Marvellous Lyrics
[Verse 1]
He feel marvellous
He robbed a man and he feel marvellous
Josiah only seventeen, he got that dog in him
I used to see him at my church, it was his marj and him
We know this kid for kickin' ball and he was hard
He could've made it professional, had a trial, we told him, "You got a chance"
My God
We said the streets ain't nothin' nice, he said, "Let's see"
He's tryna take a trip and put that to the test
He's tryna turn four-and-a-half into a nine
Divide that shit into decimals, make it stretch
First time I ever met him, I said he's blessed
But if he can't even keep it real with himself, am I shocked if he's lyin' to me?
Asked my young boy what he's tryin' to be
[Chorus]
And he don't want a good girl, he want a ho
He don't want a good job, he want a gun
And he don't wanna kick ball, he wanna bun
And he don't wanna make friends, he wanna gang
And he don't wanna stack bread, he wanna bang
How my young boy so different? I don't know, but I pray that God guide him
How my young boy so different? I don't know, but I pray
[Verse 2]
He feel incredible
He shot a man, he feel incredible
Josiah trappin' twenty-two in two, it's terrible
He wanna travel to the States, he's ineligible
Said he's a criminal
Now he's doin' numbers on his phone, got youngins of his own
A Glock the mandem bought him, and a Russian of his own
He's got some paigons that he beefs, evadin' the police
Been goin' crazy from the day he got released
'Cause now he's into Cali weed, Grabba leaf, cocaine, Hennessy
Robberies, bank fraud, OT, enemies
He f*ck with Aaliyah, f*ck with Lisa, Stephanie
And he got some cases we don't know if he can ever beat
And he look at us like we some people he could never be
We should have never made our youngers hold a 17
All I ever wanted was for you to be a better you
All I ever wanted was for you to be a better me
F*ck about a salary, just started smokin' celery
Started recreationally, but now they do it medically
It's weighin' on me, that shit weighin' on me heavily
I think about it regularly, Josiah's in the jailhouse
In penitentiary with charges that were meant for me
Facin' ten potentially, but he was just protectin' me
Before he think to step to me, just know my youngin next to me
And God knows
[Chorus]
He don't want a good girl, he want a ho
He don't want a good job, he want a gun (He don't want a good job, he want a—)
And he don't wanna kick ball, he wanna bun
And he don't wanna make friends, he wanna gang (He don't wanna make friends, he wanna—)
And he don't wanna stack bread, he wanna bang
How my young boy so different?, I don't know, but I pray that God guide him
How my young boy so different? I don't know, but I pray
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Marvellous Song Meaning (Dave)
Artist & Song Background
Dave, the south-London rapper whose full name is David Omoregie, returns with his third studio album, "The Boy Who Played the Harp", released on 24 October 2025 under Neighbourhood Recordings. From early reviews, the record is said to lean into introspection, legacy, moral complexity, layered lyricism, and biblical metaphor, invoking the story of King David from the Book of Samuel. While no full interview yet unpacks Marvellous specifically, the album context helps interpret it meaningfully.
Lyric Story and Emotional Core
The lyrics of "Marvellous" speak in two verses and a recurring chorus of a young man named Josiah and his trajectory from youthful promise into the harsh realities of street violence, incarceration, and disillusionment. In the first verse, the narrator recalls Josiah’s early days — a talented footballer, known from church, with chance and community behind him: “We used to see him at my church… We know this kid for kickin’ ball and he was hard / He could’ve made it professional, had a trial, we told him, ‘You got a chance’.” The verse then pivots: the lure of the streets, the conversion of “four-and-a-half into a nine”, the assumption of risk, the half-step from hope into danger. The narrator senses that underlying blessing, the potential, is being squandered: “But if he can’t even keep it real with himself, am I shocked if he’s lyin’ to me?”
The chorus operates like a bleak litany of what the young boy doesn’t want: “He don’t want a good girl, he want a ho… He don’t want a good job, he want a gun… He don’t wanna kick ball, he wanna bun… He don’t wanna stack bread, he wanna bang.” The repetition of “How my young boy so different? … but I pray that God guide him” establishes that this is as much a lament as it is an observational portrait. The narrator is torn: recognising the fallen path of someone he once knew, but also aware of his own helplessness in altering it.
In verse two, the situation darkens. Josiah now has serious legal trouble: “He shot a man, he feel incredible… In penitentiary with charges that were meant for me.” The narrator takes responsibility—if indirectly—for enabling or failing to redirect Josiah: “All I ever wanted was for you to be a better you… It’s weighin’ on me heavily.” The section becomes a moral reckoning. What started as community pride becomes guilt and fear. The line “Before he think to step to me, just know my youngin next to me” reveals self-defence, allegiance, but also prison logic. The emotional weight lies in the shift from “this kid could have made it” to “this kid is lost, and in my mind I am complicit.”
What the Song Represents
"Marvellous" functions on several levels. On one hand it is a cautionary tale of urban youth, opportunity, and the seductive pull of crime. On another, it is a self-reflective piece from the narrator’s vantage — the rapper looking back at someone from his environment, at the cost of survival, the cost of solidarity, the cost of being unable to intervene. The biblical framing of the album gives this track additional depth. The characters Josiah and Tamar are drawn from Old Testament names, and the narrative arc mirrors that of youthful kingship, downfall, questioning of power and purpose. The term “marvellous” here is ironic: the kid feels marvellous after a robbery, he feels incredible after a shooting — but the narrator and the listener know the reality is dire.
For Dave, the song deepens his project of moral inquiry. His earlier work explored guilt, identity, mental health, fatherhood, street culture, and success. Here he focuses not just on his own story, but on the story of someone tethered to his world — and through that lens shows the generational stakes of aspiration and destruction. The prayer repeated in the chorus suggests faith, hope, and the possibility of redemption even in the midst of collapse.
Meaning for the Audience
For listeners, "Marvellous" invites empathy and reflection. It doesn’t glorify violence; it mourns a wasted potential. It asks us to recognise that the marvellous feeling of power or protection is often the euphemism for trauma, survival strategy, and the flipping of innocence. It signals how community, church, and sport — all mirrors of hope — can become overshadowed by systemic failure, peer pressure, and economic desperation. The track encourages the audience to sit with complexity: the boy once kicking football on the pitch becomes a man behind bars, the narrator can act but can’t save. The repeated “pray that God guide him” becomes a universal at-once plea and resignation.
Conclusion
"Marvellous" is one of the most emotionally charged and conceptually layered tracks on "The Boy Who Played the Harp". It uses specific storytelling to highlight universal pain: the collapse of potential, the self-blame of witness, and the hope tethered to faith in a world where roads diverge. Through Josiah’s story the listener sees more than crime and consequence — they see the shifting promises of youth, the weight of community watching, and the haunting question of “how did we get here?” In that tension, Dave crafts a rap song that feels as much sermon as reportage, as much warning as elegy.
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The Boy Who Played the Harp (Tracklist)
- History
- 175 Months
- No Weapons
- Chapter 16
- Raindance
- Selfish
- My 27th Birthday
- Marvellous
- Fairchild
- The Boy Who Played the Harp
FAQ Section
Who sung the song "Marvellous" by Dave?
The song "Marvellous" was sung by Dave.
Who wrote the song "Marvellous" by Dave?
Dave, Kyle Evans & Jo Caleb.
Who produced the song "Marvellous" by Dave?
Kyle Evans & Jo Caleb.
Music Video
Song Details
Artist: Dave
Album: The Boy Who Played the Harp
Genre: Rap
Language: English
Released: October 24, 2025
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