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.
Black Out On White Night
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
might as well have been a dream he thought]
lights are out,
phones are dead,
and I'm the only thing thats running in this city.
except for the clouds,
and they're coming down.
I wouldn't feel so dizz-ay.
where's telly?
nobody can tell me
I don't speak a lick of that language
and got a slippery memory
if I spelled it all out on my arm
only if
but I didn't
so I think get a grip kid
deal with it
baby's waiting for a ring
won't settle for the substitute excuse that's forming
I got a complicated case of escapism
for her I try to rewire my nature
to tired to wake her up
out of that artificial calm she was on
a drug induced future that slipped out of her palms
seductive rain dancer
she thinks I'm water proof
like superman doesn't need a roof over his head
when I come home to roost
I need truth of holy men
but I'm seeking salvation in a booth
the phones are dead
and the lights are out
and I'm the only thing living in this ghost town
except for the clouds
and then they're coming down
if I knew my way around by now I'd rebound for home
black out on white night in rome
black out on white night in rome
I know that I'm in love
but I know I'm out of touch
and I know that I get dumb when I can sense something's up
and then I bottom out
european tale spins
scrawling messages out on my pale skin
in hopes they get mailed in
before the ink poisoning takes affect
and gets smugged because I bugged before I let paint set
I get jugded by the ones who have shelter and rain checks
while I trugged through the mud
because this foreign terrain's wet
regain conciousness and lose common sense
the ominious dark skies that lie between me and providence are signs
the obivous answer isn't standing on your face with stilletos on
if you pop the question wrong
every song is a post after thought
I won't grab the chalk to outline my body of work
toe tags get caught in my teeth
'cause my foot is in my mouth
and the spurs are in the words
so my tounge can't dismount
even after our rapport had fully run it's course
couldn't figure out the most heroic time to jump from the horse
and place this old hat for the last time on a coat rack
but I'd donate all my earnings from this race to know that
resisting urges to go back and get it later
like the milk wouldn't sour itself in the refridgerator
a wet boy in a dry dry state
on a old country road
where tradition has a blind date
I make it dance on it's own grave tonight
with a change of direction by the pale moonlight
and if it needs theme music
i'll break out the bagpipes
and play a tune that a ghost wrote me in a past life that goes like
black out on white night in rome
The opening lines of Sage Francis’s “Black Out on White Night in Rome” are full of introspection and disorientation. The singer says “it was too good to last” and “might as well have been a dream,” leads one to believe that he is in a situation he never thought he would be in or that he is coming down from a high point. The lyrics of the song speak about being in a city that is pitch black with no signs of life, except for the man himself. It implies he is alone, unprepared, and lost in the city of Rome with no ability to contact civilization or anyone who might be able to help him. He says “if I knew my way around I wouldn’t feel so dizz-ay” indicating he is also physically lost and perhaps having trouble with his balance. He is searching for his girlfriend or someone named Telly, but he doesn’t know where to look or who to ask.
He speaks of his complicated situation, an escape artist who is trying to break free of the life he has built for himself. He is alone, except for his significant other, who is waiting for him to come home so they can be together. He speaks about how he is too tired to even try waking her up to remind her that he’s there for her. He feels like he is out of touch with her and with reality itself. In the end, he sings about the “Black Out on White Night in Rome” as an ode to his disillusionment and alienation from society. It is a melancholy ballad about a man who is disconnected from everything he loves and everything he hates.
Line by Line Meaning
it was too good to last he thought
He believes that the good things in his life will never last.
might as well have been a dream he thought
He thinks that the good things in his life were like a dream that he never thought would come true.
lights are out,
The electricity is gone.
phones are dead,
The phones are not working.
and I'm the only thing thats running in this city.
He is the only one who is active in the city.
except for the clouds,
The only other things in the city, other than him, are the clouds.
and they're coming down.
The clouds are moving closer to the ground.
if I knew my way around
If he knew his way around the city,
I wouldn't feel so dizz-ay.
He would not feel disoriented.
where's telly?
He is looking for the television.
nobody can tell me
No one knows where it is.
I don't speak a lick of that language
He does not speak the language of the people in the city.
and got a slippery memory
He has a hard time remembering things.
if I spelled it all out on my arm
If he wrote it on his arm,
only if
But he did not do that.
but I didn't
He did not write it on his arm.
so I think get a grip kid
He tells himself to get a hold of himself.
deal with it
He needs to accept the situation.
baby's waiting for a ring
His girlfriend is waiting for him to propose.
won't settle for the substitute excuse that's forming
She will not accept a fake reason for why he has not proposed.
