“Both Sides of A Smile” is the ninth cut from Dave’s sophomore album We’re All Alone In This Together and sees James Blake take lead with the subdued strings of his guitar backing a tragic love story between two counterparts. Dave also enlists up-and-coming rapper ShaSimone for additional vocals, pl...
Part I
[Intro: Nathan James Tettey]
And then, the finer details—who's your Juliet?
What's the dynamic in the situation between the two leads?
You know, I guess we're all just, we're all just, like, looking for a happy ending somewhere
[Pre-Chorus: James Blake]
Hey, it's okay (It's okay)
I don't care if no one knows my name
Pain, it's all the same (It's all the same)
Even if you think it's all in vain
[Chorus: James Blake]
'Cause I am turning hurt
Into rose, into rose, into rose, oh
Into rose, into rose, into rose
How could we let it slide? Mhm
Looking back at our lives
The future's just a liе
We'll be therе, you and I
Mhm, on both sides of a smile
[Verse: Dave, ShaSimone, Dave & ShaSimone]
Yeah
You keep the bread all to yourself and you get mold from it
You give a good girl a rose and you get gold from it
Have a child with a rat and you'll get a mouse from it
You give a woman a brick and you'll get a house from it
The first time splittin' up always the hardest thing
Love's a film and I'm just flickin' through the parts I'm in
I told her, "I don't wanna argue in this car I'm in"
And that's when she hit me with a
"Well, I don't get why you would tell me you want me to be your wifey
When you wanna be Romeo, have me here for the rodeo
I don't believe you when you gas me up and hype me
'Cause you're lusting and these women you're fuckin' look nothin' like me, David
You find asylum in the countries that you fly me
And carry all of your guilt in designers bags that you buy me, David
I ain't askin' you to be someone you wasn't"
I just wanna fuck with the person I fell in love with, but, uh
Petite waist, sweet face, I'll find another man
You must have forgotten who the fuck I am
There's plenty niggas waitin' for chances
Ask me if I'm taken, I say, "Taken for granted"
But you know this already 'cause we've spoken already
Want me to wait 'cause you ain't ready, nah, we're both in our twenties
I'd date a man before I wait for a man, this ends here
'Cause I'll be damned if I give a fucking loser my best years
Got my own car, own money, and my own body
If I show body, this for me, this ain't for nobody
I'ma change the lock on the door, think I'm a homebody?
You won't have a house to fucking live in
'Cause you taught me you don't listen
There's a difference in mistakes and in decisions, David
The first time was the worst time
It didn't hurt like the second or the third time
She put her life on pause
[Chorus: James Blake]
'Cause I am turning hurt
Into rose, into rose, into rose, oh
Into rose, into rose, into rose
How could we let it slide? Mhm
Looking back at our lives
The future's just a lie
We'll be there, you and I
Mhm, on both sides of a smile
Part II
[Intro: James Blake & Dave]
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
[Verse: Dave & James Blake]
Yeah
I just came to the area I grew up in
And they can't even see the car but from the engine, they know it's me
From no fixed abode to the coast of Greece
I'm most at home in the places I ain't supposed to be
I grew up seeing mummy count pennies (Mhm)
Tryna buy a train ticket but forget sayin' "Woe is me"
Now I'm in LA with the open sea
They both feel like things I wasn't supposed to see (Mhm)
Used to be my pulse, we was close
Now we argue to the rhythm of a broken beat
To the beat of a broken heart
Napoleon Bonaparte meets Joan of Arc (Mhm)
We're both fightin' the sea, this is Noah's ark
Where lovers with a broken past, grow apart
Most things that last have the slowest start
A lotta pain and a lotta tears (Mhm)
The only reason that I lie is 'cause of what I fear
My girl knows that I'm a fan of charity
But there's some information I ain't ever gonna volunteer (Mhm)
I wish that I could pay for my sins with a lump sum
Restore her belief in me with a trust fund
The money can't buy nothing when the love's done
I used to cheat with Americans for a living
I felt nervous every time I got a call from a plus one (Mhm)
It takes years to build when you love one
Two and half minutes and it's undone (Mhm)
Bought my girl a Birkin and she told me that these bitches can't chat to her, I'm tellin' her that they never could
You know you love her when you're doin' shit you never would
Come up off the drugs and bank scams (Mhm)
How the fuck you think I got the name Santan?
Run up on me and get a skin tan
Only when you're gone, they feel your impact
Nineteen, I had dreams of a wedding ring (Mhm)
So focused on running our race
You can ask James Blake, I ain't see the colour in anything
And then the world got darker than it's ever been (Mhm)
Real estate, I buss a smile
International, that's how I'm comin' now
Mortgage on the yard like twenty-two hundred
But the rent's got it covered by a country mile (Mhm)
Feels like my luck's been runnin' out
It feels like my luck's been runnin' out
(Mhm)
It feels like my luck's been runnin' out
It feels like my luck's been runnin' out
(Mhm)
[Outro: James Blake & Dave]
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
It feels like my luck's been runnin' out
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
It feels like my luck's been runnin' out
Oh, oh, oh
It feels like my luck's been runnin' out (It feels like my luck's—)
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
Oh, oh, oh
It feels like my luck's been runnin' out
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
Oh, oh, oh
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
Oh, oh, oh
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
Mm-hmm-hmm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm-mm
Both Sides of A Smile was written by Kyle Evans & Dom Maker & James Blake & Dave.
Both Sides of A Smile was produced by Dom Maker & James Blake & Kyle Evans.
Dave & James Blake released Both Sides of A Smile on Fri Jul 23 2021.
No, they haven’t. “Both Sides of A Smile” marks the first time Dave and James Blake have appeared on a track together.
James Blake has production credits all over Dave’s sophomore studio album, the two having worked closely with each other over the past few months. In his July 2021 GQ Interview, Da...