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.
Threewrite
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
the hands I've been trying to hold
This is to the (uh-uh) love that I lost
and all the troubling thoughts of how I got double-crossed
and this is to the (uh-uh) divorce I was forced to settle with
and the remorse I fought off with metal fists
and this is to the (uh-uh) wet, watery kiss I left you with
on your porch while I watched your trembling lips
This is to the... memory of our early years
the first girl I shared feelings with
and it's the realest thing I'd experienced in my short existence
and I ain't afraid to admit
cause love is one of the things that doesnt come with an age limit
now does it? In fact I'ma have to say I'm more keen to feel such things
hopeless things I'd lost in a smokescreen of meaningless fucking
Touching without touching, candles in the dark
casting shadows on our parents battles, this is for the romantics at heart
It wasn't too long before I held you more then my pen
when I wasn't writing songs, it was something like
"Forever and always, whenever those songs play..."
I remember empty hallways
or your image that descended from the top floor became an echo
I paid the price for those hard things, and couldn't afford to let go
From a passive debt, I'm past regret
Did you know I dreamt about you before we met?
Remembering our first kiss, and it hasn't even happened yet
Recollecting your scent, and I wasn't even given the chance to forget
I guess that's the magic of it
Now every rehashed subject's displaying what I wrote
on cafe napkins to the public
to get it over and done with, closure hath cometh
My shoulders have plummeted from holding these buckets
Hold your laughs till I go back to the tunnels of Paris
where I wrote half of these paragraphs... but fuck it
This is to my ten year story, in another decade
you better be better prepared for me
in the first four years, you were all ears
then the next six, you left me for the next exit
with depth to my message
So that began my affair with the world abroad
Behind the curtain with the other hurtful girls I explored
Until I became the monster, turning to the words that I record
Pardon me, if you heard it all before
"I didn't shake you to hurt you"
when you landed on the floor
In a room of naked virtues
I closed my eyes to cancel what I saw
Your hand made the first move to the handle of the drawer
where the frail girl couldn't think to live
"I didn't shake you to hurt you"
I never planned it before
I can't shake off your perfume, can't wash my hands no more
and I'm breaking my curfew, but I can't walk
I'm standing at the door, I hear the wailing of a little kid
...and the failure of innocence
His compromise eyeing the side of the kitchen sink
What'you think, I just let you cut you, cut me-- cut the bullshit
Damn, I love the hugs enough to tolerate
the way we made each other crazy, making it so tough to operate
Productively, my self esteem didn't help when I felt ugly
and I figured that's the reason why you wouldn't touch me
My ego does bleed, I shouldn't have let you test it
and let your arms free to follow through with your domestic slip up
Love is a battlefield so lick your shots quick
while I lick my wounds and then resume as an obvious target
Infatuations with the past protect my Purple Heart with
a faded picture I had in my shirt pocket
I'm going out with a bang..
in a blaze of glory holes, the anti-hero
I don't care how many ways the story's told
Be careful when these doolies play like drums
and be careful what you say, because my uzi weighs a tongue..
This is to the sleepless evenings that I spent next to grave stones
Hoping someone from beyond would grab my arm and take me home
I hadn't accepted I'd have to make it alone
after feeding everything I had into a payphone
and this is to the rain..
I felt like it was made of spit
My parade was an unbreakable chain of Gabe's trumpets
Save the buckets even though they weighed down my walking
You don't know the height of the steak you place your fork in
You look old (that's what you said)
I feel old (that's what I said)
I been through a lot since you been gone, dead, born again
torn to shreads over girls who were porcelain
the cry-baby dolls, when we were allowed to talk again
I stopped accepting wake-up calls (that ring true)
I hate the way I fall for everything you do
Our fate is flawed, that's why I make these break-up songs to sing to you
Music is my only psychiatric drug
And you're a pill in human form I'd like to hide under my tongue
Kiss the foot that couldn't fit into the slipper of my mouth
The denizen in your house begging for the benifit of your doubts
When I got kicked out, I played the faithful puppy dog
Loyal to the love alost, sitting at your fucking door in utter disbelief
I sucked all of the skin off of my teeth
you pulled away, you let me choke on your invisible leash
You can find me hiding these screams behind my eyelids
She blinded me (she blinded me) with silence..
So my air-mail lips blew her a fairwell kiss
Slinking over the sink, where all the hair gel drips
Stairwells dip deep into her mouth where I found a cycle
and ever since then, I've been on a downward spiral
this round is final, it's time to recover
because it's a porch that some dogs choose to die under
the first song was a breakdown, I apologize in round two
this version im certain, this shit ain't even about you
It's the threewrite..
The lyrics of Sage Francis's song Threewrite are a mixture of nostalgic, regretful, and self-deprecating thoughts. The song begins with a dedication to his lost love, the love he lost because of betrayal and divorce, and the thoughts that troubled him about it. The lyrics convey a sense of regret and an acceptance of past mistakes. The second verse talks about his first love, how it was the realest thing he had experienced, and how love doesn't come with an age limit. He reminisces about the moments they spent together, the romantic gestures, and the places they visited. Then the song shifts to the struggles he faced in the later years of his life, including the sleepless nights spent at graveyards, his affair with the world abroad, and the pain caused by a failing relationship.
