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.
London Bridge
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh!
La la la la London bridge la la la la London bridge London bridge is
London bridge is falling and the Tower of Pisa is leaning
The statue of liberty is green with envy
Penny for your thoughts penny for your lows
The clothes and dress codes tradition of false things
India's got salt on its coast
There's a tea party in Boston
London bridge is falling
Made us wood and clay that wouldn't stay
No matter how hard the people pray
The materials just washed away
They could have used rocks rocks don't bend or bow
But quite frankly they had too many enemies to stone
The empire the empire (state) the empire state is building
The Taj is on fire these chorus cats make a killing
Heathens bow down to the sirens
An emergency for bread and cheese
(they yell shut up and freeze?)
The earth shall inherit the meek
When Canada put up a fence cause their medicines so cheap
America's asleep (Yeah I'm snoring) and London bridge is
And London bridge is falling
I got the best seat in the house they hired me as a watchman
London bridge is falling India's got salt on its coast
There's a tea party in Boston, London bridge is falling
They made us stainless steel and wrought iron
That wall in china ain't so great I built a bridge over a hymen
It goes up to the sky and mother Mary is cryin'
My fair lady don't cry its gonna be alright!
Cause I'm alive, I'm alive and kickin'
Tea party in Boston tea party in Boston
London bridge is falling London bridge is falling
Sage Francis's "London Bridge" is a song that addresses the collapse of societal structures and traditions. The song opens with a chant of "Oh" and "La la la la London bridge la la la la London bridge London bridge is," repeated twice, to indicate the state of London Bridge. Then, the song highlights the crumbling of other significant structures, from the leaning of the Tower of Pisa to the envy embodied by the Statue of Liberty. The lyrics also reference events in history, such as the tea party in Boston, as well as people's struggles, for which they may only get a penny. The repetition of "London bridge is falling" serves to tie these societal failures altogether.
The second verse elaborates on the collapse of the London Bridge, noting that the bridge was not constructed durably in the past. The materials used were too weak to withstand natural forces, and the people's prayers were insufficient. Rocks could have been used instead, but the people had too many enemies to stone. The verse then transitions to the construction of newer structures, such as the Empire State Building, which stands in contrast to the unstable London Bridge. The chorus continues the refrain, and the lyrics end with a call to action, stating that "I'm alive and kickin'," implying that people must not give up hope and they must strive to build a better society.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh
The song starts with an exclamation of surprise or excitement.
Oh!
The excitement continues.
La la la la London bridge la la la la London bridge London bridge is
The singer begins singing 'London Bridge' while discussing the bridge's current state.
London bridge is falling and the Tower of Pisa is leaning
The London Bridge is in disrepair or collapsing while the Tower of Pisa is also in a precarious state.
The statue of liberty is green with envy
The Statue of Liberty is jealous of the recognition and history the London Bridge receives.
Penny for your thoughts penny for your lows
The singer is willing to listen to the listener's thoughts and musings and provide comfort or advice when needed.
The clothes and dress codes tradition of false things
The traditions of society, including dress codes, are artificial and based on falsehoods or lies.
London bridge is falling
The artist repeats the phrase to emphasize that the bridge is in dire need of repair.
India's got salt on its coast
Salt is readily available in India's coastal areas.
There's a tea party in Boston
A party or gathering is happening in Boston.
London bridge is falling
The singer repeats the phrase again to keep the focus on the deteriorating condition of the London Bridge.
Made us wood and clay that wouldn't stay
The London Bridge was initially built using materials like wood and clay that weren't durable enough.
No matter how hard the people pray
Even if people prayed for the bridge to hold up, it would not have sustained using those materials.
The materials just washed away
Over time and with exposure to the elements, the bridge's materials deteriorated and washed away.
They could have used rocks rocks don't bend or bow
Using rocks could have made the London Bridge more sturdy and less prone to damage.
But quite frankly they had too many enemies to stone
The bridge was exposed to a lot of enemies, making it difficult to enforce the use of rocks or other sturdier materials.
The empire the empire (state) the empire state is building
The Empire State building was constructed during a time when the London Bridge was in disrepair.
The Taj is on fire these chorus cats make a killing
The Taj Mahal is burning down while chorus singers profit off of the disaster with their performance.
Heathens bow down to the sirens
People of ill repute are lured in by the sound of the sirens' call.
An emergency for bread and cheese
People are experiencing an emergency situation where basic needs like food and water are scarce.
(they yell shut up and freeze?)
The artist engages in a brief aside where someone tells others to be quiet and freeze, perhaps as a response to the emergency situation mentioned earlier.
The earth shall inherit the meek
Those who are meek or humble shall inherit the earth, a quote from the biblical Sermon on the Mount.
When Canada put up a fence cause their medicines so cheap
Canada puts up a fence or barrier due to their affordable medicine prices, which attract people from other countries.
America's asleep (Yeah I'm snoring) and London bridge is
America is not paying attention or unaware, while the London Bridge is still in poor condition.
And London bridge is falling
The London Bridge continues to be in disarray.
I got the best seat in the house they hired me as a watchman
The singer is hired to keep an eye on the London Bridge and its surrounding area.
India's got salt on its coast
Salt is readily available in India's coastal areas.
There's a tea party in Boston, London bridge is falling
The artist reiterates the tea party happening in Boston while emphasizing the continuous and dire state of the London Bridge.
They made us stainless steel and wrought iron
The London Bridge was rebuilt using more durable materials like stainless steel and wrought iron.
That wall in china ain't so great I built a bridge over a hymen
The Great Wall of China is not as impressive as it seems, as the singer claims to have built a bridge over something just as trivial and straightforward.
It goes up to the sky and mother Mary is cryin'
The bridge referenced in the previous line is so tall that even the statue of Mother Mary is crying or feeling emotional about it.
My fair lady don't cry its gonna be alright!
The artist addresses a fair lady, telling her not to worry because everything will be okay.
Cause I'm alive, I'm alive and kickin'
The artist is alive and well, implying that they are able to fix or address any issues they may face.
Tea party in Boston tea party in Boston
The artist repeats the tea party in Boston, perhaps as a nod to the American Revolution and the Boston Tea Party that was a significant event in it.
London bridge is falling London bridge is falling
The singer repeats the phrase one last time, emphasizing the dire state of the London Bridge.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: SAGE FRANCIS, CHRISTOPHER WALLA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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