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.
Buckets Of Silence
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Had I thought now what I knew then..
I might still be human
with all the little stupid fix-ins
As I fix sins and vixens vick souls
Stitch clothes for the characters they play then switch roles
Nail me to the cross dress
The holy cloth costs less
if I still had your soft breasts to rest my head on
Since you've been gone
I recalled my issues with problems and hate
but I can't exactly remember the model or make
Now glass bottles break in my death grip
I'm about to take the next quick exit and end this head trip
My bed is stripped of its blankets, comforters, pillows and sheets,
but I might have to peel off all my skin to remove your scent in order to sleep
I had my highs and lows
When on top, I let you peek out over my nose
Sitting on my shoulders and I suppose if I had a backbone,
you might still be here
My skin is filthy..
from my lows when you weren't there. But to keep from feeling guilty
I collected the dirt...Kept it piling up
Now Mr Feel Nothing saves his tears inside of a cup
and he drinks. And he forgets that he's an asshole
Jealous of his ghosts and doubts that he even has a soul
My secret pleasures have my inner demons gossiping
I'm a ghost writer for the horrorcore lyrics my personal mosters sing
I'm sitting in a strangers tub..
with all my clothes on...shivering...considering the dangers of love.
They get half of what I have to give...IF THAT
It's all about the packaging. They're distracted by the gift rap.
Predictable. Easy to manipulate
They're foreshadow puppets and I'm waiting for their strings to break.
The pillars that once held up my halfway house have been taken out.
I'm in my last days now. There's a change coming soon.
I just want to crawl back into my mother's womb
I need a comfort zone,
But obviously I need to find another home
To call my own...and always return to
and I want it to be you
I sit and stare, zone out, think a lot and never sleep,
creating memories to remember and then I forget to eat.
Went to the street you used to live on, staring at the bedroom window of your old home
with puppy eyes...waiting for God to throw me a bone.
I'd settle for one more goodbye kiss while I settle for less
I'm unsettled at best. Sulking while abandoning settlements
Insulting my companions intelligence...conversing with baby talk
Playing with mind games. Rehearsing with playful thought.
Its the way we fought that made my blood bubble then turn cold,
when you made me walk through rain and mud puddles down a dirt road.
it left me so messy
forget me..
not
I've got more mud to sling...
Shot.
The lyrics of "Buckets Of Silence" by Sage Francis is a melancholic reflection on lost love and the regret that comes with it. The artist speaks of how he wishes he could go back in time and do things differently, but he cannot. He laments over the fact that he has lost the one he loved, and now he is left feeling empty and alone. The use of strong imagery in the lyrics expresses the depth of the artist's feelings. He speaks of his feelings and emotions honestly, penning powerful lyrics that convey his sadness, loneliness, and remorse.
In the next verse, the artist speaks about his secret pleasures and inner demons, which have made him an isolated and unhappy person. He admits to being jealous of his own ghosts and doubts his very existence. The artist speaks about how he has lost his sense of identity, and his soul is in a state of turmoil. He talks about his inability to love someone deeply again, and how he has become insular and commits to doing nothing.
Finally, the song ends with the artist speaking about his hope for a better future. He speaks of wanting to go back to his childhood, a time when he felt safe and secure in his mother's womb. He longs for a place to call home and someone who will be there for him through thick and thin.
Line by Line Meaning
Had I known then what I know now
If only I had the knowledge I have now back then
Had I thought now what I knew then..
