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.
I Keep Calling
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chorus
Intro:
Pick up, Pick up...Pick up, Pick up...
Now I can't even think back. Self-induced amnesia has made its impact /
Mental health produced at leisure was frayed once it was intact /
I voluntarily refuse to remenisce /
If I could choose any wish...I'd lose my genesis /
And prove to my nemesis that I don't need Memory Lane on my way home /
But I got lost and I needed a pay phone /
Because I was in an unsafe zone...inside of a place unknown /
Where unfamilliar faces roam (...and it's so strange)... /
I've got no change...I could've sworn that I did when I left /
My breath gets heavy with every lie and theft /
I looked right and left...then I called people at my home collect /
To tell them, "Things changed." But they just won't accept /
I'm out of range...with no respect. Every time I asked for directions /
All I got was dead air, cut lines, and bad connections /
People who would help changed their number to unlisted /
411 info left me unassisted. Wickedly twisted... /
incidents. Is it coincidence? I choose to think so /
Deep in thought, my eyes blink slow. Pictures appear like slide shows /
My mind knows each and every single detail /
Total recall is leaving me pale /
Sick to my stomach...nautious...forces of nature bring my homing instinct /
Its stink...is so distinct...now let me think...a minute /
epiphany: This is the much traveled trail from my past /
Now an unbeaten path...unfunny memories are now making me laugh.
Chorus
Verse Two:
Haaaaaa! The flashbacks of my past acts are numerous /
Since out the uterus...Earth encounters ain't been that humerous /
heheheheh...my laugh lines have been faked for the last time /
I'm past my prime. Climaxing again is a task of mine /
I'm homeward bound. Break out the map and atlas /
I ask gas station attendants...and they just act pissed /
I'm black listed...for not staying true to white lies /
I fight lies...in darkness...heartless...until the night dies /
Then I shed some light on what's the matter /
Reflections in the looking glass self scatter when the hard stares make it shatter /
7 years bad luck? Time's irrelevant /
I'm searching for signs of intelligent minds, but find the element /
Which blinds what the hell I think. Now I'm thinking... /
"What time is it?" I see the 12:00 blinking /
Check the position...of the sun...to see there is none /
I figure there's an eclipse...so I look away to save my wisdom /
The solar system left me stranded in a universe /
Where I do reverse psychology. Apologies are made through my verse /
Ain't nothing to do but curse when I'm frustrated /
Making people disgusted. Plus, I'm mistrusted and hated /
That's an understatement, but who really cares about my failure years? /
I'm on an expedition...following my trail of tears /
From when I cried, but...it dried up...and vaporized /
I played your game, so where's my consalation prize? I'm taking lies /
from faking guys...and gals...who want to be my pals...and peers /
At this here pace, it'll take me a thousand years /
To fins my way back...encompassing what they lack /
It cost me most of my life, but still I'm thinking about a pay back /
Decapitated...I lost my head, and fear is activated /
I'm in a fog. My blood, sweat and tears evaporated /
I back track to find my lost sense of direction /
Stop, look, and listen...before I cross the intersection /
There's much construction. I'm signaled with morse code /
to take a detour. Somehow I end up on an off road /
I squint my eyes...trying to find some street signs /
I can only read strong thoughts. These people have weak minds /
Trapped in a desert that to me looks like a sandbox /
With damn NARCS...hold up, son...I'm noticing some landmarks /
I rack my brain...knowing that I can't attack in vane /
Upon return I promised myself not to act the same /
But every so often my selective screen memory...will be my enemy /
Metamorphasize and say, "Remember me?" /
Getting me petro...wish I could kill the retro /
But heck no...to much of my past I just can't let go /
I'm just a stone's throw away from my home turf...which really is this whole earth /
But claims like that have no worth /
epiphany: And then it hits me...the reason why I'm dizzy /
Is because I've been traveling in circles keeping myself busy.
(Where is he?)
Chorus
Outro:
Deejay Perseus drumming.
In “I Keep Calling,” Sage Francis recounts a trip home that seems impossible to finish. The lyrics are anecdotal and very personal. A major theme is memory and creativity, which is manifested in different points in the song. The major premise is that memory is tied to creativity and one cannot exist without the other.
The first verse talks about Francis’ reluctance to remember the past while in transit. He attempts to reach out to people at home but they are not accepting his reality. He feels lost and asks for directions but they only lead him further astray. This verse is perhaps Francis’ attempt to reconcile with his past and he goes ahead to articulate the frustration of being stuck in limbo between memory and creativity.
In the second verse, Francis talks of the fear that suddenly grips him as he is forced to confront the reality of his situation. He attempts to circumvent this by getting in touch with his inner strength and creativity. There are a lot of references to memory and loss in this verse. It is also more morose and introspective than the first verse. It is suggested that the repetition of the chorus helps provide a sense of continuity which helps Francis to stay motivated to finish the journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I can't even think back. Self-induced amnesia has made its impact
Due to my self-induced amnesia, I cannot reminisce about my past anymore.
Mental health produced at leisure was frayed once it was intact
My mental health has become fragile despite being relaxed in the past.
I voluntarily refuse to remenisce
I don't want to remember anything from my past.
If I could choose any wish...I'd lose my genesis
I wish to forget my origin and start afresh.
And prove to my nemesis that I don't need Memory Lane on my way home
I want to show my rival that I don't need to recollect my memories to reach home.
But I got lost and I needed a payphone
Since I was lost, I needed a payphone to contact someone.
Because I was in an unsafe zone...inside of a place unknown
I was in an unknown and unsafe place.
I've got no change...I could've sworn that I did when I left
I thought that I had sufficient money when I left, but I didn't.
My breath gets heavy with every lie and theft
I feel breathless due to my past wrongdoings.
I looked right and left...then I called people at my home collect
I called collect to people at my home after looking around.
All I got was dead air, cut lines, and bad connections
Every person I contacted provided me with unhelpful or disconnected responses.
Deep in thought, my eyes blink slow. Pictures appear like slideshows
I feel deep in thought, and my mind is picturing every detail as a slideshow.
My mind knows each and every single detail
My mind remembers every single detail.
Total recall is leaving me pale
My perfect memory is overwhelming me, causing me to feel unwell.
Sick to my stomach...nauseous...forces of nature bring my homing instinct
I feel physically sick, and my instincts are telling me to go home.
Since out the uterus...Earth encounters ain't been that humorous
My experiences on Earth haven't been very funny since birth.
I'm homeward bound. Break out the map and atlas
I'm heading home and need a map and atlas.
I ask gas station attendants...and they just act pissed
When I asked for directions, the gas station attendants became angry instead of guiding me.
I'm blaklisted...for not staying true to white lies
I'm not trusted for not lying to people.
7 years bad luck? Time's irrelevant
The superstition of seven years of bad luck is not meaningful to me.
Trapped in a desert that to me looks like a sandbox
I'm lost in a desert that looks like a sandbox.
Contributed by Julian H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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