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.
Hyperbolicsyllablecsesquedalymistic
Isaac Hayes Lyrics
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'Coz I like it like that
Your modus operandi
Is really all right, out of sight
Your sweet phalanges
Know how to squeeze
My gastronomical stupensity
Now, tell me, what I say?
Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic
I can't sleep at night
But that's all right
The M.D. tells me
My heart's on strike
Emanating, originating from a love asphyxiation
He said I better slow down
Before you drive me in the ground
But what he doesn't know is I want another encore
Now, what I say?
Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic
Let me stop procrastinatin'
Standin' hear and narratin'
Find my emancipator
She's a love educator
Cerebral, cerebellum, a medulla oblongata
A slave's on a horse
Every time she explores
Just heard a discussion about a racial relationship
Now, what I say?
Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic
The lyrics to Isaac Hayes’s “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic” are steeped in metaphor and double entendres that make it challenging to decipher, but ultimately a rewarding task. The opening lines express the singer’s desire to return to a former lover. He appreciates her modus operandi, or way of doing things, and finds it “out of sight,” or impressive. He admires the way she touches him, using the playful metaphor of “phalanges” to describe her fingers which “know how to squeeze” him. He also notes that she satisfies his “gastronomical stupensity” or his intense cravings, which is an interesting way to describe physical pleasure's fullness.
The chorus features the titular phrase, “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic”, which seems to be a made-up word combining hyperbole, syllables, and sesquipedalianism (the use of long words). It could be interpreted that the singer is expressing how his feelings for this woman are exaggerated, intense, and filled with complicated emotions. The second verse touches on the singer’s difficulty sleeping, but he is willing to bear it because of his love for her. He then reveals the advice of a doctor who tells him to slow down or risk harming himself, but the singer wants an “encore” or more of what this woman can provide. Finally, the third verse alludes to the woman’s intelligence and her ability to teach the singer about love. The use of medical jargon such as “cerebral, cerebellum, a medulla oblongata” is used metaphorically in this verse, and the last line mentions a “racial relationship” that is discussed, but it is unclear what exactly this refers to.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna come back
I desire to return to a place or situation.
'Coz I like it like that
Because I enjoy the current status or circumstance.
Your modus operandi
Your method of operation or way of doing things.
Is really all right, out of sight
Your method is satisfactory and impressive.
Your sweet phalanges
Your tender fingers.
Know how to squeeze
You know how to apply pressure in a comforting way.
My gastronomical stupensity
My emotional satisfaction and pleasure.
Is really satisfied when you're loving me
I feel happy and content when receiving affection from you.
Now, tell me, what I say?
Now, can you repeat the phrase I said earlier?
Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic
A non-existent word or a made-up term for emphasis or expression of admiration.
I can't sleep at night
I have difficulty having a restful sleep.
But that's all right
It's okay or tolerable.
The M.D. tells me
The medical doctor informed me.
My heart's on strike
My heart is not functioning properly.
Emanating, originating from a love asphyxiation
Arising or coming from a feeling of suffocation in a romantic relationship.
He said I better slow down
He advised me to take things more slowly.
Before you drive me in the ground
Before you exhaust or overwhelm me completely.
But what he doesn't know is I want another encore
But what he is unaware of is my wish for another round or repetition.
Let me stop procrastinatin'
Allow me to cease postponing or delaying.
Standin' hear and narratin'
Standing here and telling a story.
Find my emancipator
Find the person who can free me from bondage or restrictions.
She's a love educator
She teaches about the concept of love.
Cerebral, cerebellum, a medulla oblongata
Words associated with the brain structure and function.
A slave's on a horse
A reference to a slave riding a horse during slavery times.
Every time she explores
Each time she investigates or examines something closely.
Just heard a discussion about a racial relationship
Just overheard a conversation about a relationship between people of different races.
Now, what I say?
Can you repeat the nonsensical term I previously mentioned?
Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic
A made-up word used for emphasis or admiration.
Contributed by Annabelle S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.