If only I could apply what I knew then to my current thinking
I might still be human with all the little stupid fix-ins
I could have remained human and accepted my flaws
As I fix sins and vixens vick souls
While I try to make amends for my bad deeds and heal broken souls
Stitch clothes for the characters they play then switch roles
I make clothes for people who pretend to be someone else and then switch roles
Nail me to the cross dress
Punish me severely
The holy cloth costs less
Religion is based on materialism
I'd toss less if I still had your soft breasts to rest my head on
I would be less troubled if I had your comforting presence
Since you've been gone I recalled my issues with problems and hate but I can't exactly remember the model or make
I realize my emotional problems only after you left me, but I can't fully remember what caused them
Now glass bottles break in my death grip
I'm breaking things out of frustration and despair
I'm about to take the next quick exit and end this head trip
I'm contemplating suicide to end my suffering
My bed is stripped of its blankets, comforters, pillows and sheets, but I might have to peel off all my skin to remove your scent in order to sleep
My bed is bare, yet the thought of you still haunts me to the point where I want to remove my skin to get rid of your scent
I had my highs and lows when on top, I let you peek out over my nose sitting on my shoulders, and I suppose if I had a backbone, you might still be here
I have been through good and bad times, and when I was on top, I let you share in my successes. If I were a stronger person, you might still be with me
My skin is filthy from my lows when you weren't there. But to keep from feeling guilty, I collected the dirt...Kept it piling up
I feel dirty and ashamed from the times you weren't there for me, but collected my guilt and shame like dirt and kept it with me
Now Mr Feel Nothing saves his tears inside of a cup and he drinks. And he forgets that he's an asshole Jealous of his ghosts and doubts that he even has a soul
I numb myself to emotional pain with alcohol, forgetting that I'm a terrible person. I envy the memories of people I used to know and question if I am capable of having a soul
My secret pleasures have my inner demons gossiping I'm a ghost writer for the horrorcore lyrics my personal monsters sing
My guilty pleasures trigger my inner demons to speak. I'm writing lyrics for my own monsters to sing
I'm sitting in a strangers tub with all my clothes on...shivering...considering the dangers of love
I'm in a stranger's tub, fully clothed, shivering in fear of the risks and consequences of love
They get half of what I have to give...IF THAT It's all about the packaging. They're distracted by the gift rap
People don't appreciate me or what I have to offer. They're only attracted to the exterior and superficial qualities
Predictable. Easy to manipulate They're foreshadow puppets and I'm waiting for their strings to break
People are predictable and easy to control. They're puppets waiting for me to cut their strings
The pillars that once held up my halfway house have been taken out. I'm in my last days now. There's a change coming soon. I just want to crawl back into my mother's womb. I need a comfort zone, But obviously I need to find another home To call my own...and always return to and I want it to be you
The stability I once had is gone, and I feel like I'm near the end. Change is coming, but I wish to regress and return to my mother's womb for comfort. I need to find a new place to call home, but I wish it could be you
I sit and stare, zone out, think a lot and never sleep, creating memories to remember and then I forget to eat
I'm lost in thought, unable to sleep and forget to eat while reminiscing and creating new memories
Went to the street you used to live on, staring at the bedroom window of your old home with puppy eyes...waiting for God to throw me a bone
I went to your old neighborhood, staring at your old bedroom window with hopeful eyes, waiting for a sign from a higher power to show me the way to reconcile with you
I'd settle for one more goodbye kiss while I settle for less I'm unsettled at best. Sulking while abandoning settlements Insulting my companions intelligence...conversing with baby talk Playing with mind games. Rehearsing with playful thought
I'm pathetic and desperate, longing for one last goodbye kiss. I am a mess, doing everything wrong and sabotaging my relationships. I am immature, playing games and acting like a child
Its the way we fought that made my blood bubble then turn cold, when you made me walk through rain and mud puddles down a dirt road. it left me so messy forget me.. not. I've got more mud to sling...
Our fights started with anger and turned to numbness when you made me walk through rain and mud. I'm still hurt and not ready to forgive you. I'm still bitter and want to hurt you back
Shot.
I'm done talking, ready to give up, possibly even commit suicide
Contributed by Nicholas G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cheche Garcia
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.
@uraniumu242
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@CatieCass
This guy's voice would have life support patients reaching for the off switch.
@Raven74408
😭
@AngelLuisEspada1970
😆👍
@covert9869
🤣😂🤣😭😭😭
@PhunnyMunny
Lololololololololololololololol
@azaleacorona1239
💀💀💀💀
@caraglen9909
The narrator's voice is very difficult. It sounds like he is ending every sentence with a question. Very grating.
@bruceinglis4300
Yes it feels like my nerves are being rubbed against a cheese grater
@Mii..
For some reason I don't hear it. Sounds like he's talking normal.
Edit: OK I kinda hear it on some sentences.