gun culture 'Gunz Yo'.
Sage has helped to set up the Wiki KnowMore.org which is described as a 'way to keep tabs on the some of the biggest and most dangerous businesses in the world'. He is a vegetarian and also chooses to abstain from drugs and drinking, though doesn't label himself as "straight-edge" because he believes "you shouldn't define yourself by what you don't do."
Sage has set up his own label and signed some of who he claims to be his favorite artists of the moment such as Buck 65 and Proplyphic and Reanimator named Strange Famous (which shares his initials) with which he released his most recent work 'Human the Death Dance'
This album was released in May 2007 and takes a step away from the heavily political 'Healthy Distrust' and heads back to the more personal lyrics of 'Personal Journals' and comments on modern culture. The album features cameos from many Strange Famous artists such as Buddy Wakefield, Buck 65 and Reanimator.
In 2010 Sage released his fourth full length album Li(f)e (the title coming from the famous quote from 'The Cure' on the Non-Prophets album Hope "Life is just a lie with an f in it and death is definite"). The album was extremely well received and one particular single off of the album 'The Best Of Times' received extensive air play on the popular British radio station Radio 1. After Sages Li(f)e tour Sage has stated that he will no longer be doing tours but will still be releasing albums and other materials, instead he will be doing select gigs throughout each year.
On 3 June 2014, Sage released his fifth studio album 'Copper Gone'. It is the first official studio album after Sage Francis announced his hiatus, which lasted for four years.
16 Years
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And now I hear the hell hounds barking at the gate
To be honest sometimes I want you to relate
This ain't up for discussion it's not a topic for debate
Entrepreneurs that want to bottle up the hate
And slap a label on the glass so hard that it'll break
And if you break it you buy it and we sold it by the case
It's OK if you just try it you can hold it to your face
How close can you get without touching it
How far removed can you get from the public
Can you keep a secret?
If not, can you tie a slipknot?
Can you stand high up on this brick block?
Listen to the clock tick tock and switch gears
It's been 1 2 3 4 5 6 years
Are they all dancing now? Are you joining the party?
Are just celebrating your life just by destroying your body?
It's a part of your psyche that I want to sight see
I don't need you as a tour guide and I don't want you to like me
I was voted least likely
That's it just least likely
So pardon me if I seem feisty
Bite my tongue like a bullet take a pull from the peace pipe
Push past the low expectations of me each night
I leave light in my wake and I moonwalk across the floor
Until I hear the sex kittens all purring at the door
There's something outside that we all want
But inside there's an ex who marks a soft spot
Till it rots and decays and then no one else cares
It's been 7 8 9 10 11 12 years
Now I sell pennies to the well-wishers
I fish through the coin slots
I fall through a girls bait participate in boycotts
I demonstrate a demon's trade
With a face void of thoughts
If that don't launch a thousand ships
Than that's a Helen of Troy's loss
There's nothing in this horse
It's hollow it's empty it's entry will not be forced
Like an eye socket stripped clean of tears
It's been 13 14 15 16 years
In Sage Francis's "16 Years," the singer is reflecting on the passage of time and the changes that have occurred in their life. The singer contrasts the movement of the sun with the barking of "hell hounds" at their gate, suggesting that even as time moves forward, there are still personal demons to reckon with. The singer addresses the listener directly, asking if they can keep a secret or tie a slipknot, indicating a desire for a deeper connection with someone who can handle the difficult aspects of life. The singer also muses on their own trajectory, noting that they were voted "least likely" but still try to leave a positive impact in their wake.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun flies through the sky leaves darkness in it's wake
The sun is like a bullet train, rushing through the day with no regard to the darkness it brings behind it.
And now I hear the hell hounds barking at the gate
I feel like I'm in hell, listening to the sound of angry dogs barking at the gate, waiting to tear me apart.
To be honest sometimes I want you to relate
Honestly, sometimes I want you to understand the pain I'm going through.
This ain't up for discussion it's not a topic for debate
This isn't something we should talk about or argue over, it's just the way things are.
Entrepreneurs that want to bottle up the hate
There are people who want to profit from the negative feelings we have towards each other.
And slap a label on the glass so hard that it'll break
They want to make it seem like they're doing something new and exciting, but really they're just breaking something that was already fragile.
And if you break it you buy it and we sold it by the case
If you destroy something, you're responsible for repairing it, but we've made so much of it that it's impossible to fix.
It's OK if you just try it you can hold it to your face
It's alright to experiment with things that might be harmful, as long as you're aware of the risks involved.
