The Boy Who Played the Harp

Yeah, I sometimes wonder

What would I do with the next generation?

In 1940

If I was enlisted to fight for the nation

Or in 1960

If I had to fight for the rights of my people

And lay down my life on the line

So my grandkids could live a life that′s peaceful

Would I be on that? Would I be frontline?

That's what I′m thinking

If I was alive in the 1912

On the Titanic and it was sinking

Who am I saving?

Am I fightin' women and children, or am I waitin'?

I wonder

What would I do in the next generation?

Battle of Karbala

If they captured me for the sake of my father

Would I stand on my honor like Hussein did

And tell them to make me a martyr?

Would I read, get smarter

Forgive my oppressor, stick to the creed

If I got locked inside like Nelson Mandela

But never was freed

I see a white man dance to rumba

Ain′t study Patrice Lumumba

But get on the stage and sing like sungba

Lajaja-ja-ja, sungba

Fuck it, I wonder

What would I do with the next generation?

Would I fight for justice?

Is it the reason my mum named me David?

How can you be king?

How can you be king? Don′t speak for the people

Them man try draw me out and compare

Like me and these niggas are equal

I'm a black man and this bozo sayin′

My music socially conscious

While the mandem troll in responses

This world's gone totally bonkers

I sometimes wonder

What would I do in the next generation?

But I′m knowin' the answer

′Cause what am I doin' in this generation?

Afraid to speak cah I don't wanna risk it, my occupation

We got kids under occupation

Our parents, they wouldn′t get that

The people that died for our freedom

Spoke on justice, couldn′t accept that

I talk 'bout the money in all my accounts

So why don′t I speak on the West Bank?

Remember growin' up prejudiced

The damage 7-7 did

Extremist and terrorist

I was afraid of the Taliban

Can′t speak out on illegal settlers now

I'm afraid of a shadow-ban

What would I do in the next generation?

Critiquin′ African leaders

For sellin' our country's natural resources

To the West for peanuts

If they don′t hear, they′ll feel us

I question what I'm alive for

And can you say you′re alive

If you ain't got somethin′ you're willin′ to die for?

What am I willin' to die for?

What am I doin' in this generation?

I get in my head sometimes

I feel like I′m in despair

That feelin′ of total powerlessness

I get that sinkin' feelin′

That good ain't defeatin′ evil

I put that pain on vinyl

But feel like that shit ain't movin′ the needle

Retweetin' people, raisin' awareness

In all fairness

Ain′t gonna bring Chris back to his parents

But there′s no other option, it's a process

Gotta stand and protest, cah they want man silenced

Cah they want man dead or they want man hopeless

In the next generation

I spoke with my ancestors in the night

And I showed them

They spoke with tears in their eyes

For the brothers they lost and said it was progress

"How can it be progress?"

I asked him, confused, disgusted

They said, "David, just so you can fight this

You know how much sufferin′ touched us?

And you got a chance, we come from

A time and a place where you couldn't get justice

Had to find peace in the fact

That we all answer to the one what we trust in

And in our generation

We did do peaceful protest, just like you

Burnt buildings, just like you

Did boycotts, just like you

Sat in a hostel, powerless

Did feel powerless just like you

And I know that it may sound strange

But we made some change and we′re just like you

I know that you question your character

I know that you suffer in silence

I know that it don't feel right

When you go to the club in Victoria Island

′Cause how can you dance in the club?

There's a hundred people beggin' outside it

I know the sins of your father

I know that you′re desperate to fight them

So step in your purpose

Speak for your people, share all your secrets

Expose your emotions

You might not see, but there′s people that need it

Never demand it

And if God can grant it, manifest it and receive it

Your name is David and that covenant's sacred

You gotta promise, so keep it"

Deep it, them man talk on the ting, but I bleed it

Man wanna speak on the scene, but I seen it

Tried in the fire by Ghetts, I′m anointed

Kano passed me the torch, I received it

God told me I'm the one, I believed it

Shout Hollowman ′cause he helped me achieve it

I'm the youngest of my brothers

Father eased the burden on our mothers

Give these niggas money, see their colors

Don′t mix me with them, I'm not the one

Grind and miss the summer, when it comes

I'm Abraham, I sacrifice the sun

Where I′m from, they sacrifice their son

Hold up, I ain′t finished, I ain't done

My ancestors

My ancestors told me that my life is prophecy

And it′s not just me

It's a whole generation of people gradually makin′ change

There ain't a greater task

Shift that, make a name, make a star

They don′t know what they're facin' when they ask

With the will of David in my heart

The story of the boy who played the harp