Paul "Sage" Francis (born November 18, 1976 in Miami, Florida) is a hip-hop… Read Full Bio ↴Paul "Sage" Francis (born November 18, 1976 in Miami, Florida) is a hip-hop artist based in Providence, Rhode Island.

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.

Message Sent
Sage Francis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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

I'm a God damn misfit...mismatched, but never missed much
Mr Right-time-wrong-place with a long face until our lips touch
I don't miss the mistrust, its what got our messages mixed up
Before I rip up your letters let us see if I can tear you away from his clutch

This stuff's a whole other drawer
from a different dresser I'm not ready to address
I went to the west to get my mind off things and I'm already depressed
I give up. Get let down. Down play. Play games. Put on my game face
Face my pharmecudial needs and feed on my medicine, but I don't like the way it tastes

I go place to place without enough money to put a bed under me
So I share my sleeping space with rodents, insects, and dust bunnies
I laugh at the mess I've created for myself until it gets unfunny
But I'm content in the fact that they don't expect respect, sex, love, or trust from me

When I'm hungry I can taste it
I hide in the basement
Check up on me every now and then
Because my mood swings low...and I can feel myself going down again

Falling off is easy. Getting put on takes a bit of ass kissing
I'd rather listen to myself flop on the ground than hear the sound of a mattress spring
I rap and sing and talk and write and often type with 2 fingers
The "hunt and kill" method
I edit one third of a word per second

Your emails sit in my unsent box. If you're a girl that I miss
You'll eventually get my virtual good bye kiss
The rest are addressed to my friends and the subject line is "Just check this fine bitch"
And the one for myself is untitled but...its the same virus

My wrists get slit on your shoulder blades
when I lose my grip while I hold your face
Let it drip on your golden laced silver slip...
spilling all over the place
I'd lay my jacket over the blood puddle when we'd go on dates
to prove that I'm a gentleman, peddling my bike at a slower pace

"The sum of the parts doesn't equal the whole," she states
Before my parents get home I'll take
time to find the fragments of our relationship
and glue back together this broken vase.

Falling in love is easy. Falling out of love takes a bit of practice
I'm good at both without even owning a mattress
I never asked for a kiss without deserving one.
If you never saw me cry before
wait for the next time I wake up on the wrong side of the floor

I've got some letters inside of my drawer
that should have been sent by now
Sealed in an envelope
One is addressed to my ex
and it says that I feel our friendship's a joke
One is addressed to my friend
and it says his ex-girlfriend's on coke
And one is addressed to myself on a personal note
Unopened...filled with endless quotes

Whenever I spoke, they'd close me in and bust my lip
Now I wear parenthesis on my temples, step to the podium and just think
Whenever lonely I shrink...hold myself...squeezing tight
Before I sprawl out on the hardwood floor and kiss myself to sleep at night

I have dreams of flight, but I'm not floating
The ground is approaching awfully quick
So I wake up screaming for you to catch me
That's what I start every day off with

I may talk shit, but there ain't much else to do in this prison cell
And lucky for me no one listens well...especially when I dis myself
I'll fly away on a pig when my living hell freezes over
And since I'm used to the cold I'll be able to rest my head on Jesus' shoulder

Explanations are in order for why these floor boards are always freezing
I guess it'll all make sense once we get older and reach the Age of Reason
Until then, I'll have no reason to sleep in. Not even on weekends
Unless we're together, because my will power will probably weaken

Deepen my appreciation for the current condition
because I'm sick of always feeling like something is missing.

I slumber in one position. Crouched up an fetal like.
And the couch sucks 'cause my feet are like...given no space to breathe
while I embrace my knees

So its off to the floor because I can't sleep anywhere else
That's where I write these letters to all of y'all but never send 'em
It's better to just keep to myself

Its better to just keep to myself

Its better to just keep to myself

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sage Francis's song Message Sent delve into the inner thoughts and emotions of the singer, who feels like he is constantly falling short in his relationships and life in general. The opening lines introduce the idea that the singer has letters in his drawer that he has not sent to their intended recipients. The letters are addressed to various people, including his ex-girlfriend, his friends, and himself. The letter to his ex says that he cannot be lived with, while the letter to his friends declares that he is a mess and cannot handle visitors. The letter to himself is left unused, as he does not know which personality or hand to give it to. Throughout the song, the singer expresses his feelings of being a misfit and mismatched, but never missing much.

