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.
Worry Not
Sage Francis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Anxiety's a disease, you gotta learn to live with it
Cancer spreads, it'll eat right through
There oughta be a quarantine for people like you
I keep clenching my jaw when I sleep
I ain't got no dental insurance, so I purchased a mouth piece
It helps me collect all my teeth, cause they keep falling out in my dreams
Till you need deeper sleep between sheets and weak sex
If you need to eat meat then just feed on the flesh
If your will power's weak seekin' ye shall find death
It'll rent it'll lease it'll own you
Can't teach new tricks to in a old school
I've been banned from the bible
But I stand on my own two
Runnin' from something my legs have no clue
Bur nin' through every last nerve that I got
This condition is more than deserved but I'm not
Killing the time I'm ringin' it's neck
Chokin' it out and I'm stealin' its breath
Sucking it in and then blowing a kiss
To the caution I tossed to the wind like this
Worry not, keep the stress in check
Anxiety's a disease, you gotta learn to live with it
Cancer spreads, it'll eat right through
There oughta be a quarantine for people like you
Oh you're scared of the dark? then sleep in the light
You came for the bark but then leave when I bite?
Breakin' a sweat,
You fainting awake wit a fang in your neck
And a pain in your chest
Holes in your power your drained and your wet
When you threw in the towel I caught it like rent
That was well played, you ain't self made
You went from daycare to preschool from K-12 grade
And that's hardwired holding your brain
Not to mention the rules at the house where you stayed
Synagogue mosque or the church where you prayed
As a child tamed like your wild!
Reprogram, deprogram
There ain't nothin' they say we don't know man
They been breakin' our vulnerable people
And claimin' that everything in us is evil
I see them in hell then - but until then
You should chill friend (Just chill!)
Play pretend with the forces of organized
Superstition and get played in the end
I was killing the time I was ringin' it's neck
Chokin' it out and then stealin' its breath
Sucking it in and then blowing a kiss
To the caution I tossed to the wind like this
Worry not, keep the stress in check
Anxiety's a disease, you gotta learn to live with it
Cancer spreads, it'll eat right through
There oughta be a quarantine for people like you
The song "Worry Not" by Sage Francis talks about the struggles of dealing with anxiety and stress. The opening lines advise the listener to not worry and to keep stress levels in check. Anxiety is referred to as a disease that one must learn to live with, and a comparison is made to cancer which can spread and eat away at the affected person. The lyrics also express frustration towards those who are causing stress to others, as the singer calls for a quarantine for "people like you."
The second verse of the song gets more personal as Sage Francis shares his struggles with anxiety. He mentions clenching his jaw when he sleeps and having to purchase a mouthpiece because he cannot afford dental insurance. His dreams are so intense that he even loses his teeth, and he repeats actions until he is drenched in sweat. The lyrics also suggest that if one has weaknesses, they will eventually lead to their demise. The chorus repeats the idea that stress and anxiety are something we need to learn to live with, as they are diseases that can eat away at a person.
Line by Line Meaning
Worry not, keep the stress in check
Don't worry about it, just manage your stress levels
Anxiety's a disease, you gotta learn to live with it
Anxiety is an illness that you have to learn to cope with
Cancer spreads, it'll eat right through
Cancer is a dangerous disease that can destroy your health
There oughta be a quarantine for people like you
You should be isolated or separated from others because of your negative behavior
I keep clenching my jaw when I sleep
I have a bad habit of grinding my teeth or biting my jaw in my sleep
I ain't got no dental insurance, so I purchased a mouth piece
I don't have insurance for dental care, so I bought a device to protect my teeth while I sleep
It helps me collect all my teeth, cause they keep falling out in my dreams
The device prevents me from grinding my teeth and losing them in my dreams
Repeating each step till I'm knee deep in sweat
I'm constantly performing the same actions until I'm exhausted and drenched in sweat
Till you need deeper sleep between sheets and weak sex
When you're so tired from stress that you need more rest and have less energy for sexual activity
If you need to eat meat then just feed on the flesh
If you feel the need for sustenance, then consume meat for its nutrients
If your will power's weak seekin' ye shall find death
If your determination is lacking, it can lead to a negative outcome or even death
It'll rent it'll lease it'll own you
Stress can control your life and take over your mind and body
Can't teach new tricks to in a old school
It's impossible to change old habits or patterns of thought easily
I've been banned from the bible
This person has been ostracized from religious belief or community
But I stand on my own two
Despite being alone or unsupported, I am self-sufficient
Runnin' from something my legs have no clue
Trying to escape from stress or fear without really knowing what it is
Bur nin' through every last nerve that I got
The stress is causing pain and discomfort on every level of my being
This condition is more than deserved but I'm not
The situation is stressful, but I don't believe that I brought it on myself
Killing the time I'm ringin' it's neck
I'm trying to distract myself from the pain and pass the time while struggling with my stress
Chokin' it out and I'm stealin' its breath
I'm trying to suppress the stress and take deep breaths to calm myself down
Sucking it in and then blowing a kiss
Trying to block out the source of my stress and send it off with a kiss
To the caution I tossed to the wind like this
Ignoring any warnings or precautions like throwing them out in the wind
Oh you're scared of the dark? then sleep in the light
If something scares you, then take action to feel safer
You came for the bark but then leave when I bite?
Did you expect me to be harmless, then leave when I defend myself?
Breakin' a sweat,
Becoming exhausted and sweating due to stress or fear
You fainting awake wit a fang in your neck
Feeling paralyzed or helpless in a difficult situation
And a pain in your chest
Feeling stress or anxiety physically, in the chest or heart
Holes in your power your drained and your wet
Losing confidence or ability to control the situation, feeling drained and overwhelmed
When you threw in the towel I caught it like rent
When you gave up, I was there to take control and continue the effort
That was well played, you ain't self made
Admiring someone's strategic move, but pointing out that they did not achieve it on their own
You went from daycare to preschool from K-12 grade
You've had institutions and structured education in your life for many years
And that's hardwired holding your brain
Your thought patterns and habits are ingrained in your mind
Not to mention the rules at the house where you stayed
Growing up in a certain environment or household with specific rules affected your behavior
Synagogue mosque or the church where you prayed
Religious institutions where you worshiped or were raised could have impacted your values and beliefs
As a child tamed like your wild!
As a child, you were taught to control your impulses and behave in a certain way
Reprogram, deprogram
Changing or undoing learned behavior or thought patterns
There ain't nothin' they say we don't know man
We're aware of what people in authority or power are saying, but don't necessarily agree with it
They been breakin' our vulnerable people
Those in power have been harming or taking advantage of the weaker or more vulnerable members of society
And claimin' that everything in us is evil
Those in power may try to convince us that we are bad or guilty for who we are or what we've done
I see them in hell then - but until then
I envision those in power suffering consequences in the afterlife, but for now we have to persevere
You should chill friend (Just chill!)
You should relax and try to stay calm despite the stressful situations around you
Play pretend with the forces of organized
Acting like we conform or believe in the structures and systems of society
Superstition and get played in the end
But in the end, we may realize that the system is flawed and doesn't actually help us
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: SAGE FRANCIS, TIM FITE
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