How close can you get without touching it
How close can you get to something dangerous without actually getting hurt?
How far removed can you get from the public
If you don't want to be part of society, how far away can you get before it becomes impossible to sustain yourself?
Can you keep a secret?
Can you be trusted with sensitive information?
If not, can you tie a slipknot?
If you can't keep a secret, can you at least end your own life?
Can you stand high up on this brick block?
Are you confident enough to stand on this unstable foundation and take a risk?
Listen to the clock tick tock and switch gears
Pay attention to the passage of time and be willing to adapt as necessary.
It's been 1 2 3 4 5 6 years
Time has passed, and things have changed.
Are they all dancing now? Are you joining the party?
Are other people happy with their lives right now? Are you going to try and fit in with them?
Are just celebrating your life just by destroying your body?
Are you just partying and doing self-destructive things because you think it makes you look cool?
It's a part of your psyche that I want to sight see
I'm interested in exploring the deeper parts of your mind, the ones that you might not even be aware of.
I don't need you as a tour guide and I don't want you to like me
I can explore your mind on my own, and I don't care if you approve of what I find.
I was voted least likely
I was always seen as an underdog, someone who would never succeed.
That's it just least likely
That's my whole identity, being the one who isn't supposed to make it.
So pardon me if I seem feisty
I might come off as aggressive or hostile, but it's because I'm fighting against low expectations.
Bite my tongue like a bullet take a pull from the peace pipe
I'm trying to stay quiet and calm, even though it's difficult and I really just want to scream.
Push past the low expectations of me each night
I have to work hard to overcome the negative opinions people have of me, every single day.
I leave light in my wake and I moonwalk across the floor
I'm leaving a trail of positivity behind me, even when things are difficult. I'm making progress, but I'm doing it backwards, as if it's effortless.
Until I hear the sex kittens all purring at the door
I keep going until I reach a point of satisfaction or pleasure, like a cat who has been let inside after being outside all night.
There's something outside that we all want
There's a perceived ideal or goal that we are all striving for.
But inside there's an ex who marks a soft spot
At the same time, there's a part of us that is vulnerable to old wounds and past pain.
Till it rots and decays and then no one else cares
Eventually, that old pain becomes irrelevant and unimportant to everyone else. They might not even remember it ever happened.
It's been 7 8 9 10 11 12 years
Time continues to pass, and the pain may still linger, but life goes on.
Now I sell pennies to the well-wishers
I'm trying to make a living selling small, insignificant things to people who are just trying to be nice.
I fish through the coin slots
I'm desperate enough to try and make a living by sifting through loose change that other people have left behind.
I fall through a girls bait participate in boycotts
I get caught up in things that are meant to manipulate me, but also try to stand up for what is right or just.
I demonstrate a demon's trade
I have to do things that are morally wrong or that I'm not proud of in order to survive.
With a face void of thoughts
I have to put on a blank face and not let my true emotions show, even when I'm struggling or scared.
If that don't launch a thousand ships
If I don't achieve something great or noteworthy, nobody is going to come to my aid or rescue me.
Than that's a Helen of Troy's loss
If I'm not successful, it's not the end of the world or a tragedy. It's just something that didn't work out.
There's nothing in this horse
I've exhausted all of my options and come up empty-handed. There's no more to give or to take.
It's hollow it's empty it's entry will not be forced
There's nothing left inside this horse, and I can't force it to give me anything else.
Like an eye socket stripped clean of tears
It's like I've cried all there is to cry, and now there's just an empty hole where tears used to be.
It's been 13 14 15 16 years
Time has passed, and I'm still struggling to make things work. But I'm still here, and that counts for something.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brian Deck, Gordon William Patriarca, James Becker, Kurt David Read, Sage Francis, Tim Rutili
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cheche Garcia
on Buckets Of Silence
I never held a funeral for that big part of me that died.
I need to put these thoughts to rest. i need to find a peace of mind.
I need to piece my mind, find a piece of mind to rest in.
need to find someone to confide in, and with the rest i need to start restin'.
needless to say, i couldn't hide.
fifteen grown men shouldn't cry.
Cheche Garcia
on Message Sent
I've got some letters inside of my drawer
that should have been stamped and delivered
One is addressed to my ex
it says I'm the type of kid who can't be lived with
One is addressed to my friends
it says I'm a mess so y'all can't visit
One is addressed to myself
but I don't know what personality or hand to give it