The singer also touches upon his struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues, as he mentions his pharmaceutical needs and the way the medication tastes. He describes living in poverty and sharing his sleeping space with rodents, insects, and dust bunnies. The singer also discusses his failed relationships and his difficulty in falling in and out of love. He admits to talking badly about himself and feeling like he is always missing something.

The song's chorus is a repeated line that says "It's better to just keep to myself." The singer seems to be resigned to this idea of keeping his thoughts and feelings to himself, as he ends the song with this line as well. Overall, the song is a raw and honest exploration of the singer's struggles with his relationships, mental health, and poverty.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got some letters inside of my drawer
I have unsent letters in a drawer

that should have been stamped and delivered
that were meant to be sent

One is addressed to my ex
One is written to my ex-partner

it says I'm the type of kid who can't be lived with
it expresses that I am difficult to live with

One is addressed to my friends
One is written to my friends

it says I'm a mess so y'all can't visit
it explains that I am in a bad state and do not want visitors

One is addressed to myself
One is written to myself

but I don't know what personality or hand to give it
but I do not know which part of myself to address

I'm a God damn misfit...mismatched, but never missed much
I feel like an outsider, but rarely miss important things

Mr Right-time-wrong-place with a long face until our lips touch
I feel unlucky to be in the wrong place at the right time until I have a chance to kiss someone

I don't miss the mistrust, its what got our messages mixed up
I do not miss the doubt that caused confusion in our communication

Before I rip up your letters let us see if I can tear you away from his clutch
Before I destroy your letters, let me try to win you back from your current partner

This stuff's a whole other drawer
This is a completely different issue

from a different dresser I'm not ready to address
that I am not ready to deal with

I went to the west to get my mind off things and I'm already depressed
I went to the western part of the country to distract my thoughts, but I am still sad

I give up. Get let down. Down play. Play games. Put on my game face
I am giving up, and feel disappointed. Then, I trivialize things and pretend to be someone else

Face my pharmecudial needs and feed on my medicine, but I don't like the way it tastes
I confront my need for medication but dislike the taste

I go place to place without enough money to put a bed under me
I travel without enough money to afford a bed

So I share my sleeping space with rodents, insects, and dust bunnies
I sleep in unpleasant conditions along with animals and dust

I laugh at the mess I've created for myself until it gets unfunny
I find my situation humorous until it becomes unbearable

But I'm content in the fact that they don't expect respect, sex, love, or trust from me
I find solace in the fact that no one expects anything from me

When I'm hungry I can taste it
I can feel hunger vividly

I hide in the basement
I retreat to the basement and hide

Check up on me every now and then
Please check on me occasionally

Because my mood swings low...and I can feel myself going down again
My mood is currently low and I sense it worsening

Falling off is easy. Getting put on takes a bit of ass kissing
It is easy to fail but difficult to succeed without flattery

I'd rather listen to myself flop on the ground than hear the sound of a mattress spring
I prefer failure over easy success

I rap and sing and talk and write and often type with 2 fingers
I express my creativity through music, writing, and typing

The 'hunt and kill' method
I write by editing each word slowly

Your emails sit in my unsent box.
I have your emails in my drafts

If you're a girl that I miss
If you are a girl I miss

You'll eventually get my virtual good bye kiss
You will get my virtual farewell if I miss you

The rest are addressed to my friends and the subject line is 'Just check this fine bitch'
The other emails are addressed to my friends and include the subject line 'Just check this fine girl'

And the one for myself is untitled but...its the same virus
The email to myself has no title but it relates to the same issue

My wrists get slit on your shoulder blades
I harm myself while embracing you

when I lose my grip while I hold your face
When I let go of your face and my lines