The song is an ode to the past, both the good and the bad. Each verse represents a different chapter in Francis's life. The nostalgia in his lyrics is coupled with the regret of how he handled situations in his life. However, the song ends with an acknowledgment of accepting what is and moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
This is to the (uh-uh) intertwined souls
This is a dedication to the deep connection between two individuals
the hands I've been trying to hold
The desire to hold onto a love that was lost
This is to the (uh-uh) love that I lost
Acknowledging the love that was lost in a relationship
and all the troubling thoughts of how I got double-crossed
Reflecting on the betrayal and confusion in the relationship
and this is to the (uh-uh) divorce I was forced to settle with
Accepting the reality of a forced divorce
and the remorse I fought off with metal fists
Struggling to suppress feelings of remorse and anger
and this is to the (uh-uh) wet, watery kiss I left you with
Remembering the bittersweet goodbye
on your porch while I watched your trembling lips
Witnessing the emotional impact of the farewell
This is to the... memory of our early years
Reflecting on the memories of a past relationship
the first girl I shared feelings with
The significance of the first person with whom emotions were shared
and it's the realest thing I'd experienced in my short existence
Recognizing the authenticity of that experience
and I ain't afraid to admit
Being unafraid to acknowledge the impact of love
cause love is one of the things that doesnt come with an age limit
Love knows no boundaries, including age restrictions
now does it? In fact I'ma have to say I'm more keen to feel such things
Expressing a desire to continue experiencing love
hopeless things I'd lost in a smokescreen of meaningless fucking
Understanding that previous encounters lacked emotional depth
Touching without touching, candles in the dark
Engaging in intimacy beyond physical touch
casting shadows on our parents battles, this is for the romantics at heart
Acknowledging the impact of parental conflicts on romantic relationships
It wasn't too long before I held you more then my pen
Prioritizing the relationship over creative pursuits
when I wasn't writing songs, it was something like
Shifting focus from music to the relationship
"Forever and always, whenever those songs play..."
A reminder of the lasting impact of shared experiences
I remember empty hallways
Recalling moments of loneliness and emptiness
or your image that descended from the top floor became an echo
Feeling the absence of the loved one's presence
I paid the price for those hard things, and couldn't afford to let go
Bearing the consequences of difficult choices and being unable to move on
From a passive debt, I'm past regret
Moving beyond the burden of past regrets
Did you know I dreamt about you before we met?
Highlighting the significance of premonitions and dreams
Remembering our first kiss, and it hasn't even happened yet
Anticipating and holding onto the memory of a future first kiss
Recollecting your scent, and I wasn't even given the chance to forget
Holding onto the memory of the loved one's scent
I guess that's the magic of it
Recognizing the enchanting nature of love and memories
Now every rehashed subject's displaying what I wrote
Seeing the emotions and thoughts reflected in past writings
on cafe napkins to the public
Sharing personal experiences and emotions with others
to get it over and done with, closure hath cometh
Seeking closure and resolution
My shoulders have plummeted from holding these buckets
Feeling the weight of emotional burdens
Hold your laughs till I go back to the tunnels of Paris
Asking for patience until personal healing is achieved
where I wrote half of these paragraphs... but fuck it
Acknowledging the origin of creative inspiration regardless of current emotions
This is to my ten year story, in another decade
Reflecting on a significant period of life
you better be better prepared for me
Expecting personal growth and improvement
in the first four years, you were all ears
The initial years of the relationship were characterized by attentive listening
then the next six, you left me for the next exit
Experiencing abandonment and a lack of commitment
with depth to my message
Recognizing the depth and meaning behind one's words
So that began my affair with the world abroad
Embarking on a journey of self-discovery outside of the relationship
Behind the curtain with the other hurtful girls I explored
Engaging in relationships with others, knowing they might be hurtful
Until I became the monster, turning to the words that I record
Feeling like a monster and finding solace in writing and music
Pardon me, if you heard it all before
Apologizing if the sentiments expressed are repetitive
"I didn't shake you to hurt you"
Denying the intention to cause harm
when you landed on the floor
Describing a physical altercation
In a room of naked virtues
Being exposed in a vulnerable state
I closed my eyes to cancel what I saw
Attempting to ignore or deny the painful reality
Your hand made the first move to the handle of the drawer
A reference to self-harm or attempting to retrieve a weapon
where the frail girl couldn't think to live
Acknowledging the struggles and fragility of the loved one
"I didn't shake you to hurt you"
Repeating the denial of harmful intentions
I never planned it before
Rejecting premeditated harm
I can't shake off your perfume, can't wash my hands no more
Feeling haunted by the presence and memories of the loved one
and I'm breaking my curfew, but I can't walk
Feeling trapped and unable to move forward
I'm standing at the door, I hear the wailing of a little kid
Being mentally and emotionally stuck in a distressing situation
...and the failure of innocence
The loss of innocence and the consequences of one's actions
His compromise eyeing the side of the kitchen sink
Observing the result of a compromised innocence
What'you think, I just let you cut you, cut me-- cut the bullshit
Rejecting the notion of self-harm and calling for honesty
Damn, I love the hugs enough to tolerate
Expressing a willingness to endure difficult times for the sake of love
the way we made each other crazy, making it so tough to operate
Acknowledging the toxic dynamics that affected the relationship
Productively, my self esteem didn't help when I felt ugly
Feeling insecure and struggling with self-esteem
and I figured that's the reason why you wouldn't touch me
Linking personal insecurities to a lack of physical intimacy
My ego does bleed, I shouldn't have let you test it
Recognizing the damage caused by allowing someone to manipulate one's ego
and let your arms free to follow through with your domestic slip up
Allowing the loved one to make mistakes and face the consequences
Love is a battlefield so lick your shots quick
Acknowledging the challenges and conflicts in love
while I lick my wounds and then resume as an obvious target
Healing from emotional wounds and anticipating further vulnerability
Infatuations with the past protect my Purple Heart with
Feeling emotionally guarded and protecting oneself from further harm
a faded picture I had in my shirt pocket
Holding onto a nostalgic and faded memory
I'm going out with a bang..
