What Does Dave's "The Boy Who Played the Harp" Title Mean?

The title refers to the biblical story in 1 Samuel 16, where the young shepherd David is summoned to play the harp to soothe King Saul. Dave, whose birth name is David, built the album around parallels between himself and King David.

What is the title track about?

Dave places himself in different historical moments to question his own morality. The settings include World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, the decolonisation of Africa and the Battle of Karbala.

Who produced the song?

Fraser T. Smith and Jo Caleb produced it. The track runs 4:37, closes the album and samples "And I Love Her" by The Beatles.

How did the album perform?

The Boy Who Played the Harp was released on October 24, 2025, through Neighbourhood Recordings and debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. It was Dave's third UK No. 1 album.

Quick answers

Which album is the song on? The Boy Who Played the Harp.

Who features on the album? James Blake, Jim Legxacy, Kano, Tems and Nicole Blakk.

Which single reached UK No. 1? "Raindance" featuring Tems.