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03 Feb 23 - 02:40 PM (#4164313) Subject: Delilah 'Banned' by WRU From: Nigel Parsons It's the song that fans have belted out for many years at Wales rugby games. But now the Welsh Rugby Union has announced that Delilah will no longer be sung by choirs at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. The 1968 Tom Jones hit has long been controversial because of its references to a woman's murder by her jealous partner, and it was removed from the choir's playlist in 2015. But, with Welsh rugby at the centre of a storm about sexism and misogyny, the WRU officially banned it this week. It continues to divide opinion. The Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi performed it at his show in Cardiff on Wednesday night, hours after the news broke. Quote above is from BBC News With tomorrow being the opening day of the '6 Nations' rugby championships I would imagine the fans will belt it out louder, more often, and for longer. At the match (Wales v Ireland) and in the local pubs both before & after the match. |
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03 Feb 23 - 03:15 PM (#4164315) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by WRU From: Steve Shaw Come on you Welsh, show a bit of imagination! Do what the Liverpool kopites did, take the song by the scruff and change the words! Here's The Fields of Athenry, as sung on the Kop: Outside the Shankly Gates I heard a Kopite calling: Shankly they have taken you away But you left a great eleven Before you went to heaven Now it's glory round the Fields of Anfield Road. All round the Fields of Anfield Road Where once we watched the King Kenny play (and he could play) Stevie Heighway on the wing We had dreams and songs to sing Of the glory round the Fields of Anfield Road Outside the Paisley Gates I heard a Kopite calling Paisley they have taken you away. You led the great 11 Back in Rome in 77 And the redmen they are still playing the same way All round the Fields of Anfield Road Where once we watched the King Kenny play (and he could play) Stevie Heighway on the wing We had dreams and songs to sing Of the glory round the Fields of Anfield Road. Outside the Hillsborough flames I heard Kopite mourning What so many taken on that day Justice has never been done But theirs memory will carry on And it's the glory round the Fields of Anfield Road. All round the Fields of Anfield Road Where once we watched the King Kenny play (and he could play) Stevie Heighway on the wing We had dreams and songs to sing Of the glory round the Fields of Anfield Road. Of the glory round the Fields of Anfield Road. I think we call it the folk process... You can even hear it, given a quick google! :-) |
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03 Feb 23 - 03:27 PM (#4164319) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by WRU From: Nigel Parsons Or Man City's version of 'Wonderwall' (by Oasis): Today will be another day, I wish I'd never been a Blue I'm sure we saw it all before when we went down to division 2 I don't believe that any team has played the way we do, apart from Slough. Last week we had a bad defeat that we really could have done without Felt sure that we were gonna score, but again we left the field with nowt I don't believe that Bill Shank-er-ley could stop us going down, Nor could Don Howe And all the roads to Wemb-er-ley are winding We ain't got any silverware for shining We haven't won a single thing for over 20 years and we wont do now Cos maybe, we should have got Liam Brady But after all we got Alan Ball Today was gonna be the day when I thought we'd sign someone new But the deal crashed, not enough cash, and he'd only ever played for Crewe I don't believe that anybody would sign in their right mind anyhow And all the shots we have on goal go wider No one ever seems to play a blinder There are many teams that I would love to see us beat But I can't see how Cos maybe, we should have got Richard Madeley But after all we got Alan Ball. |
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03 Feb 23 - 03:39 PM (#4164323) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Dave the Gnome Didn't this happen years ago? |
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03 Feb 23 - 03:41 PM (#4164324) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Nigel Parsons As it says in the article quoted above, removed from the playlist in 2015, but Banned by WRU (Welsh Rugby Union) this week. |
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03 Feb 23 - 04:05 PM (#4164330) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: cnd I love Tom Jones as much as the next guy, but as an outsider totally unfamiliar with Rugby/Soccer singing cultures -- why Delilah? |
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03 Feb 23 - 05:25 PM (#4164336) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Steve Shaw Do you mean, why, why, why, Delilah? :-) |
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03 Feb 23 - 06:03 PM (#4164342) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Rapparee How about substituting "Mack the Knife"? |
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03 Feb 23 - 06:32 PM (#4164343) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Raggytash Biblical I suspect CND |
