Life Is Good
Bye Baby
Nas
Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis
28
End
178
Internal
54
Multi
177
Slant
11
Chain
Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Verse 2: Nas]
Bye baby,✦ I guess you know why I had to leave
Seven✦ months in your pregnancy, 'bout to have my seed
Let's take it back some years, rewind✦ it to the happy✦ years
You and your Star Trak fam, I'm thinking you cats are weird
Same time, different year, I was digging y'all flow
Then I tatted✦ you on my arm so niggas✦ would know
I thought no one could stop us, matching gold watches
I was your Johnny✦ Depp, you was my Janis Joplin✦
Yet, the cuter✦ version,✦ yet, I knew you personally
Better✦ than you knew yourself,✦ and I knew this for certain
Crib in the Dominican, we got away✦ from everybody
You screaming at the racist cops in Miami was probably
The highlight of my life, like "Ha, yo, look at my wife!"
Gangsta, me and 20 cops 'bout to fight, crazy✦ night
Bailed✦ you out, next morning we got clean
Like it never✦ happened, then later✦ we at that Heat game
Just another day in the life, of two people in love
But it wasn't enough, so baby✦ guess what...
[Chorus: Guy and (Nas)]
I guess you knew and blew a good thing, baby✦ (Bye baby)✦
OH! OH! AHHHHHHHH! Bye-bye (Bye-bye baby)✦
I can't believe✦ that this is happening✦ to us
'Cause I'm saying bye-bye (Bye baby)✦ Forever✦
'Cause I'm saying bye-bye
I guess you knew and blew a good thing, baby✦
[Verse 3: Nas]
Listen,✦ could you imagine writing your deposition?✦
Divorce lawyer✦ telling you how this thing gonna be ending?✦
With you paying out the ass and I'm talking half
Not some, but half, no, serious, half
Half of your soul, half of your heart, you leaving behind✦
It’s either✦ that or die, I wanted✦ peace of mind
And all I seen was suckers, cowards
Under✦ their breath, saying, "Why did Nas trust her?"
But look at yourself!✦ Speak louder,✦ bruh!
You live with your baby✦ moms
And scared✦ to make an honest✦ woman✦ out of her
And make her your bride, fake pimps, you ain't even✦ a lie
At least I can say I tried, plus enjoyed the ride
Plus we got our little boy, my little joy and pride
He got my nose, my grill, your color, your eyes
Next go round I hope I pick the truest type
And watch me do it all again,✦ it’s a beautiful life, aight?
Goodbye!
[Chorus: Guy and (Nas)]
(Bye baby)✦ Baby..✦ baby✦
You know I'm saying bye-bye (Bye-bye baby)✦
I can't believe✦ that this is happening✦ to us
'Cause I'm saying bye-bye (Bye baby)✦
I guess you knew and blew a good thing
You know I'm saying bye-bye
I guess you knew and blew a good thing, baby✦
[Outro: Guy]
Gimme the key back, baby✦
I want your love back, baby,✦ oh
Gimme the key back, baby,✦ oh
'Til we make love just one more time
Make it seem forever✦
This is our last and final goodbye
Goodbye
Technical Breakdown
8.4
Multisyllabic Rhymes8.5
Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)
Internal Rhymes9.5
Rhymes within a line (data-driven)
Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5
Clever language, metaphors, punchlines
Cadence / Rhythm9.0
Flow variation and timing (data-driven)
Vocabulary Complexity6.0
Range and depth of words used (data-driven)
Delivery / Breath Control8.5
Performance and control
Computed Score8.41
Production
— Salaam Remi, Noah "40" ShebibBe the first to rate the production
Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™
Nas utilizes narrative vulnerability and dense internal rhyme chains to ground a highly personal confession in a conversational, cinematic flow.
A
8.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
9
Cadence / Flow
6
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
8.5
Delivery
Narrative retrospectionInternal multisyllabic rhyme chainsConversational cadenceCinematic scene-setting
Rhyme Architecture: Predominantly AABB coupled with heavy internal multisyllabic rhyming that maintains the rhythm across variable line lengths, creating a fluid, story-telling cadence.
Verified Doubles & Entendres
"I was your Johnny Depp, you was my Janis Joplin"
① A pop culture reference highlighting a high-profile, volatile, and celebrity-style relationship dynamic.② An ironic foreshadowing of the tragic end of both legendary figures' relationships and lives, mirroring the 'doomed' nature of his own union.
"Bailed you out, next morning we got clean"
① A literal reference to posting bail after a confrontation with police.② A symbolic reference to the couple attempting to start fresh or 'wash away' the toxicity of their recurring arguments.
Authentic emotional vulnerability
Sophisticated use of pacing to mirror the tension of the relationship
Strong narrative arc moving from inception to dissolution
Vocabulary choices remain accessible rather than complex
Relies heavily on linear storytelling, limiting metaphorical density