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.
Rewrite/50 Ways
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Really
She said: Forever.
I said forever?
Forever ever? forever ever ever ever ever ever ever?
Apparently forever only means four year!
This is the rewrite... this right here
This is the rewrite... this right here
This to the woman who I used to respect
Now I call her a bitch cause I'm constantly upset
So this is to the +bitch+ who cut communication
For a new relation
Selfishness spread through the nation
All I ever wanted was a hug
To wrap my loving arms around you, you blew it off with a shrug
So all I ever wanted was a hand to hold
I ain't the man to scold
Your plan is cold but god damn its old
It's about time get inside of my head while I'm out my mind
As I scream cry yell shout and whine
All I ever asked for
Was an ear to hear me
What you really have to wear that mask for?
You straight shattered my glass jaw
I'm picking up the pieces of my past, what you last saw
But see this, needless to say, you went astray
All people ever hear Sage say is
I don't give a damn, I don't care
All I hear from myself tryin' to make things clear
Yeah, I don't give a FUCK for real I don't FUCKING CARE
You know why?
The pain stops with the end of raindrops
But this cloudy weather just reminds me of the time we spent together
How you left forever like that with a snap of fingers
Pain lingers, this is to the
Woman who I made my family
I call her up just to save my sanity
So this is to that +bitch+
She be right here, a monster in my reoccurring nightmare
Now when my grandfather died,
And my grandmother died,
And my dad fuckin' died
She saw me and just ignored me like "Sorry end of the story"
My family's dropping like flies somehow I got to rise
But nobody's by my side, can't look straight into my eyes
No one's by my side, look straight into my eyes
My fist grabs air, stare into the lies
I never felt more lonely, I made you the one and only
Individual to know me. This is the thanks that you show me?
I never felt more lonely, I made you the one and only
Individual to know me, never thought that you'd turn phony
But you did, I'm going all out kid
I got mad hate to deal with
Yo,I'm having trouble letting anyone get close to me
That's a major problem because that's not the way it's supposed to be
Supposedly, I should keep my composure
Now, I'm like "wow", it's time for me to seek closure
Pictures are destroyed - overexposure
Ever get that feeling that nobody really knows ya'?
This is to the woman who I called my best friend
Now I call her bitch, because she made the switch to that +bitch+
Who I shouldn't disrespect
I call her woman just to keep myself in check
Fuck that
The problem that's all inside my head she said to me
The answer's easy if you take it logically"
I'd like to help you with your struggles to be free
Must be 50 ways to diss your ex lover]
Without calling her a bitch
Without calling her a bi-atch!
So six years it took for her to talk to me again. Six years!. I woul email, i emailed my way back into her life. All her co-workers would play her all my songs. "did you hear this one, did you hear this one?" And then, we go back together. And we started hanging out a lot. It was beautiful. And it was very close to the end of my musical career, because, i just couldn't write anymore, it was like, i have no girl to cry about, i have no songs...
But then i had sex with her mom. And i've a lot more to write about now.
The lyrics to Sage Francis's song Rewrite/50 Ways speak to the struggle of being hurt by someone we thought would always be there for us. The writer is clearly devastated by the actions of someone close to them, and is reaching out to anyone who has also been "fucked over" in their life. They express their pain and loneliness, feeling like nobody really knows them, and like they can't let anyone get close to them. The writer is angry and hurt, yet still pining for the person who has caused them so much pain. The lyrics suggest that even in the midst of this pain, there is a glimmer of hope- the possibility that the pain can end and that there are ways to move on from heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Come now, sit down, stick a while
Take a moment to listen to my story
Really
I'm serious
She said: Forever.
She promised to be with me forever
I said forever?
I confirmed her promise
Forever ever? forever ever ever ever ever ever ever?
I emphasized and reiterated her promise
Apparently forever only means four year!
Her promise only lasted for four years
This is the rewrite... this right here
This is my revised story
This is the rewrite... this right here
This is the new version of my narration
This is the re-write, to anyone who has been fucked over in their life
This is my reworked story for those who have been betrayed
This to the woman who I used to respect
This is for the woman I once admired
Now I call her a bitch cause I'm constantly upset
I now disrespect her because she continually upsets me
So this is to the +bitch+ who cut communication
This is for the woman who stopped talking to me
For a new relation
Because she found someone else
Selfishness spread through the nation
Selfishness is becoming rampant
All I ever wanted was a hug
I only wanted physical affection
To wrap my loving arms around you, you blew it off with a shrug
You didn't want to be embraced and rejected my gesture
So all I ever wanted was a hand to hold
I wanted emotional support
I ain't the man to scold
I'm not one to criticize
Your plan is cold but god damn its old
Your scheme is unfeeling and overused
It's about time get inside of my head while I'm out my mind
It's time for you to understand my thoughts while I'm feeling insane
As I scream cry yell shout and whine
I express my emotions through screaming, crying, and shouting
All I ever asked for
All I requested was
Was an ear to hear me
Someone to listen to me
What you really have to wear that mask for?
