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.
BLUE
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An outlaw inside of the ring
Every now and then he'd be put against the ropes but then he'd bounce back
Catch a second wind and throw blows 'til noses crack
He smashed mouths, he saw red and blacked out
Received a couple pats on the back for the smack downs
Negative reinforcement, never did he endorse it
Had the business sense to wait for press conferences to talk shit
Properly mothered but his father taught him how to take a punch
It was bare knuckle touch of tough love
When he got drunk enough he took his kid down to the gym and fit him up with gloves
Tied together with a shoelace, took em apart put em on
Looked in the mirror, practiced his screw face
Said, "This is for you, Pops, for all the things we never got to do"
The hottest part of a flame is blue
The hottest part of a flame is blue Now we got children thinking that they're born to fistfight
Cause they've been promised an apocalypse, by prophets without insight
He coulda fooled us, in fact we're dumbstruck
The school bus is looking like a dump truck
Stuffed in class like a landfill until it overflows
Babysitters can't get the students off their mobile phones
A junkyard dog is eating trash in the cafeteria
Feeling mad at America
The school counselor likes to recycle psychobabble
The assistant to the teacher is just an old TV
Now they've all got the urge to battle
Cause they see a sign that says, "Like to travel? R.O.T.C."
I don't think he can handle, he goes from flannel to camo
Cold putting all the ammo in his gun
He watched channel one, switched to channel two
Unplug completely, the hottest part of a flame is blue
We're acting like an enemy is the sea, sky, and land now
Came across soldiers who did nothing but yell, "stand down"
In their spare time inside a shower stall
If not that, they're at the corner store playing PowerBall
And when the towers fall, they get protective of this land
And won't stand for anything to get resurrected
They're waiting for the second coming, the Great Pumpkin
Deep down, they know they really wanna do is break something
That's what they're trained to do
And then they say to you
"Just cause you see the devil in my eyes don't make it true"
And I say, "true enough"
All that fire in your eyes shows pain
But the flame ain't blue enough
The song Blue by Sage Francis tells the story of a boxer who is tough both mentally and physically. He is a southpaw with a deadly right hook who knows how to take a punch just as well as he knows how to give one. Although he is often put against the ropes, he always bounces back, catching his second wind and throwing blows until his opponents' noses are left broken. Despite his violent nature, he does not endorse negative reinforcement and only talks trash during his press conferences. The boxer was raised to be tough both by his mother and his father, who would take his son drunk to the gym to fit him up with gloves and teach him how to fight properly. The song ends with the lines, "The hottest part of a flame is blue," a reminder that the toughest people are often those who are scarred on the inside.
The metaphorical use of the boxer's story as an allegory for the struggles of life is a well-crafted one. The boxer's journey is synonymous with the unfairness and brutality of life. The boxer may be strong, but he is not invincible. He is prone to being beaten to a pulp, but he always gets back up again, never staying down for long. No matter how hard life gets, we must keep getting back up and keep fighting.
Line by Line Meaning
He was a southpaw but had a killer right swing
He had a dominating hand that was not commonly associated with his stance
An outlaw inside of the ring
He was a rebellious figure in the boxing world
Every now and then he'd be put against the ropes but then he'd bounce back
Though he was overwhelmed at times, he managed to come back with a vengeance
Catch a second wind and throw blows 'til noses crack
Once he got a chance to recover, he went all out and delivered heavy blows
He smashed mouths, he saw red and blacked out
He was so aggressive that he caused bleeding and even lost consciousness in the heat of the moment
Received a couple pats on the back for the smack downs
He was congratulated for his wins but not necessarily for his brutal behavior
Negative reinforcement, never did he endorse it
He didn't agree with the idea of punishment being used as motivation
Had the business sense to wait for press conferences to talk shit
He was smart enough to save his trash talk for official interviews, rather than in the heat of the moment
He wasn't a dullard, though he'd never say much
Despite his quiet demeanor, he was actually quite intelligent
Properly mothered but his father taught him how to take a punch
His mother raised him well, but his father taught him how to endure physical pain
It was bare knuckle touch of tough love
His father's style of teaching was harsh but effective
When he got drunk enough he took his kid down to the gym and fit him up with gloves
He used alcohol as a way to build up the courage to train his child in the sport of boxing
Tied together with a shoelace, took em apart put em on
He improvised with the equipment he had to train his son
Looked in the mirror, practiced his screw face
He worked hard to perfect his intimidating facial expression
Said, "This is for you, Pops, for all the things we never got to do"
His boxing training was a way to connect with his father, who he missed dearly
The hottest part of a flame is blue
The highest intensity of emotion can often be the hardest to control
Now we got children thinking that they're born to fistfight
Young people are being influenced to believe that violence is an inherent part of their identity
Cause they've been promised an apocalypse, by prophets without insight
They are being misled by people who claim to know what the future holds, but do not actually have any meaningful knowledge or understanding
He coulda fooled us, in fact we're dumbstruck
We were misled by someone who turned out to be completely different from what we thought
The school bus is looking like a dump truck
The school bus is overcrowded and messy
Stuffed in class like a landfill until it overflows
Classrooms are full to the point of chaos
Babysitters can't get the students off their mobile phones
The students are so addicted to their phones that they cannot be properly supervised
A junkyard dog is eating trash in the cafeteria
The school does not have enough resources to provide adequate meals to the students
Feeling mad at America
The students feel resentful towards the larger systems of power that have failed them
The school counselor likes to recycle psychobabble
The counselor uses meaningless jargon instead of actually helping the students
The assistant to the teacher is just an old TV
The school relies on outdated technology and ineffective support staff
Now they've all got the urge to battle
The students are increasingly tempted towards violence and conflict
Cause they see a sign that says, "Like to travel? R.O.T.C."
