Fine cancel Delilah if we're to have a conversation about lyrics in a lot of rap/grime music. Kids I used to work with were fine to walk around playing all kind of obscenities against women for all to hear, not a dicky bird said about that. You'll hear a lot of it on late night Radio 1.
I think it is one of the shitest songs Tom ever recorded. He recorded some beauties IMO. Great singer. I'm a Snowflake that is melting a bit at this. Grief.
As a PS. Who exactly is upset by this? Why can't the news instead be about us all being shat on by the Tories, which is the actual real news...
In a way, I'm surprised the song was ever on the choir's list in the first place. Granted it was sung by a fellow Welshman*, and it does have a nice singalong feel, especially the chorus, but the lyrics are a bit dark, to say the least. Not that I'm bothered one way or the other, mind. I much prefer the Sensational Alex Harvey Band version of Delilah. * Maybe if The Prodigy were Welsh, the choir would be removing Firestarter from its song list too.
Well said mate..one of my favourite covers. SAHB did a great job on this one and their performance of the song was brilliant to watch..
But no mention of an anthem which celebrates the slaying of the Scots. Had to laugh at my grand daughter last week. I asked her what did you get at school? She said singing the Scotland national anthem. I said, Flower of Scotland? No she said. We love to boogie.
This is good: Bye Bye Bye Delilah So they’ve gone and banned Delilah, I can’t believe their moans, They don’t want us to sing it, What an insult to Tom Jones ! It’s been sung by millions, For years it’s been the top, But if you ban one song like that, Then where does it all stop? Should we give in to pressure? And listen now to others? Should we ban Land of my Fathers Cause it doesn’t mention Mothers? Should we not sing Stereophonics, ‘Cause their lyrics are quite odd? Or should we ban Bread of Heaven, ‘Cause not all believe in God? Should we not sing Hymns and Arias? Attacking England to the core, Should we not sing Men of Harlech, Cause it mentions going to war? Should we not sing in our language? They must be having quite a laugh! Should we ban our ‘Sosban’ song, ‘Cause the cat scrammed Johnny Bach? Should we ban Myfanwy, About a lost love sung? Or should we ban The Green Green Grass, In which a man is hung? Whenever Wales are playing, We’ll travel to the ground, And we’ll stand and sing Delilah, So the song rings right around. It’s just a song for goodness sake, And what I say is true, That there’s plenty of Brains in the Cardiff pubs, But there’s none in the WRU! L Davies 3/2/23
I've just re read the lyrics of Delilah. Now, to me, there's a couple of ways of looking at this. I don't see why music shouldn't be able to tackle thorny issues any less than a novelist or a film director can. If treated in the right way. I'm not sure this particular song tackles the issue of domestic violence at all though, it just uses it as a vehicle for a song. I'm not saying it should be banned but, really, it's not a great look for a crowd at a sporting event to be singing.
It's not about domestic violence. It's about jealousy and rage. And possibly obsession. We don't even know if the narrator and Delilah are a couple. Probably not, he's walking past her house, not going to it. In his mind they're a couple but we're not told the reality of the situation. The song is a narrative of a derranged man who murders the subject of his desire after being consumed by jealousy, who now awaits his punishment, wracked with guilt, attempting to offer justification and pleading for forgiveness. It's an expose of toxic masculinity, of lust, inadequacy and revenge. And a pretty good one considering the format. It's not tackling domestic violence and never attempted to.