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.
Smoke And Mirrors
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am..
More than two faced, I've got at least six with cheap tricks
To hide my not-so-pretty side while accentuating cheeks and lips
I use battin' rouge to battle crews who don't like the remix
And you just act confused by the way I choose to fuck with a double helix
Cuddle with me quick, get befuddled and sea sick
My ugly mug'll be equipped to make it a struggle to see shit
I'll curse and swear, and act unmother-like until I persevere
Haven't been to church in years, right now that's the setting
I couldn't think of a better place to cover my face and have a wedding
It's upsetting how plastic my mask is getting
It's melting and releasing toxic fumes
Covered by lots of perfume, never coming out of my closet of costumes
Cartoon versions of myself get drawn out
After that occurs, time gets consumed
I'm in the dressing room with the caricatures
Until my head is cured I'm heading for pedicures and manicures
Man, if your not damn sure of whether or not
to pop the question I'll let you in on the answer..
Think of sex in a camper...
A phony life with a trophy wife, menthol cigarettes and cancer
Smoke and Mirrors
So sophisticated
So cool
I AM..
An illusion specialist turning tricks who could never diss
The one the wake up next to even if it's not the one they went to bed with
Breakfast at Tiffany's, skip lunch, make sure the dinner table is candle lit
I squish my feet until they crunch, but I'm unable to make these sandals fit
I can't just sit I need to MOVE and power walk, because Oprah said it
And I won't forget it, she does it during the opening credits
I'm so synthetic
I like the smell of coke, get it? I powder my nose
Power to hoes who pound on a hose while playing in a pound of snow
I'm getting snow plowed, I KNOW
It's time to fuck a guy now
I just applied blush and look surprised
but it's the way I plucked my eyebrows
Time out, I'm in a tanning booth... reading Danielle Steel
And I'm planting banana peels beneath every damn man's heel
Waiting for them to fall for my sad trick I stop, drop and kneel
With a little touch of magic, I'll let David cop a feel
I'm not real, but I've got FEELINGS...
except in my nipples because of the breast implants
To have my chest enhanced I pant in dresses but never dress in pants
A club hopping strobe light honey...addicted to wrinkle cream
Sipping on Listerine, Mr. Clean don't like the smell of nicotine
Smoke and Mirrors
So sophisticated
So cool
I AM..
Dirtyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
The song "Smoke and Mirrors" by Sage Francis is a satirical social commentary on modern society's obsession with appearances and deception. The lyrics are about the singer who is a master of disguise and illusion, and who uses different masks to hide his true self while accentuating his features. He mocks the societal expectations of beauty standards and talks about how he uses various tricks, such as plastic surgeries, makeup, and synthetic chemicals to conform to those standards. The lyrics also touch upon topics of gender roles, sexuality, and addiction.
Furthermore, the song touches upon the singer's false image of success and happiness, which are just illusions created to deceive others as well as himself. He is an expert in creating fake realities and deceiving others, but at the same time, he acknowledges his own insecurities and limitations. The song bridges the gap between the truth and the facade that people tend to portray, and the lyrics question whether people's true self can ever be seen behind the smoke and mirrors.
Line by Line Meaning
I am..
I am a master of deception, hiding behind at least six different personas and cheap tricks to cover up my true appearance while highlighting selected features. I use makeup to mask my identity and confuse those around me by tampering with their DNA.
More than two faced, I've got at least six with cheap tricks
I am more deceptive than just being two-faced; I manipulate situations with a variety of characters and cheap illusions.
To hide my not-so-pretty side while accentuating cheeks and lips
I use makeup to disguise the parts of myself that aren't so aesthetically pleasing, while also accentuating attractive features.
I use battin' rouge to battle crews who don't like the remix
I use makeup to defend myself against those who criticize me and my actions, even if those criticisms are valid.
And you just act confused by the way I choose to fuck with a double helix
You may be confused about my methods of deception and how I use them even to alter someone's genetic material.
Cuddle with me quick, get befuddled and sea sick
If you get too close to me, you'll get dizzy and confused by the depth of my deception.
My ugly mug'll be equipped to make it a struggle to see shit
My appearance will be so deceiving that you won't be able to see through the illusions.
The beat kicks, my belly feels empty I want a person there
Music stirs something in me, and I yearn for someone to fill the void in me.
I'll curse and swear, and act unmother-like until I persevere
I am willing to act harshly, even cruelly, to achieve my goals or conquer obstacles.
Haven't been to church in years, right now that's the setting
I haven't been to a place of worship in a long time, but I find that being in them makes for ideal places to hide and deceive.
