Early life
Haystak was born to teenage parents, raised by his grandmother, and grew up in the poorest environment. As he got older, Haystak began engaging in a life of crime. But all that ended after being arrested on charges of drug possession at the age of 15.[citation needed]
Music
Haystak began rapping after being released two years later, but no one gave him the chance to prove himself. So Haystak took a daring chance and joined a local label called Street Flava Records and producers Kevin Grisham and Sonny Paradise. They produced his debut album, Mak Million, in 1998. With his description of the southern way of life from a white boy's point of view, Haystak won the respect of his peers in the underground rap scene and was recognized by the people of Nashville, both white and black. Two years later, Car Fulla White Boys came out with many fans waiting eagerly. With his success, Koch Records signed Haystak and rereleased Car Fulla White Boys that same year. In 2002, Haystak's third album, The Natural, was released on Koch. Since then, Haystak's fame has grown greatly, and he even played a small role in the 2005 film Hustle and Flow.
Discography:
Year Album Title
1998 Mak Million
2000 Car Fulla White Boys
2002 The Natural
2003 Return Of The Mak Million
2004 Portrait Of A White Boy
2005 From Start to Finish
2005 The New South
2006 The Southwest Connection
2007 Crackavelli
2008 Hard 2 Love
2008 Cracks The Safe
2009 The Natural II
2009 Came Along Way
2010 Easy 2 Hate
Good Man
Haystak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the thoughta dyin' without tellin' my baby good-bye,
Explainin' why, Daddy had to go,
Believin' that's the only way she'd ever really know,
I wish I could stay with you,
See you graduate school,
Grow old 'n' gray wit' you,
See your babies 'n' their babies too,
'N' there was nothin' more addictive,
Than your hugs 'n' your kisses,
You know how much I'm gonna miss this,
I wish this bliss could be endless,
But that's just senseless,
It seems as though this is the business,
Daddy was a leader 'n' people followed,
I stay so caught up in the game, I seldom see tomorrow,
A desperado, who changed diapers 'n' warmed bottles,
Perhaps I could of been a more positive role model,
But DooWop I'll always love you,
Don't let nobody tell you,
Your pops wasn't no good dude, Naw Boo
[Chorus:]
If the sun comes up,
'N' I'm not home,
Be strong,
There's a life inside you,
Do your best to, carry on,
Tell the kids about me,
When there old enough to, understand,
Tell them that there daddy was, a good man,
A good man...
I don't know where your head was when you,
Just said "Forget us," then you,
Took my baby, home to your mamas house,
Can't even cry no mo', 'sect the fact it's over now,
I'll I can do is thank God you a good mama,
Apologize 'cuz I put you through so much drama,
But I already give you half my doe,
You should have to write half my flows,
'N' do half my shows,
I keep the lights on,
I bring the bacon home,
Count the contractions,
Cut the cord,
Bring the baby home,
Three and a half karats,
'N' if you except my proposal,
I'll be that person you been searchin'
And the whole pursuit is over,
I got a show outta town,
Get my doe outta pounds,
Rock my baby till she fall asleep,
Take her and lay her down,
Tell her mama I'm goin',
'N' go and sing songs,
The sun come up 'n' I'm not home,
Somethin' musta went wrong,
So be strong,
[Chorus]
This is for the good men,
That went to die in Iraq,
My drug lord veterans,
That died over crack,
Convenience store clerks that get killed for nothin' more,
Than the measly contents of a register drawer,
I work to feed my seed,
Protect my offspring,
I stand here between nothin' an' everything,
On the verge of failure and success,
But I have done you an injustice,
If I don't do my best,
Daddies don't get to rest,
Daddies just gotta work,
If my back begins to ache,
I guess it's just gonna have to hurt,
Cuz daddies gonna make it through the work day,
Just so I can be a hero on your birthday,
I believe the worst days almost over,
In case I never told you baby, you my little solider,
Damn girl so cute, so strong, so smart, so free,
So hard headed, yo lil' ass's just like me, Uhn
[Chorus x3]
The song "Good Man" by Haystak is a touching tribute to his loved ones - particularly his daughter - that showcases the rapper's vulnerability and introspection. The song opens with the artist reflecting on his mortality and the fear of dying without saying goodbye to his family. He wishes he could stay with his daughter and see her grow up, but accepts that life is temporary and that death is a part of it. He worries that he hasn't been the best role model, but tells his daughter that he loves her and that she should be proud of him. The chorus is a message to his family in case he doesn't return home, encouraging them to be strong and carry on. Later in the song, Haystak addresses his ex-girlfriend, apologizing for the drama he's caused and acknowledging her as a good mother. He also celebrates the sacrifices of other "good men" - veterans, hard-working fathers, and victims of senseless violence - who have given so much for their families and communities.
Line by Line Meaning
Very few thoughts 'ill bring a tear to my eye,
There are very few thoughts that can emotionally impact me and bring tears to my eyes.
But the thoughta dyin' without tellin' my baby good-bye,
The thought of dying without being able to tell my loved one goodbye fills me with sadness and regret.
Explainin' why, Daddy had to go,
I wish I could explain to my child why I had to leave this world.
Believin' that's the only way she'd ever really know,
I believe that my child can only truly understand the reason for my departure if I am no longer here to explain it to her.
