Inherited Scars
Sage Francis Lyrics


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[Verse One]
I didn't tell anyone about what I seen or heard that day, mums the word still
I'm scared to plant ideas into your head while your rebellious side is fertile
Hurdles are getting knocked down
I'm running a losing race
Your legs aren't the only ones marked up How many dreams have you chased?
If I could have said this to your face maybe you wouldn't have to write like I do,
Except I use paper instead of my body now; it's something you might want to try too
From haikus to horror stories, it's something in our blood that we share,
Something in our blood that appears on the surface of our skin when we bring it there
My facial expression said I didn't care
Hate and aggression must've made an impression on the little kid who stared,
Sitting on stairs when I would bother to bring my skates
My feeble attempt at being a strong, big brotherdoing father figure 8's
Ripping my cape on the ground that it dragged on
Tripping on fate and hearing the sounds of a sad song
Listen, it's great sharing time now that dad's gone,
But what's with the choice of words?
Or the body parts that you decided to tag them on?
I'm a bagabond who moved to modern day Babylon and then back again
With minimal contact and you know I can't ask your mom what's happening
You've got such beautiful gifts What are you doing ruining the packaging?
How ironiccome to thinkI probably put this ink on my back for him
I want you to laugh and sing more,
But you dropped anchor in a place
where dreams go to die and you're keeping your ass indoors
I'm asking for you to stick it outand see things through
You're asking for me to zip my mouth and keep it just between me and you

[Chorus]
If I could have been there from the beginning if I could be there right now
if I could promise to be there when you need me, would it raise an eyebrow?
How would your body be different if I still dropped by for visits?
Is it my place to put a smile on your face?
Could I erase your body language telling you its all been said before?
Or change the words you wrote, exchanging your scars for my metaphors?
I'd add them to my collection while smiling
Next time you want to paint with razor blades and need a canvas use my skin

[Verse Two]
You're hiding your sins well, but I see the hell that your limbs speak
Tongue in cheek Lying awake in bed while other kids sleep
The strength of evil begins to keep your grins weak
No matter the length of the needle
marking up one's body is so much more than skin deep
Feel the pin prick The grim reep what they sew and you're trained to say that you're fine
Your thresh hold for pain is greater than mine
So I'm waiting in the lines that you give mepatiently,
While you get cut in the lines that THEY make YOU wait inin ways that they can't see
If there's a vacancy as far as room in your life goes,
say it to me Don't do it with a knife under your clothes
Because the anguish of hidden skinis letting my ghosts be shown
Plus the language its written in hits especially close to home
I'm most alone when I'm out of touch with the people who feel this type of pain
You might just aim for a day that its rainingto strike a vein to take my name in
Changing your uniform and altering your mind set
Has your pointer finger decided if it was a fault of his or mine yet?I bet
I know the dialect It's nowhere I haven't been before
With skin that's sore Battle scars that rise from our inner war
Are decorative medals of honor that our father decided to pass through inheritance
And it is repetitive when the kids head in the direction of evidence
proving the pain and hurt is relative

All this pain and hurt is relative

(repeat chorus)





Fade to black

Overall Meaning

Sage Francis's "Inherited Scars" is a powerful song about the ways in which personal pain and trauma can be passed down from one generation to another. In the first verse, Francis addresses a younger family member, warning him about the dangers of self-harm and creative expression that stems from inner turmoil. Francis sees in the younger person the same kind of hurt that he himself has experienced, and he wants to caution him about the risks of that pain. However, he also recognizes that his words may not be well-received by the younger person, who is currently in a rebellious phase of life. This sense of disconnect is reflected in the chorus, where Francis wonders whether his attempts to intervene would actually be helpful or just further alienating.


Line by Line Meaning

I didn't tell anyone about what I seen or heard that day, mums the word still
I kept quiet about what I witnessed on that day and have not shared the information with anyone


I'm scared to plant ideas into your head while your rebellious side is fertile
I fear the influence my words may have on your rebellious nature


Hurdles are getting knocked down I'm running a losing race
I am facing challenges that seem insurmountable and am struggling to achieve my goals


Your legs aren't the only ones marked up How many dreams have you chased?
Not only have you suffered physical scars from your pursuits, but how many of your dreams have you chased after?


If I could have said this to your face maybe you wouldn't have to write like I do, Except I use paper instead of my body now; it's something you might want to try too
If I had spoken to you directly, maybe you would not have had to express yourself in the form of physical scars. Alternatively, you could express yourself through writing like I do.


From haikus to horror stories, it's something in our blood that we share, Something in our blood that appears on the surface of our skin when we bring it there
Writing is a part of our nature and our writing often mirrors our internal struggles through physical scars on our skin


My facial expression said I didn't care Hate and aggression must've made an impression on the little kid who stared, Sitting on stairs when I would bother to bring my skates
My emotional state was not what it appeared to be and my negative attitude affected the innocent kid watching me.


My feeble attempt at being a strong, big brotherdoing father figure 8's Ripping my cape on the ground that it dragged on Tripping on fate and hearing the sounds of a sad song
Even though I tried to fulfill the role of a sibling and father figure, my efforts were weak and my failures were accompanied by a sense of doom and sadness.


