[Intro: bounce drums, the sub bass bumps once] DJ on the mic said, Denise, come up Name is Desiree, but I said, close enough [Verse 1] Sunday on the block in the middle of June Speakers on a truck bed, smoke off a grill at noon Big Fella on the decks with a cooler and a list Calling up the girls who could shake it and spit Six names in, and he points at me and stops Squints at the paper, says, Denise, get up top I been Desiree since the day I was born Ain't fixing nothing, baby, hand me that horn Grabbed the mic like it owed me money and a ride Twenty seconds later the whole block's on my side [Hook] Call me Denise, call me what you want Spell it wrong on the flyer, put it on the front Name don't matter when the bass hits this rough Wrong name, right girl, close enough [Verse 2] Monday it's a T-shirt, Tuesday it's a song Wednesday every cousin's calling me the name that's wrong Mama hit my phone like, girl, who is Denise? I said, Mama, she's the one who's gonna pay your lease Club on Frenchmen want Denise on Friday at ten Desiree applied in May and never heard again Funny how they passed on me until they got me wrong Now they spell it right on every poster that I'm on [Hook] Call me Denise, call me what you want Spell it wrong on the flyer, put it on the front Name don't matter when the bass hits this rough Wrong name, right girl, close enough [Verse 3: four-syllable rhymes stacked on every half line] Not pretty enough, not witty enough, that's what the label said Not gritty enough, not city enough, go home and go to bed Now they petty enough to buy a ticket for the front row, though Ready enough, steady enough, they all want a picture at the show Desiree couldn't get a callback, Denise can't get a day off Desiree was a maybe, Denise is a payoff Wrong name on the contract, right amount on the check Spell it any way you want, I'm still collecting the rest [Bridge: drums and sub bass only] Big Fella came backstage with his paper and his pen Said, baby, I'm so sorry, what's your real name again? I said, keep it, Fella, you ain't read it wrong at all You read me who I was before the city learned to call [Final Hook] Call me Denise, call me what you want Spell it wrong on the flyer, put it on the front Got close enough to grab it, and I grabbed it with both hands Wrong name, right girl, and the whole damn city stands [Outro: bounce drums ride out] Denise on the marquee, Desiree in the bank Close enough, baby, and I got the DJ to thank [End]
