"Delilah" | ||||
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Single by Tom Jones | ||||
from the album Delilah | ||||
B-side | "Smile" (Mills) | |||
Released | February 1968 | |||
Format | 7" | |||
Recorded | 1968 | |||
Genre | Pop, schlager | |||
Length | 3:20 | |||
Label | Decca | |||
Writer(s) |
Les Reed – music Barry Mason and Sylvan Whittingham Mason – lyrics |
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Producer(s) | Peter Sullivan | |||
Tom Jones singles chronology | ||||
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"Delilah" is a murder ballad recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in 1968. The lyrics were written by Barry Mason and Sylvan Whittingham Mason, to music by Les Reed, who also contributed the title and theme of the song. It earned Reed and Mason the 1968 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.
It reached No. 1 in the charts of several countries including Germany and Switzerland. It reached No 2 in the British charts in March 1968 and was the sixth best selling single of that year. The US Billboard chart records its highest position as 15.
Although the song is a soulful rock-and-roll number, set in triple metre, the underlying genre may be considered to be a "Power Ballad" in the British Ballad tradition.
Jones narrates the song as a betrayed lover who spies his woman in silhouette on a window blind as she makes love to another man. Although he realises that she is no good for him, he becomes temporarily insane. Waiting until her paramour leaves, at the break of day, he knocks on the door, which she opens, only to laugh in his face. He stabs her to death. Realising this murderous act, the betrayed lover begs her forgiveness before the police come to break down the door and take him away.
Jones' version features a big-band accompaniment set to a flamenco rhythm. The pitch of the final note is A4.
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, the Italian operatic pop group Il Volo on their album "Grande Amore", and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band whose single reached No 7 in the UK chart in 1975. During the summer 1968 edition of the musical contest Cantagiro, the Italian singer Jimmy Fontana sang it with the title "La nostra favola" (however the Italian translation changed the meaning of the original lyrics). Country Dick Montana recorded it with the Pleasure Barons as part of a Tom Jones medley on their live album Pleasure Barons Live in Las Vegas. 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. Austrian singer Peter Alexander recorded a German cover on his 1985 album Ein Abend Mit Dir. In 1988 "Delilah" was covered by Paddy Goes To Holyhead. This version can be found on the 4CD box The Hannover Sessions with Sweet. The Finnish rock band Leningrad Cowboys also performed a version of this song at live album Total Balalaika. American band Faith No More covered a snippet of the song during their Second Coming Tour.