Different
Sage Francis Lyrics


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"Nothing at last is sacred. Oh how the great have fallen
What have I done to myself? It's been way too long!"

We need to reacquaint. Things are different now, I ain't the same man I was
Hi, how are you doing? I'm new and improved with even less to lose
A collector's edition version of a virgin drink ordering cocktail teller
Gone way wrong...to the point of no rerun
Over the edge and burned out before I even got my shine
Holding my head in pure doubt
Out of insight. Out of mindful things to shout or rhyme about

Yeah, I know I was supposed to change the world and all
But it looks like the world got to me first
If you can't beat em, join 'em..
Then hurt the team by beating yourself

I'm different...in a different way
The only thing that stays the same is change
While people claim their states, I state my claims
Sage Francis made a name for himself
For the record my mother calls me Paul
Which was my father's middle name, but Ray
Stepped in and raised me
It's crazy, but this is a game I play

called "Shut the fuck uuuuuuup!"

Don't bother calling me at all because I'm not answering
Is that a voice-mail-bomb-threat or a broken promise I'm mishandling?
Gambling away my money issues, somebody owes me big bucks
My career depends on explosive vacuums sucking me in and blowing me up

Poetry struck a nerve in the listenership
Spoken word then got 'em all interested
Now I don't have to serve ice cream to little kids
I serve emcees who think they're rippin' it
And poets who think they're somehow significant
Meanwhile both are loud and ignorant
And don't know how to speak to a crowd in an intimate environment

I am different. In a different way
The only thing that stays the same is change
While people claim their states, I state my claims
I'm a quiet natured player who outwardly hates the game
I shake what I got, which is a jingly pocket
I do my mini-market research and make noise for myself when I walk quick

I talk with authority while I question it
When I ask, "Who am I?" I'm left guessing
But if you're a poor man's version of ANYTHING
It is your self-perception

Growing up in a microscopic town prepared me well for this petrii dish
Where talk is invisible to the eye and they hate the guy they're speaking with
I'm a real vegetarian: No chicken...not even fish
I'm a real underground rapper
My tape quality sucks, my records are warped and my CD skips

Lady Luck is a greedy bitch with itchy palms and a case of the gimmes
I've got an outtie if she's got an inny, I'll clean her pipes and then sweep her chimney
The beat that's in me is polyrhythmic. You're only 60 heart beats per minute
A human second-hand-me-down-to-earth-guy who will thriftshop-lift his hiphop

I may be getting too big for my britches
but I paid my dues when the cost was climbing
If I burn too many bridges I'll never get off of this awful island
As long as I've been rhyming, they only started listening
Because for a while they didn't like how
I wouldn't smoke the pot that I was pissin' in

Plus I had no dead homies to pour out the liquor I don't drink
You can flash your shiny objects in front of my eyes and I won't blink




I'm motherfucking different. Oooohhhh yyyeeeaaahhhh..
I'm motherfucking different. Oooohhhh yyyeeeaaahhhh..

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Sage Francis's song "Different" touch on themes of transformation, self-doubt, and finding one's place in the world. The line "Nothing at last is sacred" suggests that the world can be a harsh and uncertain place where nothing is guaranteed. The reference to the fallen great speaks to the idea that even those with the most promise and success can stumble and fall.


The singer questions what they have done to themselves, suggesting they may have contributed to their own struggles. They acknowledge that they need to "reacquaint" with the world because things are different now. The singer points out that they are not the same person they used to be and that they are "new and improved with even less to lose." Despite the confidence in this statement, there is an undercurrent of uncertainty and vulnerability throughout the lyrics.


The song also touches on themes of identity and self-perception. The singer notes that people claim their states, but they state their own claims. They suggest they are quiet-natured and hate the game they are playing, indicating that they are not interested in conforming to societal expectations. They also discuss the challenges of being an underground artist and the insecurity that can come with that job. Ultimately, the song's message seems to be that being different can be tough but that it's important to stay true to oneself.


Line by Line Meaning

Nothing at last is sacred. Oh how the great have fallen
We need to reacquaint. Things are different now, I ain't the same man I was


What have I done to myself? It's been way too long!
Hi, how are you doing? I'm new and improved with even less to lose


A collector's edition version of a virgin drink ordering cocktail teller
Gone way wrong...to the point of no rerun


Over the edge and burned out before I even got my shine
Holding my head in pure doubt


Out of insight. Out of mindful things to shout or rhyme about
Out of insight. Out of mindful things to shout or rhyme about


Yeah, I know I was supposed to change the world and all
But it looks like the world got to me first


If you can't beat em, join 'em..
Then hurt the team by beating yourself


I'm different...in a different way
The only thing that stays the same is change


While people claim their states, I state my claims
Sage Francis made a name for himself


For the record my mother calls me Paul
Which was my father's middle name, but Ray


Stepped in and raised me
It's crazy, but this is a game I play called "Shut the fuck uuuuuuup!"


Don't bother calling me at all because I'm not answering
Is that a voice-mail-bomb-threat or a broken promise I'm mishandling?


Gambling away my money issues, somebody owes me big bucks
My career depends on explosive vacuums sucking me in and blowing me up


Poetry struck a nerve in the listenership
Spoken word then got 'em all interested


Now I don't have to serve ice cream to little kids
I serve emcees who think they're rippin' it


And poets who think they're somehow significant
Meanwhile both are loud and ignorant


And don't know how to speak to a crowd in an intimate environment
And don't know how to speak to a crowd in an intimate environment


I'm a quiet natured player who outwardly hates the game
I shake what I got, which is a jingly pocket


I do my mini-market research and make noise for myself when I walk quick
I do my mini-market research and make noise for myself when I walk quick


I talk with authority while I question it
When I ask, "Who am I?" I'm left guessing


But if you're a poor man's version of ANYTHING
It is your self-perception


Growing up in a microscopic town prepared me well for this petrii dish
Where talk is invisible to the eye and they hate the guy they're speaking with


I'm a real vegetarian: No chicken...not even fish
I'm a real underground rapper


My tape quality sucks, my records are warped and my CD skips
My tape quality sucks, my records are warped and my CD skips


Lady Luck is a greedy bitch with itchy palms and a case of the gimmes
I've got an outtie if she's got an inny, I'll clean her pipes and then sweep her chimney


The beat that's in me is polyrhythmic. You're only 60 heart beats per minute
A human second-hand-me-down-to-earth-guy who will thriftshop-lift his hiphop


I may be getting too big for my britches
But I paid my dues when the cost was climbing


If I burn too many bridges I'll never get off of this awful island
If I burn too many bridges I'll never get off of this awful island


As long as I've been rhyming, they only started listening
Because for a while they didn't like how I wouldn't smoke the pot that I was pissin' in


Plus I had no dead homies to pour out the liquor I don't drink
You can flash your shiny objects in front of my eyes and I won't blink


I'm motherfucking different. Oooohhhh yyyeeeaaahhhh..
I'm motherfucking different. Oooohhhh yyyeeeaaahhhh..




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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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

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