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03 Feb 23 - 07:02 PM (#4164347) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Steve Shaw Mack The Knife, great though it is, somehow lacks the anthemic quality of Delilah... |
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03 Feb 23 - 07:26 PM (#4164352) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Bonzo3legs I hope the ridiculous "ban" is ignored |
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03 Feb 23 - 07:40 PM (#4164353) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: MoorleyMan Whatever next? Banning the Bible from religious education? This is getting silly. Over-reaction and overkill. C'mon.... |
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03 Feb 23 - 08:11 PM (#4164357) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Steve Shaw Now let's not get carried away with this "ban" stuff. The WRU have simply said that the WRU choir won't be singing it. The crowd, as ever, will sing whatever they want. As for banning the Bible from RE, yep, I'll buy that! |
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03 Feb 23 - 08:17 PM (#4164359) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Joe Offer Gee, I never listened to the lyrics before. I thought it was just another syrupy Tom Jones song, and had no idea murder was involved. I never liked Tom Jones. Sorry if that offends somebody. But here is a link to the thread with the lyrics: |
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04 Feb 23 - 05:03 AM (#4164383) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Roger the Skiffler When I was having trouble logging in to Mudcat my Facebook avatar, Thimble O'Hooligan, started a similar thread on the Mudcat FB page with similar results. I suspect more fans will sing it than before! RtS |
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04 Feb 23 - 05:50 AM (#4164386) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Lang Johnnie More Nobody seems to remember the Alex Harvey Band [ except me ] : https://youtu.be/yPTwQfyBoEE |
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04 Feb 23 - 06:39 AM (#4164390) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: MaJoC the Filk Suggested alternative: Tom Lehrer's "I Hold Your Hand In Mine" (though that also lacks the belting-it-out-at-gale-force-10 nature). |
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04 Feb 23 - 07:56 AM (#4164396) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Bonzo3legs It's pathetic, just how many folk songs have a murder? 1000s I'd wager!! |
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04 Feb 23 - 08:06 AM (#4164398) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: MaJoC the Filk Joe: Was it "The Green Green Grass Of Home" you were thinking of? that, I agree, is syrupy, but there's a reason it got (*ahem*) pushed up the charts. There used to be a requests programme on BBC Home Service called "N-way Family Favourites" (for varying values of N), which was basically people asking for requests for family members serving in Europe. Any song with the word "home" in it got a large number of re |
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04 Feb 23 - 08:16 AM (#4164400) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: MaJoC the Filk Rats: wrong click. .... a massive number of requests. Thus "Green Green Grass of Home"'s popularity; the fact that it's syrupy added to its appeal to certain segments of the record-buying public. "Delilah" OTOH is a force-ten belter. Hitting the top A in the verse (a jump of nearly an octave, done cold) is a guaranteed money note for any tenor: I remember the spontaneous cheers when this was done by one of the panel members in I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. |
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04 Feb 23 - 09:05 AM (#4164402) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: MaJoC the Filk Final edit, I promise .... The kicker about "Green Green Grass" is that those requesting it for their serviceman relatives didn't listen to the lyrics much either: the reveal in the last verse is that it's about a condemned man's last night in his cell, sung in the first person. But it had "Home" in the title, so it got requested, quite possibly sight unseen. |
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04 Feb 23 - 10:18 AM (#4164410) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow Whereas the alarming connotations in Little Richard's verse below do not worry anybody. I'm with Moorley man. From the early, early mornin' till the early, early night When you caught Miss Molly rockin' At the House Of Blue Light The prostitutes did three hourly shifts I believe, but she sure likes to ball! I think Little Richard got away with it because the 1955 hit 'The House of Blue lights' was about a different establishment altogether. |
