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.
Mermaids Are Seasluts
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So you can put me to your ear and actually hear yesteryear's ocean
I was in shape then
A much better built body of water with infinite waves and fathomless depths
Where you could have deep sea fishing for compliments
And caught plentiful schools of reassuring comments
Now all you get is the boot
You fell for the bait and got hooked on what you thought I was
Where we breathe the same air, it's just done differently
And I'm tryin' to figure out ways to have comfortably survive
outside your element
Compromising intelligence
I dabbled in watered down thoughts that filtered in from the main stream
I'm offering mind altering ideas
that make the most quiet natured brain scream
from exposure to the types of things
that won't necessarily make you happier
They'll just give you a greater range of emotions
And I can feel myself getting lured into deeper oceans of ??
Where people think they're as safe as cartoons
simply because they speak in bubbles
A sanitized safe-haven where you could face Satan
and have his faith straightened
His new goal would be to dethrone Poseidon and have Neptune's place taken
They'd swash buckle with their pitchforks
While Lucifer shit talks and rips forts of coral reef
For relief they be like "bitch walk"
From this over-sized aquarium that daddy kept cleanly to unhealthy degrees
Writing suicide notes with invisible ink on transparences
And posting them to the glass boundaries that surround the seas of change
Strangely enough, while bringing back the real
I could sense intense resistance so I had no other choice but to cut the line
I'm not saying you're overly naive
I just think you should get into the habit of seeing when strings are attached
Fortunate for you I'm compassionate enough to throw back what I catch
If it's underdeveloped and needs time to grow
Though I'm remorseful of the pain I've caused you
And I want to kiss your lips better
I sympathize with the sorrow by stroking the scar
of my own traumatic experience with my excommunicated tongue
Say I know exactly what you mean when you say it hurts too much to talk
I've been there; I don't plan on returning cause
No matter how much distance I kept
or how long I waited for my wounds to heal
They'd re-open with the slightest flashback
So I sued time for malpractice
That bastard's a hack with a rusty scalpel and barbed-wire stitch thread
Instead of seeing things clearly, they're pitched red
And there's this glitch in my head that's got me thinking contradictions, it said:
"There are more fish in the sea
Whether you hear me not or you listen to me
Whether you listen to me or hear me not
There are more microorganisms in my teardrop"
But fear not, I'd never sink as low as to make my ears pop
And I imagine now you only want to swim with members of your own league
And you don't need me meddling, sending sonar signals
High pitched notes are symbols, my voice has grown far
But ripples are only caused when you cast stones
But you shouldn't throw rocks if you live in fragile fairy tales
Girl: "This really means something to me; I'll always treasure it as a token"
Guy: "No you won't, cause this is for the girl who loves me
The girl who cares about me for who I am, not what I look like
I just wanted you to know you'd be missing
You think I don't appreciate art, you think I don't understand fashion
You think I'm not "hip", you think I'm pathetic
A nerd, a lard-ass, fatso, you think I'm shit
Well you're wrong, cause I'm champagne
And you're shit, until the day you die
You, not me, will always be shit"
The lyrics of Sage Francis's song "Mermaids Are Seasluts" reflect the singer's feelings of disillusionment and frustration in a romantic relationship. Throughout the song, he compares himself to a shell of the man he used to be, emphasizing his diminished sense of self and lost vitality. He longs for the past when he was in better shape, both physically and emotionally, and compares himself to an ocean full of infinite waves and depths.
The singer acknowledges the power dynamics in the relationship, describing how the other person fell for the image they had of him and became hooked on it. Now, they're engaged in a struggle to assert dominance in their respective worlds. The singer contemplates ways to survive outside the other person's element and expresses his dissatisfaction with compromising his intelligence for the sake of the relationship.
The song also touches on themes of illusion and façade. The singer criticizes the tendency to seek safety in bubbles of sanitized, cartoon-like environments where people speak in shallow and superficial ways. He suggests that these artificial environments cannot shield us from the harsh realities of life and the deep emotions that accompany them.
The lyrics also reveal the singer's empathy for the pain they've caused the other person, as they reflect on their own traumatic experiences. They relate to the feeling of being unable to talk about emotional pain, and the difficulty of healing from past wounds. The singer acknowledges their flaws and expresses a desire to improve their understanding of attachment and healthy relationships.
Overall, "Mermaids Are Seasluts" is a deeply introspective song that explores themes of disillusionment, the struggle for authenticity, and the complexities of emotional connection.
Line by Line Meaning
I am nothing but a shell of the man I once was
I have lost my true essence and identity
So you can put me to your ear and actually hear yesteryear's ocean
Listen closely and you can recall the past when I had depth and significance
I was in shape then
I used to be in a better mental and emotional state
A much better built body of water with infinite waves and fathomless depths
I had a stronger and deeper emotional capacity
Where you could have deep sea fishing for compliments
You could easily receive admiration and praise
And caught plentiful schools of reassuring comments
You were surrounded by people who constantly boosted your confidence
Now all you get is the boot
Now you are rejected and dismissed
You fell for the bait and got hooked on what you thought I was
You were deceived by my false image and became attached to it
Now we're both struggling to win this tug of war of the worlds
We are both engaged in a power struggle between conflicting realities
Where we breathe the same air, it's just done differently
We share the same environment, but perceive and act differently
And I'm tryin' to figure out ways to have comfortably survive outside your element
I am searching for ways to cope and thrive outside of your influence
Compromising intelligence
Suppressing my intellect and unique ideas
I dabbled in watered down thoughts that filtered in from the main stream
I entertained diluted ideas that were popularized by the mainstream
I'm offering mind altering ideas that make the most quiet natured brain scream
I present thought-provoking concepts that challenge even the most reserved minds
from exposure to the types of things that won't necessarily make you happier
Exposing yourself to such ideas may not lead to immediate happiness
They'll just give you a greater range of emotions
However, they will expand your emotional experiences
And I can feel myself getting lured into deeper oceans of ??