Leaving a significant and memorable impact
in a blaze of glory holes, the anti-hero
Choosing to rebel and leave a lasting impression
I don't care how many ways the story's told
Indifference towards different perspectives or interpretations
Be careful when these doolies play like drums
Cautioning others when engaging with deceptive or manipulative individuals
and be careful what you say, because my uzi weighs a tongue..
Warning to think twice before provoking a verbal confrontation
This is to the sleepless evenings that I spent next to grave stones
Reflecting on lonely nights spent in cemeteries
Hoping someone from beyond would grab my arm and take me home
Longing for comfort and connection from the afterlife
I hadn't accepted I'd have to make it alone
Struggling with the idea of facing life's challenges alone
after feeding everything I had into a payphone
Investing all one's emotions and efforts into a futile attempt for contact
and this is to the rain..
Acknowledging the significance of rain as a metaphor for sadness or despair
I felt like it was made of spit
Viewing rain as something unpleasant and degrading
My parade was an unbreakable chain of Gabe's trumpets
Describing a procession of overwhelming negative experiences
Save the buckets even though they weighed down my walking
Carrying emotional burdens despite the impact on personal well-being
You don't know the height of the steak you place your fork in
Not fully realizing the magnitude of the situation or the risks involved
You look old (that's what you said)
Repeating a comment made about one's appearance
I feel old (that's what I said)
Expressing a sense of weariness or maturity
I been through a lot since you been gone, dead, born again
Transforming and growing through experiences while separated
torn to shreds over girls who were porcelain
Being emotionally wounded over fragile and delicate individuals
the cry-baby dolls, when we were allowed to talk again
Remembering previous conflicts and reconciliations
I stopped accepting wake-up calls (that ring true)
Refusing to acknowledge or be awakened by the reality of the situation
I hate the way I fall for everything you do
Feeling frustrated with one's vulnerability and continued attraction
Our fate is flawed, that's why I make these break-up songs to sing to you
Recognizing the imperfections in the relationship and channeling emotions into music
Music is my only psychiatric drug
Describing the therapeutic and cathartic nature of music
And you're a pill in human form I'd like to hide under my tongue
Referring to the loved one as a source of comfort and escape
Kiss the foot that couldn't fit into the slipper of my mouth
Expressing a desire to apologize or make amends for past mistakes
The denizen in your house begging for the benefit of your doubts
Seeking forgiveness and understanding from the loved one
When I got kicked out, I played the faithful puppy dog
Projecting loyalty and devotion even when faced with rejection
Loyal to the love alost, sitting at your fucking door in utter disbelief
Remaining faithful despite the loss of love and feeling shocked
I sucked all of the skin off of my teeth
Experiencing stress or anxiety that manifests physically
you pulled away, you let me choke on your invisible leash
Feeling controlled and trapped in the relationship
You can find me hiding these screams behind my eyelids
Suppressing and concealing emotional pain and frustration
She blinded me (she blinded me) with silence..
Being emotionally hurt and overwhelmed by the absence of communication
So my air-mail lips blew her a farewell kiss
Sending a symbolic goodbye message through thoughts and words
Slinking over the sink, where all the hair gel drips
Retreating in solitude and finding solace in personal grooming routines
Stairwells dip deep into her mouth where I found a cycle
Intertwining emotions and experiences within the loved one
and ever since then, I've been on a downward spiral
Experiencing a continuous decline or negative pattern
this round is final, it's time to recover
Accepting the end of a cycle and focusing on personal healing
because it's a porch that some dogs choose to die under
Reflecting on the symbolism of a porch as a place of sadness and acceptance
the first song was a breakdown, I apologize in round two
Apologizing for the emotional intensity of previous songs
this version im certain, this shit ain't even about you
Clarifying that the current song is not specifically dedicated to the loved one
It's the threewrite..
Referring to the song as the third version or iteration
Contributed by Alaina I. 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