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04 Feb 23 - 11:01 AM (#4164415) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Bonzo3legs Let's ban The Murder of Maria Martin then: Come all you thoughtless young men, A warning take by me To think on my unhappy fate To be hanged upon a tree. My name is William Corder, To you I do declare I courted Maria Marten, Most beautiful and fair. I promised I would marry her Upon a certain day; Instead of that I was resolved To take her life away. I went unto her father's house The eighteenth day of May And said, “My dear Maria, We will fix a wedding day.” With her heart so light she thought no harm To meet me she did go. I murdered her all in the barn And laid her body low. After the horrid deed was done She laid there in her gore Her bleeding, mangled body lay Beneath the Red Barn floor. |
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04 Feb 23 - 11:03 AM (#4164416) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow Well exactly Bonzo! How stupid can you get? |
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04 Feb 23 - 05:22 PM (#4164444) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Rossey Re- the misogyny of the lyrics. At least some of the lyric was actually written by Barry Mason's then wife Sylvan Whittingham. She didn't get a credit due to marriage and song writing misogyny - also of course Les Reed and Barry Mason were considered one of those song writing duo teams, so a third party credit would have got in the way of their 'brand'. She did later get a settlement, but Sylvan's name still isn't down as a co-writer. I see the song as being in the folk tradition of murder ballads with redemption, or a price to pay. Here it is obvious the protagonist has flipped in a crime of passion. As it says they are going to come to break down the door - the listener can make their own ending up. So he would either 'top himself', or get the force of the law falling upon him. I am also reminded of Olivia Newton John, singing 'Banks of the Ohio'.. that one will have to go next! |
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04 Feb 23 - 06:03 PM (#4164449) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: meself A choir dropped some pop song from their repertoire. I don't think the world of song will ever recover. Let us run and tell the internet. |
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04 Feb 23 - 07:20 PM (#4164455) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow Well if it had not been a story in the news, it would probably not have a problem, but as it is, or was, there are going to be potential knock-on effects. Hence the interest here, and elsewhere. |
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05 Feb 23 - 03:56 AM (#4164468) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Rain Dog Some of you need to get your heads out of your song books and look at some recent news regarding the problems that the WRU appear to have with misogyny and sexism within their organisation. The eventual publication of a report into the matter might well make things clearer. Plenty of people like and sing along with songs without looking closely at the lyrics. Perhaps the WRU should have considered having someone give a 10 minute introduction to the song, explaining why it was a good thing to sing a song about the murder of a woman in a stadium full of 70,000 people. They could organise a raffle too. |
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05 Feb 23 - 05:10 AM (#4164478) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow Very clever. We should of course blame it all on the song. That will solve everything. After all, nobody can sing a song about the murder of a female without being misogynistic or sexist, can they? |
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05 Feb 23 - 05:50 AM (#4164484) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Reminds me of the paranoid dyslexic who couldn't escape the nagging fear they were following someone. I'd tell the WRU and the censors to get the priorities critically sorted. You already have a lottery. It's called chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It is, by the numbers –– morally, ethically and rationally, worse than all the WRU's overabundance of homophobia, misogyny, racism and sexism combined. If you're good with that, your choirs can whistle Dixie for all I care. |
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05 Feb 23 - 07:28 AM (#4164488) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Bonzo3legs Preferably Yankie Doodle Dixie!!! |
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05 Feb 23 - 07:33 AM (#4164489) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,matt milton As others have pointed out, it's not been banned, it's just that choirs will no longer be singing it. There's nothing stopping fans belting out the chorus of Delilah. I don't see the relevance of pointing out that lots of traditional folk songs have murders in them, that's a totally different thing. They're not being sung as feelgood anthems by choirs at Welsh rugby fixtures. I'd wonder what was going on their heads if football crowds started joyously belting out 'Child Owlet' or 'Pretty Polly' |
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05 Feb 23 - 08:46 AM (#4164495) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: MaJoC the Filk > There's nothing stopping fans belting out the chorus of Delilah. If they did during the match, the broadcasters managed to filter it out from the broadcast. But the fans not being heard singing the song in question might have had more to do with Ireland getting an early lead. Oh, and if you want something offensive which people still sing out loud without thinking, check where "Hear him whip the women just around midnight" comes from, and ponder the meaning of that song's title. |