I wish I could stay with you,
I wish that I could be with my loved one always.
See you graduate school,
I wish to see my loved one graduate school and achieve success.
Grow old 'n' gray wit' you,
I wish to spend my life growing old with my loved one and seeing her reach old age.
See your babies 'n' their babies too,
I wish to be there to see my loved one's children and grandchildren grow up.
Baby you the only proof I ever existed,
My loved one is the only testament to my existence.
'N' there was nothin' more addictive,
Nothing is more addictive than the love and affection shared between me and my loved one.
Than your hugs 'n' your kisses,
The comfort and love found in my loved one's hugs and kisses is incomparable.
You know how much I'm gonna miss this,
I'm aware of how much I'll miss these moments with my loved one.
I wish this bliss could be endless,
I desire for this happiness and joy to never end.
But that's just senseless,
However, I know that this is an unrealistic and senseless wish.
It seems as though this is the business,
This seems to be the way of life or the way of the world.
Daddy was a leader 'n' people followed,
I was a leader and people looked up to me.
I stay so caught up in the game, I seldom see tomorrow,
I'm so focused on the present that I often neglect to plan for the future.
A desperado, who changed diapers 'n' warmed bottles,
I was a rough and tough person who also took care of my child by changing diapers and warming bottles.
Perhaps I could of been a more positive role model,
Maybe I could have been a better and more positive influence for my loved one.
But DooWop I'll always love you,
Despite my shortcomings, I will always love my loved one.
Don't let nobody tell you,
I don't want anyone to tell my loved one otherwise.
Your pops wasn't no good dude, Naw Boo
I don't want anyone to say that I wasn't a good person or father.
If the sun comes up,
If the day dawns,
'N' I'm not home,
And I'm not there.
Be strong,
Remain strong and persevere.
There's a life inside you,
Remember that you carry the life of our child within you.
Do your best to, carry on,
Do your best to keep living and moving forward.
Tell the kids about me,
When the children are old enough, tell them about me.
When there old enough to, understand,
Wait until they are mature enough to comprehend.
Tell them that there daddy was, a good man,
Tell them that their father was a good person.
This is for the good men,
This is for all the virtuous men.
That went to die in Iraq,
Those who lost their lives serving in Iraq.
My drug lord veterans,
Veterans in the drug trade.
That died over crack,
Those who lost their lives due to crack cocaine.
Convenience store clerks that get killed for nothin' more,
Clerks at convenience stores who are killed for insignificant items.
Than the measly contents of a register drawer,
Such as the small amount of cash found in the register drawer.
I work to feed my seed,
I work to provide for my child.
Protect my offspring,
I protect and defend my child.
I stand here between nothin' an' everything,
I stand here between having nothing and having everything.
On the verge of failure and success,
I am on the brink of either failing or succeeding.
But I have done you an injustice,
I feel that I have wronged you or not done enough.
If I don't do my best,
I must ensure that I give it my all.
Daddies don't get to rest,
Fathers don't get to rest or take a break.
Daddies just gotta work,
Fathers must continue working hard.
If my back begins to ache,
Even if my back starts to hurt,
I guess it's just gonna have to hurt,
I'll simply have to endure the pain.
Cuz daddies gonna make it through the work day,
Because fathers will always persevere and make it through the work day.
Just so I can be a hero on your birthday,
So that I can be a hero in my child's eyes on her birthday.
I believe the worst days almost over,
I have faith that the worst days are almost behind me.
In case I never told you baby, you my little solider,
In case I haven't said it before, you are my little soldier.
Damn girl so cute, so strong, so smart, so free,
My loved one is beautiful, resilient, intelligent, and independent.
So hard headed, yo lil' ass's just like me, Uhn
My loved one is stubborn and headstrong, just like me.
[Chorus x3]
The chorus is repeated three times in the song.
Contributed by Jayce C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@annahh4041
I’ve recently lost my father, we use to sing this song together and they played it at his funeral. I will forever love this song ❤️❤️.
@CherryBlossom-vq9xu
Is this my Annah? He loved you and Baylee so much.
@CherryBlossom-vq9xu
I love you so much my beautiful granddaughter ❣️
@TomWatson-bz7wb
@@CherryBlossom-vq9xu😊😊😊
@tonyakidwell1023
My kids lost there dad yesterday, he was a good man just not always perfect, my first love and we had the Bonnie and Clyde love 💕 Rest easy Mikey
@leahsisco10
My dad loved this song because this is how he felt. He wanted this played for all of his children when he passed (there are 6 of us). He died on his birthday back on May 3rd. He had just turned 34. He died due to a motorcycle accident. You might have seen it on the news, his name was Jonathan Brymer. We all felt that he left this world to soon. This is a really good song an makes me cry. You send a good lyrical message.
@serinahall7217
My cousins reversed these lyrics to his three young children on his Facebook. He just passed away at the age of 29 last month. He was a wonderful father and haystak couldn't have wrote a better song. Thanks haystak and RIP James we miss you!
@stupifiedsunset
Wow, that is deeper than deep right there!! Lovin' this!!!!
@spindoktor413
stay strong girl you know that u in all the stak fans prayers
@joshuaellis6767
how could u not love this song ? every time i hear it i have a flash back from the hospital and branging my baby girl home or tha very first time i seen her and held her ! this song is exactly how i fill about my kid .