It has been fascinating to listen to the debate regarding Delilah, especially as it is largely based on the false premise that I launched a campaign to get the song banned (Tom Jones says critics shouldn’t take Delilah so literally, 12 December, theguardian.com). Banning songs is not something I would ever advocate – even if it was possible.
What I did in my short article for the Cristnogaeth 21 website was to ask whether the words of songs mean anything to us any more. My song to the survival of Wales against all odds (Yma o Hyd) is usually sung by the choirs in the Millennium Stadium, followed by Delilah and two hymns (Cwm Rhondda and Calon Lân). A strange mix, and great songs to sing, but do the words carry any meaning?
It was in this context that I mentioned that a song about a woman being killed was a strange choice for elevation to the status of a national anthem. All I can hope for – and perhaps that hope will now be partly fulfilled – is that next time you belt out this very singable song, you spare a thought for the poor woman who “laughs no more”, and avoid feeling any sympathy for the poor sod who killed her because he “just couldn’t take any more”.
In the immortal words of Polly Garter: “Thank God we’re a musical nation”.
Dafydd Iwan
Caeathro, Gwynedd