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05 Feb 23 - 09:49 AM (#4164498) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST What I find truly incomprehensible is why any "man" would want to sing it. Very few songs shout "I'm a whinging, snivelling, little creep of a man" the way that "Delilah" does. |
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05 Feb 23 - 10:52 AM (#4164502) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow Don't know who you are guest but I am bound to say you have nailed it for me. In that context, there is a lot of fuss about nothing. Equally accurately Filk points out that there are worse things to listen to. I never liked that song at all. |
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05 Feb 23 - 01:39 PM (#4164519) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Bread and circus. It ain't new. Was introduced to Texas legend Earl Campbell some time ago. He's in a wheelchair and needs two canes to walk two paces. It wasn't Luv Ya Blue! lyrics what did that to flesh and bone while tens of thousands cheered on Monday Night Football®©. A few weeks ago, the Yanks stopped the heart of one of their footballers. CPR live on national camera whilst the talking heads pondered how and when to finish the game and sort out their coming playoff standings. If you can label this 'sport' purely for your entertainment pleasure... it takes .001% the very, exact same tortured moral 'logic' to excuse Delilah's so-called 'violent' lyrics. |
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05 Feb 23 - 02:07 PM (#4164526) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow This thread has become fascinating. Thanks Phil. |
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05 Feb 23 - 02:19 PM (#4164529) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Dave the Gnome My old mate Lurch, rest his soul, sang Country songs in a deep bass Lancashire accent. Delilah wax his classic I saw the leet on the neet that I passed by 'er winnder... :-D |
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05 Feb 23 - 04:47 PM (#4164538) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Rossey I think one of the oddities and discussion points is what do you do if some song has a killer sing a long chorus, but the lyrics are in this case at odds with the happy go lucky Mariachi pastiche music? It is relevant to folk music, in that a folk song is one taken up by the people, often these days spreading virally at sporting matches with very strange choices taking off. Ok it started off as a hyped up story, and much ado about nothing for clickbait. However, some of the principles involved are an interesting side line.. and Mudcat is a discussion group. I also re-iterate that the lyrics in question were at least part written by a woman.. although the male in her life took credit for the lyrics.. which was music business and marital misogyny. |
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05 Feb 23 - 07:35 PM (#4164553) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow All forms of song-making genres have their own self-appointed red lines. Those red lines are protean. Folk Music and Blues are my specialities as most people know. What we are seeing now, is the introduction of a red line that like all red lines is debatable. We see Chanty's minus their racist words, we hear Folk songs censured for verses that support marital violence. The singer makes his or her choice, and the Folklorist suggests that a zoologist would not ignore warthogs because they are not pretty, so the sterile world of the rugby song and the violence of the ballad Lambkin, should be treated with equal importance. The Blues singers disguised the sexuality of their songs or as in the case of Lucille Bogan remain unabashed. We are now left with the unenviable task of making some sort of decision as to the validity of the censorship. Therefore we must decide if the roar of a rugby crowd, or the harmony of a choir in some way corrupts the listener, or encourages negative stereotypes. If you agree with this context, then some of the song titles already mentioned in this thread are probably a better target for censure than the tongue in check financially driven lyrics of Delilah. Then again it depends on which side of the line you stand. How big is the axe and how large the grindstone? |
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05 Feb 23 - 09:04 PM (#4164558) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Rossey Talking of red lines Nick Dow, though going off on a tangent - even back in the early 1980's I remember there was a local cabaret singer in Inverness where I live, who was singing Jim Maclean's 'Massacre of Glencoe' to hotel parties of tourists, and he wouldn't sing the words "Raped Glencoe" in the chorus. I can't remember what he changed it to.. but those two words in the chorus give the song it's power, and he cut its metaphorical balls off. An early example there of 'folk woke', the word raped being taken out of context and being too rough and uncomfortable for the singer to take. Back to Delilah! |