Listen, it's great sharing time now that dad's gone, But what's with the choice of words? Or the body parts that you decided to tag them on?
It's good to spend time with you now that our father has passed away, but I'm concerned about the language and body parts you select for your self-expression.


I'm a bagabond who moved to modern day Babylon and then back again With minimal contact and you know I can't ask your mom what's happening
I have roamed around, including living in a modern city and returning to the hometown, but have had limited communication. I cannot ask your mother about your life


You've got such beautiful gifts What are you doing ruining the packaging? How ironiccome to thinkI probably put this ink on my back for him
You have so many beautiful qualities and talents, why ruin them with scars? Interestingly, I might have gotten tattoos on my own body partly for the purpose of impressing him.


I want you to laugh and sing more, But you dropped anchor in a place where dreams go to die and you're keeping your ass indoors
I wish you were more carefree and joyous in your life. However, you have settled in a place where aspirations are discouraged and are staying indoor all the time.


I'm asking for you to stick it out and see things through You're asking for me to zip my mouth and keep it just between me and you
I'm urging you to continue pushing forward and seeing things through. You request me to keep our conversations private.


If I could have been there from the beginning if I could be there right now if I could promise to be there when you need me, would it raise an eyebrow?
If I had been there from the beginning and promised to be a present figure in your life, would it surprise you?


How would your body be different if I still dropped by for visits? Is it my place to put a smile on your face?
Would the condition of your body be altered if I had continued visiting you? Do I have the responsibility of ensuring your happiness?


Could I erase your body language telling you its all been said before? Or change the words you wrote, exchanging your scars for my metaphors?
Can I modify your body language that always indicates that you had heard it before? Can I replace your physical scars with poetic metaphors?


You're hiding your sins well, but I see the hell that your limbs speak Tongue in cheek Lying awake in bed while other kids sleep
You are concealing your hardships, but I sense the inner turmoil that your body expresses. You try to mask your struggles but suffer from insomnia when others are asleep.


The strength of evil begins to keep your grins weak No matter the length of the needle marking up one's body is so much more than skin deep
The negative energy is overpowering and weakening your facade of happiness. Scars made from needles are much more profound than just skin-level


Feel the pin prick The grim reep what they sew and you're trained to say that you're fine Your thresh hold for pain is greater than mine
Though you could endure a lot of pain, the persistence of the trauma from pin pricks would come with consequences. You have been accustomed to downplaying the pain to a certain extent.


So I'm waiting in the lines that you give mepatiently, While you get cut in the lines that THEY make YOU wait inin ways that they can't see
I am waiting for you to open up to me no matter how long it takes, while you are silently suffering in the lines of external pressure that are invisible to others.


If there's a vacancy as far as room in your life goes, say it to me Don't do it with a knife under your clothes Because the anguish of hidden skinis letting my ghosts be shown
If there is a void you want to fill in your life, communicate with me verbally instead of resorting to self-harm. Concealed emotions and buried wounds are haunting and may surface.


Changing your uniform and altering your mind set Has your pointer finger decided if it was a fault of his or mine yet?I bet
You have changed the way you present yourself and think. Have you decided who should be blamed for our past wounds? I'm willing to take a guess.


I know the dialect It's nowhere I haven't been before With skin that's sore Battle scars that rise from our inner war
I understand the language our experiences speak; war wounds that cause both physical and emotional pain.


Are decorative medals of honor that our father decided to pass through inheritance And it is repetitive when the kids head in the direction of evidence proving the pain and hurt is relative
These scars can be seen as a symbol of honor passed down from our father. The cycle of trauma is repetitive, and the scars provide evidence that the pain we carry is not unique to us.


All this pain and hurt is relative
All the distress and agony we hold are interconnected.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Comments from YouTube:

Ant 1

No one else raps like this, ive visited this video on and off for The last 12 yrd. The way he went in on this song still surprises me till this day enough for me to leave my 1st comment! S/o Sage Francis man ✊

LBAW

I love the beat, the lyrics, and the video. Good job.

AbattoirDream

'your legs arent the only ones marked up - how many dreams have you chased?' and 'from high schools to horror stories something in our blood that we shared..' its all exactly how it needs to be.. seriously sage deserves more props for this than anyone seems to realize.. nearly every line seems to form the exact pictures i have in my head when i think of this sort of thing.. its amazing.. some sharp lyrics for sure

Chris Traeger

Haikus not high schools

kamcalste

This was the first song I ever heard by Sage... I didn't listen to hip hop. I didn't really listen to anything besides rock and metal. But this song just captured me. All of his music does. He's phenomenal.

Dilone's View

I hear you, this song crossed over to another category if you ask me and whoever put this video with this amazing art made a dope one..

Jesse Rockwell

almost ten years later this song still puts anything to shame....

nmnmnmm

Been jamming this for over a decade and it's just as good today

Camilo Castillo

this song has healed me for over 15 years.... I love you Sage, Thank you for saving my life again....

cltuch512

4 years later and it's still amazing

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