Released: July 23, 2003

Songwriter: Bernard Edwards JAY-Z Beyoncé

Producer: Focus… Beyoncé

[Intro]
Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh

[Chorus]
I said yes to your number
And yes to you dating me
Yes, we can be together
But you gotta wait for me
The first time I say no
It's like I never said yes (It's like I never said yes)
I said yes, we can be together
Yes, you can stay with me
But when I say no, not tonight
You actin' so ungratefully
The first time I say no
It's like I never said yes (It's like I never said yes)

[Verse 1]
You was on the wall
I was with my crew
You was watchin' me, baby
I was watchin' you
Slowly you walked over
I maintained my cool
You said hello to me
I said hello to you
You asked me where I'm from
I asked you what you do
You somehow intrigued me
I thought you were so cool
Somewhere between hi and goodbye, I felt so comfortable
I felt like we could talk all night, so I gave my number to you

[Chorus]
I said yes to your number
And yes to you dating me
Yes, we can be together
But you gotta wait for me
The first time I say no
It's like I never said yes (It's like I never said yes)
I said yes, we can be together
Yes, you can stay with me
But when I say no, not tonight
You actin' so ungratefully
The first time I say no
It's like I never said yes (It's like I never said yes)

[Verse 2]
Certainly, you can call me, baby
I love to hear from you
Yes, of course, you can come and see me, boy
Wanna get to know you more
Sure, I'm feelin' you
"No, baby, not yet, we can't take that next step"
Why you getting so upset?
Boy, you act as though I never told you yes before
You are so ungrateful, mm-mm-mmm

[Verse 3]
You was at my house
I was sittin' on my couch
You was really buggin', so I
Told you to get out
I had been misjudging you
You had a lotta nerve
You too damn old to be so immature
I hope you learn
You said I move too slow
I showed you to the door
You said you'd call me later
I said don't call no more
It is cool if you can't wait for me
I'm glad you let me know
'Cause you showed me your true face, baby
The first time I said no

[Chorus]
I said yes to your number
And yes to you dating me
Yes, we can be together
But you gotta wait for me
The first time I say no
It's like I never said yes (It's like I never said yes)
I said yes, we can be together
Yes, you can stay with me
But when I say no, not tonight
You actin' so ungratefully
The first time I say no
It's like I never said yes (It's like I never said yes)

[Outro]
I said yes to your number
And yes to you dating me
Yes, we can be together
But you gotta wait for me
The first time I say no
It's like I never said yes (It's like I never said yes)

Beyoncé

In the twenty-first century, no pop star was as poised, as polished, or as generally fierce as Beyoncé. She scored early success with Destiny’s Child, who started out as a sexier and sassier (if less adult) version of TLC, then steadily became more and more of a vehicle for Beyoncé’s operatic vocals and general diva-tude, which may have been the plan all along.

Whether appearing in TV spots, co-starring in films like Dreamgirls, or killing it every night on stadium tours, Beyoncé was omnipresent in the 2000s. Almost everybody, Beygency member or otherwise, loved shiny, hip-hop-fueled hits like “Crazy in Love”, and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”. Moving into the 2010s, Beyoncé fights on, gaining more and more traction in pop culture with her work and music.

She has made a significant impact upon the music landscape in general with her recent albums 4 and BEYONCÉ, which explored complex themes like motherhood, feminism, marriage, sexuality, and doubt in a greater depth. With Lemonade, she went a step further—the fierce, intimate exploration of marriage, infidelity, and forgiveness was her most personal and musically daring album yet.