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.
Never Can Say Goodbye
Isaac Hayes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never can say goodbye
Even though the pain and heartache
Seem to follow me wherever I go
Though I try and try to hide my feelings
They always seem to show,
And I always have to say no
Tell me why is it so
That I never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
Never can say goodbye
Every time I think I've had enough
And start heading for the door
There's a very strange vibration
Piercing me right through the core
It says, turn around, you fool
You know you love him more and more
Tell me why is it so
Don't wanna let you go
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (don't wanna let you go girl)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh ooh (don't wanna let you go girl)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh
Never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
Never can say goodbye
I keep thinking that our problems
Soon are all gonna work out
But there's that same unhappy feeling
There's that anguish, there's that doubt
It's the same old dizzy hangup
Can't do with you or without
Tell me why is it so
Don't wanna let you go
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh oh (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh oh (hey baby)
The lyrics of Isaac Hayes's song Never Can Say Goodbye talk about the struggle of letting go of someone you love, even though you know it's probably the right thing to do. The song expresses the feeling of always wanting to hold on to a relationship, despite the pain and heartache that come with it. The chorus repeats the phrase "Never can say goodbye" several times, emphasizing the singer's inability to let go.
The verses describe how the singer tries to hide their feelings, but they always show through. Whenever they think they've had enough and try to leave, they're overcome by a strange vibration that tells them to turn back, that they love their partner too much. Despite their problems and doubts, they don't want to let go.
The song's lyrics capture the complicated emotions that can come with the end of a relationship. Hayes's smooth and soulful voice brings the lyrics to life and makes the listener feel the singer's pain and struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
I never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
No matter how much I try, I can't seem to bring myself to say goodbye.
Never can say goodbye
Once I'm attached to something, I can never seem to let it go completely.
Even though the pain and heartache
Seem to follow me wherever I go
Though I try and try to hide my feelings
They always seem to show,
Despite my efforts, I am always pained by my attachment and it affects my emotions even when I try to hide them.
Then you try to say you're leaving me
And I always have to say no
Tell me why is it so
Whenever you try to leave me, I always stop you and I don't understand why I do that.
Every time I think I've had enough
And start heading for the door
There's a very strange vibration
Piercing me right through the core
It says, turn around, you fool
You know you love him more and more
Tell me why is it so
As I try to leave, something keeps pulling me back and making me realize how much I love you. I don't know why it's happening.
Don't wanna let you go
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (don't wanna let you go girl)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh ooh (don't wanna let you go girl)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh
I don't want to let you go and that's why I can never say goodbye to you. My attachment to you is strong.
I keep thinking that our problems
Soon are all gonna work out
But there's that same unhappy feeling
There's that anguish, there's that doubt
It's the same old dizzy hangup
Can't do with you or without
Tell me why is it so
Don't wanna let you go
I keep hoping that our problems will resolve, but I still feel unhappy and doubtful. It's the same old cycle of uncertainty that I can't seem to break free from.
Ooh ooh baby (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh oh (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh oh (hey baby)
The repetition of the chorus emphasizes how strong my attachment is and how I can never seem to bring myself to say goodbye.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Clifton Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@LuvodicusMycaelis
I never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
Never can say goodbye
Even though the pain and heartache
Seem to follow me wherever I go
Though I try and try to hide my feelings
They always seem to show,
Then you try to say you're leaving me
And I always have to say no
Tell me why is it so
That I never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
Never can say goodbye
Every time I think I've had enough
And start heading for the door
There's a very strange vibration
Piercing me right through the core
It says, turn around, you fool
You know you love him more and more
Tell me why is it so
Don't wanna let you go
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (don't wanna let you go girl)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh ooh (don't wanna let you go girl)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh
Never can say goodbye, no, no, no, no, now
Never can say goodbye
I keep thinking that our problems
Soon are all gonna work out
But there's that same unhappy feeling
There's that anguish, there's that doubt
It's the same old dizzy hangup
Can't do with you or without
Tell me why is it so
Don't wanna let you go
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh oh (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no, ooh
I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh ooh baby (hey baby)
I never can say goodbye, no no no, no no no
Ooh, oh I never can say goodbye girl
Ooh oh (hey baby)
@4r9o9n3
ISAAC HAYES, A HUMBLE SUPER STAR LEGEND. HE WAS ALSO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF STAX RECORDS. I KNEW HIM WELL DUE TO BEING THE RECORDING BASSIST ON THE BLACK MOSES ALBUM. HERE WE PLAY ONE OF HIS ARRANGEMENTS, NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE LIVE AND IN CONCERT. A GREAT PERSON TO HAVE KNOWN!
@randysteele6741
Wow, thanks for sharing that! Awesome playing on a great album!.
@paulgilligan372
HI Sir can we Have your name due to conributing to this Great album
@4r9o9n3
@paul GilliganMy name is
Ronnie Hudson, bassist for Stax Records, also the maker and writer of The West Coast Poplock Known to many as,
(California Knows How To Party) sampled by many. see new version (album) Westcoastin2020 by Ronnie Hudson.
Thank you for your actions and kind thoughts of the Isaac Hayes Black Moses album.
@graygray8085
ISAAC HAYES TIMELESS HANDS DOWN!!
@Pimp-Master
This is a good concept for the song. I just prefer Michael J's emotional singing style.
@oleskool61
May 24th 2023, still going strong. Thank you Black Moses.
@user-kr3lw5bf6b
STAX RECORDS WE KNOW IT WAS MOTOWN RECORDS but this nation will never call second we needed you too thanks for everything.
@errolthomas9426
It's been 11 years since we lost Isaac. But his legacy will never die.
@kdm222
I will listen to him until my last breath