Chords + Lyrics | That’s Not My Name
Intro
||: N.C | N.C :||
Verse 1
| E5 | E5 |
Four letter word just to get me along, it’s a,
| E5 | E5 |
difficulty and I’m bitin’ on my tongue and I,
| E5 | E5 |
I keep stallin’ and keepin’ it together.
| E5 | E5 |
People around gotta find something to say now.
| A5 | A5 | A5 | A5 |
Holdin’ back every day the same don’t wanna be a loner, listen to me, oh no.
| A5 | A5 | A5 | A5 B5 | N.C |
I never say anything at all but with nothing to consider they forget my name (ame, ame, ame).
Chorus 1
| 2/4 N.C | 4/4 E | E |
They call me hell, they call me Stacey.
| E | E (G) |
They call me Her, they call me Jane.
| A | A |
That’s not my name. That’s not my name.
| A (G) | A B |
That’s not my name. That’s not my name.
Chorus 2
| E | E |
They call me quiet but I’m a riot.
| E | E (G) |
Mary-Jo-Lisa, always the same.
| A | A |
That’s not my name. That’s not my name.
| A (G) | A B |
That’s not my name. That’s not my name.
Verse 2
I’ll miss the catch if they throw me the ball,
I’m the last chick standing up against the wall.
Keep a fallin’, these heels that keep me borin’,
getting clamped up and sittin’ on the fence now.
So alone all the time and I lock myself away, listen to me, oh no.
And though I’m dressed up out and all with everything considered they forget my name (ame, ame, ame).
Chorus 3 (as chorus 1)
They call me hell (this song was in my head), they call me Stacey (and now it’s in my mind).
They call me her (call it, reach it), they call me Jane (get some words and get some timing).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (and though I realize I cannot emphasize).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (I’ll stick around but just don’t promise, nothing binding).
Chorus 4 (as chorus 2)
They call me quiet but I’m a riot (and baby, can’t you see, that you’re so desperately).
Mary-Jo-Lisa, always the same (a standing joker like a vocal one-liner).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (instead of sing-a-long, this song is monotone).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (I’ve gotta get some soul, I gotta get some feeling).
Middle 8
||: E | E | E | E | A | A | A | A B :||
Are you callin’ me darlin’?
Are you callin’ me bird?
Are you callin’ me darlin’?
Are you callin’ me bird?
Chorus 5 (as chorus 2)
They call me hell. they call me Stacey (are you).
They call me her, they call me Jane (calling).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (me darling?).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name.
Chorus 6
They call me quiet but I’m a riot (are you).
Mary-Jo-Lisa, always the same (calling).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (me bird?).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name.
Chorus 7
They call me hell, they call me Stacey (are you) (this song was in my head and now it’s in my mind).
They call me her, they call me Jane (calling) (call it, reach it get some words, and get some timing).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (me darling?) (and though I realize I cannot emphasize).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (I’ll stick around but just don’t promise, nothing binding).
Chorus 8
They call me quiet but I’m a riot (are you) (and baby, can’t you see, that you’re so desperately).
Mary-Jo-Lisa, always the same (calling) (a standing joker like a vocal one-liner).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (me bird?) (instead of sing-a-long, this song is monotone).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (I’ve gotta get some soul, I gotta get some feeling).
Chorus 9
They call me hell, they call me Stacey (this song was in my head and now it’s in my mind).
They call me her, they call me Jane (call it, reach it get some words, and get some timing).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (and though I realize, I cannot emphasize).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (I’ll stick around but just don’t promise, nothing binding).
(So alone all the time and I lock myself away).
Chorus 10
They call me quiet but I’m a riot (and baby, can’t you see, that you’re so desperately).
Mary-Jo-Lisa, always the same (a standing joker like a vocal one-liner).
(Though I’m dressed up out and all with everything considered they forget my name).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (instead of sing-a-long, this song is monotone).
That’s not my name. That’s not my name (I’ve gotta get some soul, I gotta get some feeling).
Outro
| E | E |
This song was in my head and now it’s in my mind.
| E | E |
Call it, reach it get some words, and get some timing.
| A | A |
And though I realise I cannot emphasise.
| A | A B |
I’ll stick around but just don’t promise, nothing binding.
| E | E |
And baby, can’t you see, that you’re so desperately?
| E | E |
A standing joker like a vocal one-liner.
| A | A |
Instead of sing-a-long, this song is monotone.
| A | A B |
I’ve gotta get some soul, I gotta get some feeling.
End
| E | E | E | E |
| A | A | A | A B | E | E |
That’s Not My Name Chords: A Masterclass in Dynamics and Layered Vocals
At its core, That’s Not My Name follows a simple I – IV – V progression. Instead of relying on chord changes for tension, The Ting Tings build energy through dynamics and layered vocal lines.
Verse
The verse stays on an E chord (I) for eight bars before moving to A chord (IV) for seven. It then briefly plays A – B before resting for a bar. I’ve written these as power chords, as that feels more fitting for the song’s style.
Chorus
For the chorus, using full triads adds a nice contrast to the power chords. On the original recording, the guitars create more of a noisy texture than clear-cut chord voicings! The chorus structure is also tighter—four bars of E, three bars of A, then A – B again, making it half the length of the verse.
You can add an add9 to the A chord. We experiment with this in the course—here’s a link: That’s Not My Name – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Middle 8 + Outro
One of my favourite moments in the song comes in the middle 8, where the groove slows dramatically as “she” sings, Are you callin’ me darling? It’s a brilliant example of how arrangement choices can elevate a simple idea.
From there, layered vocal lines build through the chorus, with the extended section running almost to the very end. Finally, the fast, mumbled male vocal (This song was in my head, and now it’s in my mind…) brings the track to a close.
Throughout the entire song, That’s Not My Name sticks to its I–IV–V movement, proving that smart dynamics and strong arrangement can make even the simplest progressions feel fresh.
Here’s a chord chart.
That’s Not My Name Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
As the chords are so simple, you may think you don’t need to download a chart, but it’s not just the chords you gain—it also lays out the structure of this genius track.
That’s Not My Name TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we explore loads of TAB ideas for how you might play this in a band setting as the only guitarist.
After absorbing those ideas, you’ll soon find yourself improvising a part that uses dynamics, chord extensions, and ways of weaving that brilliant half-time “are you callin’ me darling” melody into the harmony.
As a preview, here’s a super-simple way to play the chorus. In the course, we take this much further.
That’s Not My Name brought The Ting Tings to the Masses
I instantly loved this track. To me, it has everything—several hooks, a signature beat, melodies that weave in and out, and most of all—attitude, but not just for its own sake; it actually has meaning.
The Ting Tings aren’t technically a one-hit wonder—they had some success with other songs—but That’s Not My Name is undeniably their signature track.
Discover the history behind this song and how it propelled them to success. Even Rick Rubin plays a part in this story. Check out The Ting Tings tunes for the full picture.
That’s Not My Name Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: That’s Not My Name (The ting Tings) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