I sense myself being tempted by uncertain and potentially dangerous situations
Where people think they're as safe as cartoons simply because they speak in bubbles
Some individuals mistakenly believe they are safe like fictional characters in cartoons
A sanitized safe-haven where you could face Satan and have his faith straightened
A sanitized environment where you can confront evil and reaffirm your beliefs
His new goal would be to dethrone Poseidon and have Neptune's place taken
Satan's new ambition would be to overthrow the powerful forces and take control
They'd swash buckle with their pitchforks
They would engage in a fierce battle with their weapons
While Lucifer shit talks and rips forts of coral reef
Lucifer arrogantly mocks and destroys beautiful and fragile aspects of nature
For relief they be like 'bitch walk'
As a means of finding solace, they would dismiss and disregard others
From this over-sized aquarium that daddy kept cleanly to unhealthy degrees
Escaping from the artificial and unhealthy environment created by an authoritative figure
Writing suicide notes with invisible ink on transparences
Expressing deep despair and hidden emotions secretly and indirectly
And posting them to the glass boundaries that surround the seas of change
Sharing these despairing thoughts with the barriers that enclose the realm of transformations
Strangely enough, while bringing back the real
Ironically, as I strive to bring back authenticity
I could sense intense resistance so I had no other choice but to cut the line
I felt strong opposition, leaving me with no option but to sever the connection
I'm not saying you're overly naive
I don't imply that you are excessively gullible
I just think you should get into the habit of seeing when strings are attached
You ought to develop the skill of recognizing hidden motives and manipulations
Fortunate for you I'm compassionate enough to throw back what I catch
Luckily, I am kind enough to release what I capture
If it's underdeveloped and needs time to grow
Especially if it is still immature and requires nurturing
Though I'm remorseful of the pain I've caused you
I deeply regret the suffering I have inflicted upon you
And I want to kiss your lips better
I desire to heal and comfort you with my affection
I sympathize with the sorrow by stroking the scar
I understand your sadness and console you by touching the emotional wound
of my own traumatic experience with my excommunicated tongue
Referring to the pain and exclusion caused by my past relationships
Say I know exactly what you mean when you say it hurts too much to talk
I fully comprehend the pain that silences your words
I've been there; I don't plan on returning cause
I have experienced similar pain, and I dread going back to that state because
No matter how much distance I kept or how long I waited for my wounds to heal
Regardless of the efforts I made to create separation and allow time for healing
They'd re-open with the slightest flashback
Those wounds would reopen even with the faintest reminder of the past
So I sued time for malpractice
Metaphorically, I accused time of mishandling and exacerbating my wounds
That bastard's a hack with a rusty scalpel and barbed-wire stitch thread
Time is an inept and harmful force, causing further damage with crude tools
Instead of seeing things clearly, they're pitched red
Instead of perceiving reality accurately, my thoughts are tainted with anger and resentment
And there's this glitch in my head that's got me thinking contradictions, it said:
There is a malfunction in my mind that confuses me with contradictory thoughts
"There are more fish in the sea
The world is full of other opportunities and potential partners
Whether you hear me not or you listen to me
Regardless of whether you pay attention to my words or not
Whether you listen to me or hear me not
Even if you do not fully understand or acknowledge my message
There are more microorganisms in my teardrop"
There are countless small and insignificant aspects in my sorrow
But fear not, I'd never sink as low as to make my ears pop
However, rest assured, I would never degrade myself to such an extreme
And I imagine now you only want to swim with members of your own league
I assume that now you only desire companionship with those of similar status
And you don't need me meddling, sending sonar signals
You no longer require my interference or attempts to communicate with you
High pitched notes are symbols, my voice has grown far
The high-pitched sounds I produce represent my distant and evolved voice
But ripples are only caused when you cast stones
However, disturbances and consequences occur only when you provoke them
But you shouldn't throw rocks if you live in fragile fairy tales
You should not create chaos if you inhabit a delicate and idealistic world
Girl: 'This really means something to me; I'll always treasure it as a token'
The girl expresses a deep personal connection and vows to cherish it as a significant symbol
Guy: 'No you won't, cause this is for the girl who loves me
The guy contradicts her belief, asserting that she will not treasure it because it is intended for someone else
The girl who cares about me for who I am, not what I look like
He emphasizes the importance of being loved for his true self rather than his appearance
I just wanted you to know you'd be missing
He wanted to make her aware of what she would lose in choosing not to be with him
You think I don't appreciate art, you think I don't understand fashion
He challenges her assumptions about his taste and knowledge in artistic and fashionable matters
You think I'm not 'hip', you think I'm pathetic
He refutes her perception of him as uncool and pathetic
A nerd, a lard-ass, fatso, you think I'm shit
He rejects her derogatory labels and asserts his worth
Well you're wrong, cause I'm champagne
He proclaims that he is sophisticated and valuable
And you're shit, until the day you die
He belittles her, claiming her worth is insignificant
You, not me, will always be shit
He asserts his superiority and emphasizes her inferiority
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: JOE BEATS, SAGE FRANCIS
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