I couldn't think of a better place to cover my face and have a wedding
Getting married in a church, where I can cover my face behind the veil and get lost in the crowd, is my perfect setting.
It's melting and releasing toxic fumes
My plastic mask is starting to break down, and it is emitting harmful chemicals.
Covered by lots of perfume, never coming out of my closet of costumes
I use perfume to cover up the smell of the toxins, and I keep all of my masks safely hidden from view.
Cartoon versions of myself get drawn out
People create caricatured versions of me because I am so enigmatic and deceptive.
After that occurs, time gets consumed
Creating and discussing these caricatures takes up a lot of time.
I'm in the dressing room with the caricatures
I spend a lot of time with the people who create caricatures of me, studying their perceptions of me.
Until my head is cured I'm heading for pedicures and manicures
Until I figure out who I really am, I am trying to improve my appearance as much as possible, even going for regular pedicures and manicures.
Man, if your not damn sure of whether or not to pop the question I'll let you in on the answer..
If you're unsure about committing to me, let me tell you: our life together will be full of sexual experimentation and disregard for our health.
Think of sex in a camper...
We will be adventurous and live life on the move, including having sex in unconventional places like a camper.
A phony life with a trophy wife, menthol cigarettes and cancer
Our lives will be lived in deceptively, filled with a trophy spouse, unhealthy habits, and the eventual consequences of those habits.
An illusion specialist turning tricks who could never diss
I am an expert in illusion and deception, and I am so good at it that no one could ever catch me in a lie.
The one the wake up next to even if it's not the one they went to bed with
I am so good at deception that people will wake up next to me, wondering how they ended up with someone different than they went to bed with.
Breakfast at Tiffany's, skip lunch, make sure the dinner table is candle lit
I am obsessed with the idea of perfection and the appearance of wealth and class, even if that means skipping meals to afford the right dinnertime ambiance.
I squish my feet until they crunch, but I'm unable to make these sandals fit
I push myself to adapt to situations that don't fit me, but often at the cost of my own comfort and well-being.
I can't just sit I need to MOVE and power walk, because Oprah said it
I am constantly moving and trying to stay active, taking Oprah's advice to stay active as law.
And I won't forget it, she does it during the opening credits
I take even the smallest bit of advice, like watching Oprah power walk during her show's opening credits, to heart.
I'm so synthetic
My appearance is so fake, it looks like I was made in a lab.
I like the smell of coke, get it? I powder my nose
I enjoy the smell of cocaine, which I snort regularly to fuel my deceptions.
Power to hoes who pound on a hose while playing in a pound of snow
I respect women who can handle themselves and who are willing to take risks and face danger, like playing in a pound of snow.
I'm getting snow plowed, I KNOW
I am aware that I am in a dangerous place and at risk of being hurt or taken advantage of.
It's time to fuck a guy now
I have reached the point where I am ready for a sexual encounter.
I just applied blush and look surprised
I am attempting to deceive someone into thinking I am surprised, even though I am not.
but it's the way I plucked my eyebrows
The effect of my eyebrow grooming is what makes my expressions appear more surprised than they really are.
Time out, I'm in a tanning booth... reading Danielle Steel
I am in a tanning booth, obsessing over my appearance while reading a book that further romanticizes the illusion of perfection.
And I'm planting banana peels beneath every damn man's heel
I am trapping men in situations where they will slip up and reveal their vulnerabilities or failures.
Waiting for them to fall for my sad trick I stop, drop and kneel
I am just waiting for men to fall for my deception so I can reveal myself and triumph over them.
With a little touch of magic, I'll let David cop a feel
If I can get a man comfortable enough in his deception of me, I can move in and begin to dominate him sexually.
I'm not real, but I've got FEELINGS...
Even though I am not real, I feel emotions and get caught up in deception like it is real.
except in my nipples because of the breast implants
The materials used in my breast implants prevent me from feeling anything in my nipples.
To have my chest enhanced I pant in dresses but never dress in pants
To enhance my appearance, I will do whatever it takes, including dressing uncomfortably, as long as it makes me look better.
A club hopping strobe light honey...addicted to wrinkle cream
I enjoy going out to clubs and dancing, while also acknowledging my obsession with staying young, maybe even to the point of addiction.
Sipping on Listerine, Mr. Clean don't like the smell of nicotine
I drink Listerine instead of consuming alcohol, as the smell of nicotine turns me off.
Dirtyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
I am a dirty (in terms of deceptiveness, lies, and appearance) and potentially dangerous individual.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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