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  1. Tracks
  2. Dave
  3. The Boy Who Played the Harp
  4. History
History by Dave

TRACK

Dave

History

Release date: 23rd October 2025

From The Boy Who Played the Harp
Track 1
4:07
Hip-Hop/RapMusic
Spotify Apple Music More on Dave

About This Track

'History' opens the album with Dave declaring divine purpose. The track is marked by towering pipe organ, and the lyrics invoke biblical imagery from the outset: "This is God's plan, He said it to me / An angel either side of my bed in a dream." The song moves between boasts about money and success and moments of reflection, Dave weighing ambition against conscience. He raps about the temptations of wealth and status, then pivots to vulnerability, asking whether he has become addicted to the life he wanted, before settling into a quieter acknowledgement that "history smiles on us." The religious framing is deliberate. The album's title itself draws a parallel between Dave and the biblical King David, the young shepherd who played harp to soothe King Saul. That same figure appears in the opening lines of 'History', establishing a throughline between personal aspiration and spiritual reckoning that runs across the record. The track charts the tension between those two impulses: the hunger for legacy and the cost of pursuing it.

"History" is a track by Dave, from the album The Boy Who Played the Harp, released 23rd October 2025. The track is 4:07 long. It's filed under Hip-Hop/Rap. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 16 articles about Dave.

About the Artist

Dave

Dave

Lyrics

History

This is God's plan, He said it to me
An angel either side of my bed in a dream
Singin', "You don't know what you're yet to achieve
And you're destined for some shit you would never believe"
Now the garden same size as Adam and Eve's
I got trees, a forest, you better believe
For the bass and the treble, I treble the fee
I can't wish my ex the best, she would end up with me
How can I sleep when there's money to get with the team?
You disrespect the 16, your head on a beam
For the lust of the money, the head of the Queen
I done shit I didn't think I could ever redeem
I'm from South where they struggle with sayin' your name
But it's easy when pronouncin' you dead on the scene
So when you see me on these stages steppin' in clean
I hope

You know it's history in the makin'
Shall we make it? Oh God

Yeah
And when they talk on my name in this country, they gon' tell you that I'm already a legend (In the makin')
Streatham that I'm reppin', clean steppin', bro, you need to forget it
Fuck eco-friendly, my car eco-aggressive
And my ego aggressive, you better leave me a message
Yeah, you done it for a year, but that ain't impressive
I give a fuck about success if it ain't successive, that ain't (History)
City's gonna listen on repeat
Gone a couple summers, so they miss me on the beat
It don't matter if she pretty and petite
If she ain't B, she can't even kiss me on the cheek
Mum said, "Never build a house on sand"
But I don't think I listen cah the villas by the beach
And I did it off of beats, I just whip it and I screech
Any time you see my niggas in the streets

You know it's history in the makin'
Shall we make it? Oh God

Ah
Did I, did I get addicted to the life?
Well, it's all that I wanted
And it was fun for a while
But history smiles on us
Now we're on to somethin'
On to somethin' higher
Now hold my hand close
I'm inspired
And I'm holdin' on to a version of our lives
Where you're still mine

You know it's history in the makin' (Ooh)
Shall we make it? Oh God

Yeah
My mum told me what my name really means and the powers just kicked in
Got me thinkin' back to days when I was a victim to this ting
Thinkin' I was keepin' it balanced
I was even embarrassed, sellin' CDs in Paris
But this music gave me everything I need in a marriage
I can't speak sideways on grime, jungle or garage
When I know that it's the reason we managed to make (History)
Don't be a hero, I ain't lookin' to hurt anyone
I got a clean one, and I got a dirtier one
I never see a man late to his own funeral, but
I done see a man show up early to one
I prefer the one that's slim, but I don't mind me the curvier one, yeah
And I'm comin' from the South of the river, where the sky is black
If not for the history that we made, they wouldn't like rap
Niggas tryna water down our ting, it's time to fight back
For seventy hours, I've been steppin' with powers, and it's definitely ours, it's time
You mention my name, better know that you're playin' with pepper
You borrowed a mil', and I told him to pay me whenever
Knew it was different from the moment we came in
And you can call me 'cause I said it verbatim
The woman with me like a renaissance paintin'
I'm Michelangelo's David
And any time you mention me in a statement, you better know that it's

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →

Track details

From The Boy Who Played the Harp

4:072025
Listen
Album
The Boy Who Played the Harp
The Boy Who Played the Harp
Dave
24th October 2025
Track number
1
Release year
2025
  1. 1History
    4:07
  2. 2175 Months
    4:34
  3. 3No Weapons
    3:18
  4. 4Chapter 16
    6:21

More from Dave

Albums & EPs

We're All Alone In This Together
We're All Alone In This Together
2021
Souviens-toi d'aimer
Souviens-toi d'aimer
2019
J'assume tout
J'assume tout
2019
PSYCHODRAMA
PSYCHODRAMA
2019
Six Paths - EP
Six Paths - EP
2016
Doux Tam Tam
Doux Tam Tam
2004

Explore

More tracks by Dave

  1. 175 MonthsThe Boy Who Played the Harp
    4:34
  2. Atlanta Freestyle
  3. Casa Cruiz*
  4. Chapter 16The Boy Who Played the Harp
    6:21
  5. FairchildThe Boy Who Played the Harp
    5:47
  6. History (Vinyl Edition)
  7. MarvellousThe Boy Who Played the Harp
    3:01
  8. Midlife Crisis*
  9. My 14th Birthday
  10. My 27th BirthdayThe Boy Who Played the Harp
    7:52

Showing 10 of 20

If you like Dave

Stormzy

Stormzy

AJ Tracey

AJ Tracey

Headie One

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Knucks

Knucks

J Hus

J Hus

Giggs

Giggs

5Raindance
3:40
  • 6Selfish
    4:32
  • 7My 27th Birthday
    7:52
  • 8Marvellous
    3:01
  • 9Fairchild
    5:47
  • 10The Boy Who Played the Harp
    4:38
  • Credits

    Production & Engineering

    Writer
    Dave, Dom Maker, James Blake
    Lyricist
    Dave, James Blake
    Composer
    Dave, Dom Maker, James Blake
    Producer
    Dave, Dom Maker, James Blake
    Engineer
    Bob MacKenzie, Jesper Bo Nielsen, Jonny Leslie
    Instrumentation
    James Blake
    Mastering Engineer
    Joe LaPorta
    Mixing Engineer
    Jon Castelli
    READ MORE ABOUT DAVEREAD MORE ABOUT DAVEREAD MORE ABOUT DAVEREAD MORE ABOUT DAVE
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