The military recruitment tactics are targeting young people who are desperately seeking a way out of their current situation
I don't think he can handle, he goes from flannel to camo
This person is not psychologically equipped to handle a military environment
Cold putting all the ammo in his gun
He is preparing for violent conflict by arming himself to the teeth
He watched channel one, switched to channel two
He consumed mainstream media that both influenced and reinforced his violent tendencies
Unplug completely, the hottest part of a flame is blue
It is necessary to disconnect from influences that exacerbate violent behavior, as the highest intensity of emotion can often be the hardest to control
We're acting like an enemy is the sea, sky, and land now
Society is increasingly viewing the world in terms of conflict and us vs. them mentalities
Came across soldiers who did nothing but yell, "stand down"
People in positions of authority are using aggression and intimidation to maintain control
In their spare time inside a shower stall
Even in moments of solitude, the soldiers are consumed by thoughts of violence and aggression
If not that, they're at the corner store playing PowerBall
When not engaging in violent activity, these soldiers are tempted by the chance to get rich quick
And when the towers fall, they get protective of this land
After a major tragedy, people become defensive about their country and are willing to take extreme measures to keep it safe
And won't stand for anything to get resurrected
The fear of past events repeating themselves leads to an unwillingness to take risks or allow change
They're waiting for the second coming, the Great Pumpkin
They are looking for a savior, something or someone to come and make everything right
Deep down, they know they really wanna do is break something
Their true desires are often destructive and violent
That's what they're trained to do
Their behavior is likely the result of conditioning and reinforcement from societal structures
And then they say to you
They often attempt to justify their behavior to others
"Just cause you see the devil in my eyes don't make it true"
They deny their violent tendencies and reject the idea that they are evil
And I say, "true enough"
The truth is somewhere in between their perspective and the reality of their actions
All that fire in your eyes shows pain
Their aggression is often a manifestation of internal struggle and hurt
But the flame ain't blue enough
While their emotions may be intense, they are not in control enough to channel them effectively
Contributed by Max K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
glass509
Sage has obviously been touched deeply lately by the military complex our society has seem to build and ignore simultaneously. Glad to see somebody talking about it...
Bull Terror
Legendary 👑💜👑
zaccrookes
I accidentally had this song come on while in the car driving back from hiking last weekend. My younger brother and one of his longtime friends where in the car. My brothers friend is currently doing his basic training to join the Australian army, I've known this kid for over a decade and his only dream in life has been to join the army and eventually special forces, both his parents are ex military. I had to chuckle at the irony of this coming on as it very much matches my feelings and thoughts.
El Horrendo
He's always been critical of the policies of the current neocolonial empire. The US.
John Avery
2023 and this track still cuts deep.
We need sage back, it's been to long.❤
Weisenheimer2011
Thanks for everything! You are one of the greatest modern day poets, from makeshift patriot to make em purr and everything you do. This is what true music is in my opinion. One of my dreams is to do a song with Sage Francis (if you happen to read this, is there a price for a song available?), what a frikkin legend, folks. Since I started studying poetry I saw this music in a whole new light. There is a lot going on here poetically in everything he does. Similies, metaphors, subtext , fascism, classism, Marxism. Reshaped the way I look at rap and literature. Thanks for everything
misremembered72
wow great song and sage is a surprisingly formidable actor. a lot of emotions are portrayed in this video and i think he does a great job with each of them
Richard Fonseca
Amazing. Sage! Strange Famous Records has done so much for the local community and beyond. All the power to SF and crew.
Matt Wehr
Sage has truly grown to be amazing. He was always good but started out a bit immature and pretentious. Now his words are so powerful piercing and straightforward. A true rapper and poet.
Hiphopotamus
Two months later this joint still manages to give me the chills. The video is great too. I wish you would do a whole album with Reanimator, you two have the perfect chemistry together.