| "Delilah" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Tom Jones | ||||
| from the album Delilah | ||||
| B-side | "Smile" (Mills) | |||
| Released | February 1968 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Recorded | 1968 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:20 | |||
| Label | Decca F 12747 Parrot 45-40025 |
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| Producer | Peter Sullivan | |||
| Tom Jones singles chronology | ||||
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"Delilah" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in 1968. It was written by Barry Mason, with music by Les Reed.
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It reached No 1 in the charts of several countries including Germany and Switzerland.[1] It reached No 2 in the British charts in March 1968 and was the sixth best selling single of that year.[2] The US Billboard chart records its highest position as 15.[3]
| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 1 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 2 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Austrian Top 40 | 3 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 15 |
Jones narrates the song as a deceived lover who spies his woman in a silhouette on a window as she makes love to another man. Although he realizes that she is of no good to him, he goes temporarily insane. Waiting until after her paramour leaves at break of day, he knocks on the door to find her laughing and stabs her to death. Realizing his murderous act, the deceived lover begs her forgiveness before the police come to break down the door and take him away.
The song has also been covered many times by other artists, including a reggae cover by Horace Andy, the goth rock band Inkubus Sukkubus on their album Wild, the Irish American punk band Flogging Molly on their live album Alive Behind the Green Door and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band whose single reached No 7 in the UK chart in 1975. It was covered in 1978 by Filipino singer/artist Sam Sorono (1950-2008) on his Sings Tom Jones' Greatest Hits LP album with EMI Records. In 1988 "Delilah" was covered by Paddy Goes To Holyhead. This version can be found on the 4CD box The Hannover Sessions with The Sweet. The Finnish rock band The Leningrad Cowboys also performed a version of this song at Total Balalaka 1993. Austrian singer Peter Alexander recorded a German cover on his 1985 album Ein Abend Mit Dir.
Supporters of Stoke City have adopted Delilah as their club anthem since the 1970s. It was adopted by the fans after a supporter was heard singing it in a local pub. Some of the song's original lyrics have been adapted for the terraces, but the essence of the song remains the same.[4]
Welsh rugby fans have sung Delilah as an unofficial anthem since at least as early as the 1970s, so much so it was referred to in the lyrics of one of the verses of Max Boyce's 'Hymns and Arias'- "We sang 'Cwm Rhondda' and 'Deliliah', damn they sounded both the same". Tom Jones performed it before Wales's historic rugby victory over England at Wembley Stadium in 1999. The Welsh Rugby Union now plays the song in Millennium Stadium before matches; the words to the song are shown on the big screens and the crowd sings along. [5]
The song featured in the film "Edward Scissorhands" (1990).[6]
It should also be noted that according to Philip Norman's biography on Elton John, the future pop superstar provided background vocals on this song.