I got a complicated case of escapism
He has a tendency to escape reality.
for her I try to rewire my nature
He is changing himself for her.
to tired to wake her up
He is too tired to wake her up.
out of that artificial calm she was on
His girlfriend was in an artificially calm state.
a drug induced future that slipped out of her palms
She had a future that was drug-induced, but it slipped away from her.
seductive rain dancer
She is a dancer who is seductive as she dances in the rain.
she thinks I'm water proof
She thinks he is indestructible, like water.
like superman doesn't need a roof over his head
He is like superman who does not need shelter.
when I come home to roost
When he returns home,
I need truth of holy men
He needs guidance from religious and spiritual leaders.
but I'm seeking salvation in a booth
He is looking for help in a phone booth.
and I'm the only thing living in this ghost town
He is the only living thing in a deserted town.
black out on white night in rome
It is dark in Rome during the day, and he experiences a blackout.
I know that I'm in love
He knows that he is in love.
but I know I'm out of touch
He realizes that he is disconnected and distant from the person he loves.
and I know that I get dumb when I can sense something's up
He becomes unintelligent when he senses that something is wrong.
and then I bottom out
He then hits rock bottom.
european tale spins
He is experiencing a fantastical tale in Europe.
scrawling messages out on my pale skin
He is writing messages on his skin.
in hopes they get mailed in
He hopes that his messages will be read.
before the ink poisoning takes affect
He is concerned about ink poisoning.
and gets smugged because I bugged before I let paint set
The ink gets smudged because he moved before it has dried.
I get jugded by the ones who have shelter and rain checks
People who have protection and backup plans judge him.
while I trugged through the mud
He has been enduring a difficult and unpleasant experience.
because this foreign terrain's wet
The foreign terrain is wet and difficult to navigate.
regain conciousness and lose common sense
He wakes up, but then becomes irrational.
the ominious dark skies that lie between me and providence are signs
The dark skies that are between him and his destination are ominous and indicate that something is wrong.
the obivous answer isn't standing on your face with stilletos on
The answer is not something that is right in front of him, but is hidden.
if you pop the question wrong
If he asks the wrong question,
every song is a post after thought
Each song that he writes is a reflection on a past event.
I won't grab the chalk to outline my body of work
He will not summarize his life's work.
toe tags get caught in my teeth
Metaphorically, he is eating his words.
'cause my foot is in my mouth
He has said something foolish or embarrassing.
and the spurs are in the words
His words are causing pain or discomfort.
so my tounge can't dismount
He cannot retract what he has said.
even after our rapport had fully run it's course
Even after their relationship ended.
couldn't figure out the most heroic time to jump from the horse
He could not find the best time to leave the relationship.
and place this old hat for the last time on a coat rack
He wants to retire or end something.
but I'd donate all my earnings from this race to know that
He would give all of his money to find out the answer to something.
resisting urges to go back and get it later
He is fighting the urge to return and recover something.
like the milk wouldn't sour itself in the refridgerator
He is trying to justify why he should not return for something that would only get worse with time.
a wet boy in a dry dry state
He is in a state of being that is the opposite of what he needs.
on a old country road
He is on an aged, rural path.
where tradition has a blind date
He is in a place where tradition is uncertain or undefined.
I make it dance on it's own grave tonight
He is triumphant over something that has died or failed.
with a change of direction by the pale moonlight
He has changed his course in the moonlight.
and if it needs theme music
If the situation requires a soundtrack,
i'll break out the bagpipes
He will play his bagpipes.
and play a tune that a ghost wrote me in a past life that goes like
He is going to play a ghostly tune that he remembers.
black out on white night in rome
He is in Rome, where it is dark during the day and experiencing a blackout.
Contributed by Isabella L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Robert Noss
Fantastic song. Sage has such incredible lyrics and delivery. You feel it through your bones. And that production. Fucking airtight.
Bash_Sanchez
To me, Uncle Sage is like the Leonard Cohen of Hip-Hop. Simply incredible.
tTedY01
Opiinferidii love the comparison :D hate that I didn't come up with it.
Gabriel Beauchemin
me too
Gabriel Beauchemin
he explores his style a lot like him
Kyle Jarvis
i've always referred to him as the Dylan of rap. word play and such. but yes, simply incredible indeed.
bob kenneth
Agreed
Joshua Jona
Thank you for this musical masterpiece Sage. Your music is really something else, I've never connected to any song this much. This entire album is so real, so heartfelt, music like this keeps me going.
Keep doin' ya thing!
hehehe88
That goddamn line towards the end; "I get judged by the ones who have shelter and rainchecks, while i trudge through the mud cause this foreign terrain wet!" is the best thing ever.
John Sesame
Yea. I left home at 17 years old a d never lived with anyone but the girlfriends who bunked with me. It speaks volumes