Let it drip on your golden laced silver slip...
'It' refers to the blood, and I let it spill on your clothing

spilling all over the place
causing a mess

I'd lay my jacket over the blood puddle when we'd go on dates
I would cover up the blood so we could continue with our date

to prove that I'm a gentleman, peddling my bike at a slower pace
I want to show you that I am a gentleman and that I will go slow for you

'The sum of the parts doesn't equal the whole,' she states
You cannot judge the entirety of something based on its parts

Before my parents get home I'll take
I will have time before my parents get home to

time to find the fragments of our relationship
find the remaining elements of our relationship

and glue back together this broken vase.
and try to repair what is damaged

Falling in love is easy. Falling out of love takes a bit of practice
I find it easy to fall in love and difficult to fall out of

I'm good at both without even owning a mattress
I have plenty of experience with both despite not having a bed

I never asked for a kiss without deserving one.
I never ask for affection without deserving it

If you never saw me cry before
If you have not seen me cry before

wait for the next time I wake up on the wrong side of the floor
wait for me to wake up sad and distraught

that should have been sent by now
This is another message that should have been sent earlier

Sealed in an envelope
This message is sealed in an envelope

and it says that I feel our friendship's a joke
It expresses my belief that our friendship is not serious

One is addressed to my friend
This message is addressed to my friend

and it says his ex-girlfriend's on coke
It mentions that his ex-girlfriend has a drug problem

And one is addressed to myself on a personal note
This message is personal and addressed to myself

Unopened...filled with endless quotes
This message is unopened and has many quotes

Whenever I spoke, they'd close me in and bust my lip
I was not allowed to speak my mind without consequence

Now I wear parenthesis on my temples, step to the podium and just think
Now I think carefully before I speak

Whenever lonely I shrink...hold myself...squeezing tight
When I am lonely, I feel small and hug myself tightly

Before I sprawl out on the hardwood floor and kiss myself to sleep at night
Before I sleep on the floor, I hug myself and think of previous lovers

I have dreams of flight, but I'm not floating
I dream of flying, but cannot

The ground is approaching awfully quick
I feel like I am falling fast

So I wake up screaming for you to catch me
I wake up shouting for help

That's what I start every day off with
That is how I begin each day

I may talk shit, but there ain't much else to do in this prison cell
I speak nonsense, but there is little else to do in my current state

And lucky for me no one listens well...especially when I dis myself
No one listens to me, especially when I insult myself

I'll fly away on a pig when my living hell freezes over
I will only leave my current state under impossible conditions

And since I'm used to the cold I'll be able to rest my head on Jesus' shoulder
Since I am accustomed to discomfort, I will still be able to rest

Explanations are in order for why these floor boards are always freezing
There are reasons why the floor is always cold

I guess it'll all make sense once we get older and reach the Age of Reason
It will become clear as we mature and gain a better understanding of things

Until then, I'll have no reason to sleep in. Not even on weekends
Until then, I have no reason to sleep in, not even on weekends

Unless we're together, because my will power will probably weaken
Unless we are together, I will likely lose my resolve

Deepen my appreciation for the current condition
I try to find more meaning in my current situation

because I'm sick of always feeling like something is missing.
I am tired of feeling unsatisfied

I slumber in one position. Crouched up an fetal like.
I sleep in a fetal position on the floor

And the couch sucks 'cause my feet are like...given no space to breathe
I do not like sleeping on the couch because I cannot stretch my legs out

while I embrace my knees
I hug my knees

So its off to the floor because I can't sleep anywhere else
I choose to sleep on the floor because it is the only viable option

That's where I write these letters to all of y'all but never send 'em
I write these letters to you all, but I never actually send them

It's better to just keep to myself
I prefer to not share my thoughts with others and keep to myself

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Cheche Garcia

Comments from YouTube:

Ganja Gaming

6y↑12

I remember finding Personal Journals on a shelf in a record store. I snagged it along with easily 5-8 other albums by various artists as I usually did on weekends, always excited to see if I could find some solid music. I don't remember any other album I purchased that day.

I didn't find Sage. Sage found me that year and turned shit around for my mind. Respect.