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.
Good Fashion
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To hide from the light like I'm stuck in a fire pit
Burning up a sigh, with no desire to live through these lies
So I suffer in silence
Culture of violence, truth stuck behind my lips
Bound, gagged, and whipped, stripped, divided and split
Eatin' words with a forked tounge
And now the grumble of my stomache's got the thump of a war drum
Clowns are playing rusian roulette with paint guns
They run in place, and they call it the human race
Losin' pace with that stupid look on their face, shootin' blanks
And all they ask is why I wear these glasses
And all I can tell them is hell, it's good fashion
All they ask is why I wear these glasses
And all I can tell them is, hell...
We're acting like men of steel, with a thin protective shield
Gathering the raw footage that can never make the final reel
So we cover up the stories that eyes tell, make way for what we take to the grave
It doesn't bind both souls, buried in a faustian bargain bin
In the cemetary there's a joust between God and men
Talkin' loud, but aint sayin' nothin, used to have daily discussions, I doubt we'll ever talk again
And all they ask is why I wear these glasses
And all I can tell them is hell, it's good fashion
All they ask is why I wear these glasses
And all I can tell them is, hell...
The lyrics of Sage Francis's "Good Fashion" delve into themes of self-protection, deception, and the consequences of a society that values image over truth. The singer describes their dark lenses as a shield to hide from the light, which represents the truth they cannot bear to face. They feel stifled by a culture of violence, which has left them bound, gagged, and whipped into silence. The metaphor of "eatin' words with a forked tounge" highlights the internal struggle between the truth they know and the lies they feel they must uphold in order to survive. The line "nobody's safe from" suggests that the inner turmoil of the singer is not unique to them, but pervasive in society.
The singer paints a picture of humans as "clowns" engaging in a meaningless "human race," losing pace and firing "blanks" in a battle they can never win. In sharp contrast to the mask of normalcy that people wear, the singer's dark lenses serve as a symbol of defiance and rebellion against the status quo. When asked why they wear these glasses, the singer has no answer except to say that it's "good fashion." However, it's clear that the glasses are a form of protection from a reality that they cannot face.
Overall, the lyrics of "Good Fashion" capture the sense of isolation and desperation that can arise when individuals feel at odds with a society that values image over truth.
Line by Line Meaning
Dark lenses, tint the windows that are under my eyelids
I'm using sunglasses to block out the light and hide my emotions.
To hide from the light like I'm stuck in a fire pit
I'm avoiding the spotlight and struggling with my emotions, as if I'm trapped in a burning pit of despair.
Burning up a sigh, with no desire to live through these lies
I'm sighing heavily and feel trapped in a world of deceit, with no desire to go on living amidst the lies.
So I suffer in silence
I am enduring my troubles alone and in silence.
Culture of violence, truth stuck behind my lips
The society I live in is rife with violence and I cannot speak openly about the truth.
Bound, gagged, and whipped, stripped, divided and split
I'm restrained, hurt, and oppressed, feeling helpless and divided.
Eatin' words with a forked tounge
I'm being dishonest and saying things I don't really mean.
And now the grumble of my stomache's got the thump of a war drum
I'm starving and stressed out, with the constant thumping of anxiety inside of me.
A battle goin' on inside, nobody's safe from
I'm struggling internally and it's affecting everyone around me.
Clowns are playing rusian roulette with paint guns
People are foolishly risking their lives in a non-serious way.
They run in place, and they call it the human race
People are stagnant and not really making any progress, despite thinking they're in a race.
Losin' pace with that stupid look on their face, shootin' blanks
People are losing motivation and shooting empty words without really meaning them.
And all they ask is why I wear these glasses
Everyone is asking why I wear sunglasses all the time.
And all I can tell them is hell, it's good fashion
I don't really have a good answer for why I'm wearing sunglasses, but they look good and I'm sticking with it.
We're acting like men of steel, with a thin protective shield
We're putting up a facade of strength, but it's actually a weak protection against vulnerability.
Gathering the raw footage that can never make the final reel
We're documenting experiences that will never really matter in the long run.
So we cover up the stories that eyes tell, make way for what we take to the grave
We're ignoring the emotions and stories that people's eyes reveal, and instead focusing on things that won't matter when we die.
It doesn't bind both souls, buried in a faustian bargain bin
Whatever we're doing is not bringing people's souls together, instead burying them in a negative bargain.
In the cemetary there's a joust between God and men
Death is a constant struggle between faith and humanity.
Talkin' loud, but aint sayin' nothin, used to have daily discussions, I doubt we'll ever talk again
We're talking a lot but not really saying anything meaningful, and our daily conversations have died down and may never resume.
And all they ask is why I wear these glasses
Again, people are questioning why I'm wearing sunglasses all the time.
And all I can tell them is, hell...
I don't really have a good answer for why I'm wearing sunglasses all the time.
Contributed by Caleb T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
FaustianBargainBin
Still a classic
Jeff Jeffries
God this dude is awesome
Kenneth Trusty
0 dislikes because the people who would dislike it aren't even cool enough to know about it.
Anne Boertien
This song is SICK!
oihn dfcef
aww come on i want more!
Phatred
Hipster reaction right there.