Kelis

Released: December 5, 2003

Songwriter: Pharrell Williams Chad Hugo

Producer: The Neptunes

[Intro: Kelis, Pharrell Williams]
Oh! Come on
Puerto Rico
I gotta protect my heart
I gotta protect my heart

[Verse 1: Kelis, Pharrell Williams]
You were the highlight of the spot
But you wouldn't tell me your name
You were like "Girl, you ready or not
To dance the entire night away?"
You were like "Let me hold you, girl, hold you, girl"
You were sayin' "Let me touch you, girl"
You were sayin' "Let me squeeze you, girl, squeeze you, girl"
You turned me on, "Let me ... you, girl"

[Chorus: Kelis]
See, when I first got here I knew love barely
I gotta protect my heart
Then you come changin' things I knew, that's unfair, babe
I gotta protect my heart

[Verse 2: Kelis, Pharrell Williams]
The room is oh so hot
If you won't move, then move out of the way
I'm givin' it all I got
And at the same time tryin' to maintain
You were like "Let me hold you, girl, hold you, girl"
You were sayin' "Let me touch you, girl"
You were sayin' "Let me squeeze you, girl, squeeze you, girl"
You turned me on, "Let me ... you, girl"

[Chorus: Kelis]
See, when I first got here I knew love barely
I gotta protect my heart
Then you come changin' things I knew, that's unfair, babe
I gotta protect my heart
Never been touched by the way someone moves and that scares me
I gotta protect my heart
Cupid knew you were comin', he should've prepared me
I gotta protect my heart

[Verse 3: Kelis, Pharrell Williams]
I just, I just
I just, I just
I just, I just
I just need to
I walked away from the door
I could feel myself reversing
I never gave in before
See, I guess that's what happened
When you were like "Let me hold you, girl, hold you, girl"
You were sayin' "Let me touch you, girl"
You were sayin' "Let me squeeze you, girl, squeeze you, girl"
You turned me on, "Let me ... you, girl"

[Chorus: Kelis]
See, when I first got here I knew love barely
I gotta protect my heart
Then you come changin' things I knew, that's unfair, babe
I gotta protect my heart
Never been touched by the way someone moves and that scares me
I gotta protect my heart
Cupid knew you were comin', he should've prepared me
I gotta protect my heart (Break it down)
See, when I first got here I knew love barely (Say what?)
I gotta protect my heart
And then you come changin' things I knew, that's unfair, babe
I gotta protect my heart

[Outro: Kelis]
I gotta protect my heart
I gotta protect my heart

When idiosyncratic R&B singer Kelis hit the scene in 1999 with the siren-bathed “Caught Out There,” many didn’t know what to do with a rainbow-haired songstress repeatedly screaming “I hate you so much right now” as her hook. It made her not only unforgettable, but also helped put hitmaking production duo The Neptunes on the map.

Though her debut album Kaleidoscope was well-received, her label Virgin Records opted to only release the sophomore Wanderland internationally though the single “Young, Fresh N' New” was in rotation on BET & MTV.

Despite record label drama, Kelis kept her public profile up singing the hooks on hit songs like ODB’s “Got Your Money” and Busta Rhymes' “What It Is”.

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