Isaac Lee Hayes (born Aug 20, 1942, in Covington, Tennessee - died Aug 10,… Read Full Bio ↴Isaac Lee Hayes (born Aug 20, 1942, in Covington, Tennessee - died Aug 10, 2008, in Memphis, Tennessee) was an influential soul singer, songwriter, musician, producer, arranger, and actor. One of the key creative forces behind Memphis' Stax Records, Hayes began his recording career in 1962, soon playing saxophone for The Bar-Kays. Hayes and writing partner David Porter would pen numerous hits for Stax artists such as Sam & Dave ("Hold On! I'm Comin'", "Soul Man") and Carla Thomas ("B-A-B-Y") during the mid-1960s.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Hayes became famous as a recording artist in his own right, scoring with critically and commercially successful albums such as Hot Buttered Soul and Black Moses. Hayes is best known today for composing the score to the 1971 blaxploitation film Shaft. That film's "Theme from Shaft" was one of the best-selling singles in Stax Records history, and Hayes became the first African-American to win an Oscar for a non-acting category when "Theme from Shaft" won the 1972 Academy Award for Best Song.

Isaac Hayes may be known to today's youngest generation as the voice of the character "Chef", the ladies' man/school cook, on the animated sitcom South Park from 1997 until his resignation from the show in March 2006. While Hayes' departure was tagged to a controversial South Park episode on Scientology that had supposedly offended him, Hayes rarely declared anything about the departure in first person.

For The Good Times
Isaac Hayes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't look so sad, I know it's over.
But life goes on, and this old world will keep on turning.
Let's just be glad we had some time to spend together.
There's no need to watch the bridges that we're burning.

Lay your head upon my pillow.
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine.
Hear the whisper of the raindrops,

Blowin' soft against the window,
And make believe you love me one more time,
For the good times.

I'll get along; you'll find another,
And I'll be here if you should find you ever need me.
Don't say a word about tomorrow or forever,
There'll be time enough for sadness when you leave me.

Lay your head upon my pillow.
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine.
Hear the whisper of the raindrops,
Blowin' soft against the window,

And make believe you love me one more time,
For the good times

Overall Meaning

Isaac Hayes' rendition of the classic country song For the Good Times was released in 1971 as a single and later included in his album Black Moses. The song is a melancholic reflection on the end of a relationship, but instead of wallowing in sadness, it focuses on the fleeting moments of happiness and the memories that will endure beyond the breakup. The opening lines - "Don't look so sad, I know it's over. But life goes on, and this old world will keep on turning" - set the tone for the song, suggesting that the singer has come to terms with the end of the romance and is urging the other person to do the same.

The chorus - "Lay your head upon my pillow. Hold your warm and tender body close to mine. Hear the whisper of the raindrops, Blowin' soft against the window, And make believe you love me one more time, For the good times" - is a bittersweet call to a momentary reprieve from the pain of heartbreak. It's an invitation to indulge in a bit of nostalgia, to remember the good times and to experience, even if just for a moment, the warmth and comfort of a past love. The final verses reassure the other person that they'll both move on and find new partners, but for now, they can just be grateful for the time they had together and leave the future for another day.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't look so sad, I know it's over.
I understand that our time together has ended, but there is no need to be saddened by it.

But life goes on, and this old world will keep on turning.
Despite our breakup, the world will continue to revolve and life will move on.

Let's just be glad we had some time to spend together.
Rather than being upset about our separation, let's appreciate the time we were able to share.

There's no need to watch the bridges that we're burning.
We shouldn't focus on the negative impact of us going our separate ways.

Lay your head upon my pillow.
Rest your head on my pillow.

Hold your warm and tender body close to mine.
Embrace me tightly and feel the warmth of our bodies together.

Hear the whisper of the raindrops, Blowin' soft against the window,
Listen to the soothing sound of the raindrops gently tapping against the windowpane.

And make believe you love me one more time, For the good times.
Pretend that you still have feelings for me, even if it's just for one last moment to cherish.

I'll get along; you'll find another,
I will be fine on my own, and you will eventually find someone else to love.

And I'll be here if you should find you ever need me.
I will always be here for you if you need me, even after we have parted ways.

Don't say a word about tomorrow or forever,
Let's not talk about the future and permanence of our separation.

There'll be time enough for sadness when you leave me.
There will be plenty of time to feel sadness once we have gone our separate ways.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Kristoffer Kristofferson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

T Y

5y↑7

Dear publisher 'Isaac Hayes' ... thanks be unto thee "FOR all THE GOOD TIMES" that thy publication of this adorable adonis brings ... alongside the whole host of "HAYES" works that make it seem like he has not truly departed from our dimension!!!

Dear Bubba ... thy blood still floweth through each and every single groove of each and every single disc ye ever released ... and every baritone word drifting off those discs is thy never-ceasing heartbeat !!!

The earth hath 'swallowed' thee ... but 'in the air' ye'll always be !!!

Love,

Uncle

P.S ... Uncle does not need to "MAKE BELIEVE HE LOVETH THEE" ... for he actually doth, Ike. Uncle sighs upon thy beautiful head as he rests his own head upon thy pillow as he "HOLDS HIS WARM AND TENDER BODY NEXT TO THINE" !!!

All comments from YouTube:

William Carlos Valle Manrique

2y↑3

Grandes, hermosos y fabulosos temas del siempre recordado y jamas olvidado Isaac Hayes, muchas gracias por compartir su gran arte musical.

Glenn Kenney

5y↑18

man i'll never 4get when i saw Isaac (BLACK MOSES) Hayes live at the APOLLO in new york and he was just as good in person as he was singing on his album, "BOY" those were the good old days when u could understand the music. (RIP) brother ,i loved your music then and still "LOVE" it today.