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06 Feb 23 - 03:06 AM (#4164566) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow Well-meaning but unintentionally silly. You've just summed it up excellently. |
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06 Feb 23 - 05:10 AM (#4164574) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Banning bad songs Prohibition never works. |
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06 Feb 23 - 06:25 AM (#4164576) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,matt milton It's not censorship and it's not prohibition. The Welsh Rugby Union has announced that Delilah will no longer be sung by choirs at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. It would be censorship if they were ordering fans not to sing it, and saying anyone singing it would be thrown out. There's nothing stopping the fans from belting out the chorus. I'm guessing the fans probably weren't singing the controversial lines in the second verse anyway. It's the Welsh Rugby Union's prerogative to choose what material a choir will sing at matches and to ask them to sing something different. Just as it's my choice to pick what songs I want the DJ to play at my wedding. Just as it's a radio station's choice to decide what songs they want to play on their radio station. Just as it's my choice to decide whether or not I want to sing 'Child Owlet' or 'Pretty Polly' at a folk club: if I decide I don't want to sing those songs, it's not 'censorship' it's a choice. |
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06 Feb 23 - 07:32 AM (#4164577) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Rain Dog Consider this scenario. A member of the folk community is brutally murdered. The family hold a funeral service and invite friends along to a pub/club for a get together afterwards in which songs will be sung. Do you imagine they would want to hear a murder ballad or two? Would you as a singer consider if it would be appropriate to sing a murder ballad? Would any of you consider it censorship if the family said they did not want to hear such songs? The WRU appear to have a long term problem with misogyny and sexism within their organisation. They have attracted a lot of bad press about it. I think most people can see why they have 'banned' this song, though tbey have banned it for a good while. For the record I like murder ballads but I do see the problems with them. |
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06 Feb 23 - 08:33 AM (#4164579) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Don Wick Great publicity for Tom Jones |
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06 Feb 23 - 08:39 AM (#4164581) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: John MacKenzie They could substitute it with Banks of the Ohio, I suppose. Weelye weelye Wileya. |
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06 Feb 23 - 09:04 AM (#4164584) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,jim bainbridge best version I ever heard was by the Boldon Banjo Band featuring Tommy Forde at one of their nightss at the Boldon Lad, Boldon Colliery, Co Durham in the 60s. On the subject of Tom Jones songs, I always liked Ed Pickford's short version of the 'Green grass of home' 'The old town looked the same so I got back on the train' |
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06 Feb 23 - 12:26 PM (#4164603) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow It's not censorship and it's not prohibition, just don't sing it in this choir. Yes, that's explained everything. |
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06 Feb 23 - 01:51 PM (#4164614) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch RE: Verbs -- are for the general public. WRU executives likely said nothing at all internally and simply deleted it from the choir's playlist sans discussion. They went as far as they ethically could to [bad verb] the song internally. Saying the choir has not been [bad verbed] is not intellectually honest. WRU gets neither credit nor blame where fans are concerned... except... RE: Violence -- There are no pronoun exemptions for CTE &c. It's equal opportunity... by the numbers. WRU, their choir and their fans are not blameless for the damage done to racist/sexist/homophobic footballers and victim footballers alike. Nobody wins. Prohibiting boxing in large venues where Sweet Caroline is sung makes better sense than WRU and the censors. |
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06 Feb 23 - 01:55 PM (#4164617) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow No. Nobody wins. Bang on again Phil. |
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06 Feb 23 - 02:43 PM (#4164622) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch American footballers will kneel for 2 minutes to "wake" the folks to social issues... and then cash a very large paycheck to sacrifice their bodies for the next 2-3 hours putting the same folk back to sleep. Long game, big picture &c &c... how progressive can a kinder, gentler cheer for the same old circus meatgrinder really be? |
