Welsh Rugby Union has recently banned choirs from singing Tom Jones’ classic song ‘Delilah’ during international matches. Upon receiving the news, different kinds of reactions have arisen from the public. Nick Cave also explained his thoughts on the issue on his blog, the Red Hand Files.
Nick Cave is known for his unique music, which is influenced by the lyrical side of love, death, and violence. His album with the Bad Seeds, ‘Murder Ballads,’ is one of his most significant works. And, having written many murder ballads throughout his career, Cave is well-versed in the genre to which Tom Jones’ 1968 hit ‘Delilah’ belongs. Thus, his fans were concerned about his thoughts on the recent news regarding the ban of the song from international rugby matches.
As a response, referring to the concerns about people turning into murderers because of the song, Cave jokingly expressed that it made him want to murder the choir. He expressed that he was not a fan of ‘Delilah.’ According to him, it is not a good song, unlike many other songs by Tom Jones. Apparently, he thinks the song is ‘too waltzy,’ and he is also not pleased with the lyrics as they are ‘too triumphant.’
The musician’s thoughts on the song and its prohibition are as follows:
“I just went online and found a Welsh male choir singing their rendition of ‘Delilah,’ and I’m sorry to report that listening to this version of the song did make me feel like murdering someone, primarily the Welsh male choir. Or maybe it wasn’t the choir but the song itself that disturbed me. I just don’t like it. I mean, I like Tom Jones…
As someone who knows a thing or two about murder ballads, for my taste, it’s all too waltzy and strident and hammy and mariachi and triumphant. And the words are ugly – ‘I felt the knife in my hand, and she laughed no more.’ Really? Most damning of all, even the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time, couldn’t do anything with it, although there is a wonderfully perverse attempt on the Old Grey Whistle Test. The inimitable Australian comic Norman Gunston, lest we forget, also did a very funny parody of it back in the late ’70s, which at the very least, made you laugh.”
Cave added that the prohibition of the song does not move him. To him, it’s a high honor for a song to be ‘controversial enough to be outlawed.’ Yet, based on his experience with the genre and his distaste for the song, he stated that ‘Delilah’ was not worthy of it.
He states:
“So, I don’t know… I can’t get too animated by the fact that ‘Delilah’ has been banned. I understand there is a principle here, but on some level, I like the fact that some songs are controversial enough to be outlawed. It fills me with a kind of professional pride to be a part of the sometimes contentious business of songwriting. It’s cool. I like it. I just wish it was a more worthy song to be awarded that greatest of honors, indeed that supreme privilege, of being banned.”
As a singer who has a whole album dedicated to murder ballads, Nick Cave clearly neither likes the song ‘Delilah’ by Tom Jones nor thinks it’s worthy of the privilege of being banned. Apparently, he is also not concerned with its prohibition news, as he is not a fan of the song anyway.
