The child speaking at the start of Harry Styles’ “As It Was” is Ruby Winston, Styles’ goddaughter. He said she had sent him a voice note after he missed her bedtime call, and he later found it in the studio and added it to the song.
Who is the child speaking at the start of “As It Was”?
It is Ruby Winston, the daughter of producer Ben Winston and Harry Styles’ goddaughter. Styles identified her in interviews reported by Heart and Capital on April 1, 2022.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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AS IT WAS | $32.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Harry Styles | $27.96 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Harry's House | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Fine Line | $30.50 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Harry Styles: The Stories Behind the Songs | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
How did Ruby’s voice end up in the song?
Ruby would try to call Styles before bedtime. After he missed one call, she sent him a voice note. Styles later came across the recording while working in the studio and put it at the beginning of the track. He told Heart: “I dug it up in the studio one day and added it to the song and it stuck and I loved it.”
What does Ruby say in the opening?
Reports transcribed the greeting differently. Heart rendered it as “Come on, Harry, we want to say goodnight to you!”; E! rendered it as “Go on Harry, we want to say goodnight to you.” Because the published accounts differ, neither transcription should be treated as a definitive word-for-word transcript; the identity of the speaker and the story behind the recording are the consistent points.
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Was the voice from one of Olivia Wilde’s children?
That was a fan speculation, not the confirmed identity. Styles named Ruby as the speaker, as reported by E! and Capital.
What has Styles said the song is about?
Styles described “As It Was” as drawing on personal experience and the pause of recent years. He also characterized its broad themes as “metamorphosis, embracing change and former self, perspective shift and all that kind of stuff,” according to Heart and Nylon. Those comments give context for the song without confirming that it is about a particular named romantic partner.
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Where did the song fit in Harry Styles’ album release?
“As It Was” was released as part of the rollout for Harry’s House. Heart’s April 1, 2022 report described it as Styles’ third album and listed May 20, 2022 as its then-scheduled release date.
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Rank #4
- Format: Vinyl...
- Released: 2019-12-13...
- Best Sellers: Top50...
- Genre: Pop...
- Genre: Pop...
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