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06 Feb 23 - 03:08 PM (#4164626) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Don Wick It is Censorship if a choir cannot sing a particular part of the song, mind you, the song is a lot of old squit. But I defend the right of the anyone to sing any old squit they might want to including "Tiptoe through the Tadpoles" Stop the nonsense, use your own name. ---mudelf |
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06 Feb 23 - 03:32 PM (#4164631) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow If you start singing that Don I'll get back on the train with Ed Pickford. That's not censorship it's revenge! :-) |
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06 Feb 23 - 05:02 PM (#4164648) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Anne Lister sans cookie There are, of course, some interesting points of view being expressed here. Just a couple of points: firstly, incidents of domestic violence increase after both football and rugby matches. This domestic violence is mostly directed by men against women. Secondly, someone suggested the fans wouldn't sing the relevant lines in "Delilah" - seriously? Have you been at the events where it's sung? It's acted out and emphasised but of course it's all in good fun, isn't it, so let's not worry about that. Quite a few people have expressed quite a few reservations over the years, and the WRU have been discouraging it for quite a while, but this time it's got into the media so everyone is talking about it. I don't know whether it should be dropped from the choirs or banned. It is good fun to sing and most of those enjoying the dramatics and the melodic side of it won't be going home to hit their partners. But yes, the WRU is acutely aware right now of the accusations of misogyny, so it is more of a complex issue than singing a murder ballad in a folk club. Finally - I was an extra for the filming of "Dream Horse". One of our scenes was a karaoke in a night club, where Karl Johnson's character, suitably inebriated, leads us all in "Delilah", complete with raucous choruses and the dramatic underlining of the lyrics. In the film it is without dire consequences and simply highlights the Welsh Valleys culture, where this is such a normal part of a good night out. The women join in with the men. It is inconceivable that people will stop singing this song. It is, sadly, also inconceivable that most people will recognise just how uncomfortable that leaves women who have been subject to domestic abuse. |
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06 Feb 23 - 05:17 PM (#4164650) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Steve Shaw Well we could go back to the sixties and beyond to single out songs with dodgy lyrics ("of their time"?) The Beatles had some, the Stones had some, Elvis had some, Ol' Blue Eyes had some, Abba had one that I can think of. We can ban 'em, restrict 'em, moan about 'em. Or we can decide that most of 'em probably won't deprave or corrupt, accepting that humans are fairly resilient on the whole, and bite our lips. It's complicated and I'm not going to tell you what I think! |
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06 Feb 23 - 05:22 PM (#4164651) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Rain Dog It is not about censorship. It is is about when it is appropriate to sing certain songs at certain times. The WRU have their own issues to deal with. I notice that none of the usual posters have answered my earlier post about singing a murder ballad at the funeral of someone who has been murdered. I suspect that none of you would even think of singing such a song in those circumstances. |
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06 Feb 23 - 05:53 PM (#4164653) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch From the MRU executive perspective, racist and nonracist agree, Delilah is bad optics for the product and bad for shareholder value. 'Banning' is zero overhead. It's a no-brainer, throw the dogs a bone. The athletes, fans, executives and choir will be no less prone to their individual human & general cultural failings than before. Ban happy Qatar ain't no Garden of Eden. |
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06 Feb 23 - 06:07 PM (#4164655) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch Rain Dog: I notice that none of the usual posters have answered my earlier post about singing a murder ballad at the funeral of someone who has been murdered. Where I come from, funerals are held in church and nobody would ever dream of singing any ballad of any kind, nice or nasty. Our wakes would, I suspect, leave you jaw-to-the-floor speechless. |
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06 Feb 23 - 07:34 PM (#4164662) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow Anne, About your post. May I politely and genuinely ask that unless (God forbid) your experience is first-hand, what qualifies you to describe the cause and effect, portray feelings of the abused, and delineate the gender of the perpetrators? I have been personally, very close to this subject for over fifty years, and would not claim any right to be a spokesperson. |