Why do you need to put on a façade?
You straight shattered my glass jaw
You destroyed my emotional vulnerability
I'm picking up the pieces of my past, what you last saw
I'm rebuilding my broken self from our last meeting
But see this, needless to say, you went astray
You deviated from the right path
All people ever hear Sage say is
What people remember of me is
I don't give a damn, I don't care
I don't care about anything
All I hear from myself tryin' to make things clear
I'm struggling to explain myself
Yeah, I don't give a FUCK for real I don't FUCKING CARE
I truly have no interest or concern
You know why?
Do you understand why?
The pain stops with the end of raindrops
Pain subsides when rain stops
But this cloudy weather just reminds me of the time we spent together
Cloudy weather triggers memories of our time together
How you left forever like that with a snap of fingers
You left me abruptly with just a snap of your fingers
Pain lingers, this is to the
Pain persists, so this is for the
Woman who I made my family
The woman I considered family
I call her up just to save my sanity
I contact her to preserve my emotional wellbeing
So this is to that +bitch+
This is for the woman who hurt me
She be right here, a monster in my reoccurring nightmare
She is constantly present in my disturbing dreams
Now when my grandfather died,
When my grandfather passed away,
And my grandmother died,
And my grandmother passed away,
And my dad fuckin' died
And my father passed away
She saw me and just ignored me like "Sorry end of the story"
She saw me and gave me a short and unsympathetic response
My family's dropping like flies somehow I got to rise
My family members are dying one by one, but I need to keep going
But nobody's by my side, can't look straight into my eyes
I have no support and can't meet anyone's gaze
My fist grabs air, stare into the lies
I punch the air and confront deception
I never felt more lonely, I made you the one and only
I've never felt more isolated, I relied on you solely
Individual to know me. This is the thanks that you show me?
The only one who knew me well, and this is the gratitude you give me?
Never thought that you'd turn phony
I never imagined you would become insincere
But you did, I'm going all out kid
But you did, and now I'm going all out
I got mad hate to deal with
I have a lot of resentment to manage
Yo,I'm having trouble letting anyone get close to me
I'm having difficulty allowing anyone into my life
That's a major problem because that's not the way it's supposed to be
This is a significant issue as it's not how it should be
Supposedly, I should keep my composure
I'm meant to maintain my composure, supposedly
Now, I'm like "wow", it's time for me to seek closure
Now, I'm like "surprise", it's time for me to find closure
Pictures are destroyed - overexposure
Pictures are ruined - overexposure has occurred
Ever get that feeling that nobody really knows ya'?
Do you ever feel like no one truly understands you?
This is to the woman who I called my best friend
This is for the woman I considered my closest friend
Now I call her bitch, because she made the switch to that +bitch+
I now insult her by calling her a derogatory name for choosing the other woman
Who I shouldn't disrespect
I shouldn't talk badly about the other woman
I call her woman just to keep myself in check
I refer to her as a respectful term so I don't lash out
Fuck that
Screw that
The problem that's all inside my head she said to me
She told me that the issue is in my mind
The answer's easy if you take it logically"
The solution is straightforward if you're logical
I'd like to help you with your struggles to be free
I wish to aid in your journey to find freedom
Must be 50 ways to diss your ex lover]
There's probably many ways to disrespect your former lover
Without calling her a bitch
Without using derogatory language
Without calling her a bi-atch!
Without using an offensive term
So six years it took for her to talk to me again. Six years!.
It took her six years to speak with me again
I woul email, i emailed my way back into her life.
I would email, and I emailed my way back into her life
All her co-workers would play her all my songs.
Her colleagues would play all of my songs to her
"did you hear this one, did you hear this one?"
"Have you listened to this one? Have you listened to this one?"
And then, we go back together.
And then, we reconciled
And we started hanging out a lot.
And we began spending time together frequently
It was beautiful.
It was wonderful
And it was very close to the end of my musical career,
This occurred near the end of my music career
because, i just couldn't write anymore,
because I lost inspiration to continue writing
it was like, i have no girl to cry about, i have no songs...
It was as though I had nobody to lament over and no music to create...
But then i had sex with her mom.
But then, I had sex with her mother
And i've a lot more to write about now.
Now, I have a lot more material to create music about
Contributed by Emily C. 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