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07 Feb 23 - 03:54 AM (#4164675) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Guest Abuse takes many forms, mental as well as physical. Women also abuse Men. Unfortunately it will probably continue regardless of Delilah, or any other songs where women or men are portrayed as objects. There are many reasons other than music for it happening. |
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07 Feb 23 - 06:41 AM (#4164676) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Steve Shaw Livin' doll Good luck charm hanging on my arm To have, to hold, tonight Does your mother know that you're out? ( just checkin'!) I caynt get no girl reaction I'd rather see you dead little girl Than to be with another man Pretty woman Walkin' down the street Pretty woman The kind I'd like to meet She was just seventeen You know what I mean (wink wink) There's a lot of it about... |
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07 Feb 23 - 08:42 AM (#4164688) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Nigel Parsons I'm almost sorry that I started the thread. But it was being discussed on Mudcat Facebook, and a discussion here was requested. |
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07 Feb 23 - 08:54 AM (#4164689) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Nick Dow No, don't be sorry. It has been interesting, and rather encouraging, given the diverse views here. So Thank you. |
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07 Feb 23 - 10:16 AM (#4164690) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Guest These days abuse happens in all including same sex relationships, so how banning the chorus of that song will help, is a puzzle |
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07 Feb 23 - 11:02 AM (#4164692) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Jim Knowledge I `ad that Gwyllam Thomas from the Welsh Rugby Union my cab the other day. `e was carrying an enormous ring binder box. It was full of something `cos `3 was `aving difficulty in lugging it around. I said, " Morning Taff, what `ave you got there? Entries for the next Eisteddford?" `e said, "Oh no Jim Boyo. It`s a pile of songs we `ave to consider banning at the Cardiff stadium rugby matches. I`ve just spent a couple of days in Tin Pan Alley going through all the material that mentions cruelty to women, animals, murder, executions and all manner of nasties." I said,"Oh. That`s what banning the choirs from signing "Delilah" was all about. Is that it?" `e said, "Yeah, We don`t want to be seen as a group of unthinking people, not taking other`s feelings into account." I said, "Pull the other one Taff. You`re already mired in accusations of mysogony and all sorts of "isms" found in corporate life. You`ve just pulled this rabbit out of the `at as a attempt to "virtue signal" and take the pressure off!!" Whaddam I Like?? |
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10 Feb 23 - 03:15 AM (#4164749) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Dave Hanson It should have been banned the day it was written. Dave H |
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10 Feb 23 - 03:39 AM (#4164750) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Rossey The problem with this banning stuff is that it spreads to actual cancel culture. It's a slippery slope. The Stones bowed to pressure and self-censored themselves by stopping performing 'Brown Sugar' live. Tom Jones at least isn't bowing to the PC mob, and will keep performing Delilah despite the publicity and pressure to stop him singing it. Mind you I do agree with banning sectarian or racist songs in sporting and street contexts, as that does spread violence and hatred down generations. |
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10 Feb 23 - 04:02 AM (#4164751) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Acorn4 I reckon if I tried hard enough I could find something to be offended about in any song lyric. |
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10 Feb 23 - 07:42 AM (#4164764) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: Rain Dog On BBC Radio 4 right now Antisocial - Delilah and cancelling songs Should be available to listen to on BBC sounds |
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10 Feb 23 - 12:51 PM (#4164787) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST,Rossey Thanks Rain Dog for posting that programme link - a fascinating discussion which covers many elements of this thread including folk murder ballads. There was still no acknowledgment that the lyrics were actually at least part ghost written by a woman! |
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10 Feb 23 - 04:00 PM (#4164801) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GerryM Acorn4 wrote, "I reckon if I tried hard enough I could find something to be offended about in any song lyric." Or, as Tom Lehrer put it some years ago, "When correctly viwed/Everything is lewd/I could tell you things about Peter Pan/And the Wizard of Oz -- there's a dirty old man." |
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12 Feb 23 - 08:49 AM (#4164938) Subject: RE: Delilah 'Banned' by Welsh Rugby Union From: GUEST shall they now ban mystery movies and novels? |