New song....

I agree with you AllieOxen. A woman supporter phoned the JV show in support of the singing of Delilah, a Welsh former rugby player just didn't get the arguments against the singing. This, despite the fact a woman whose sister had been killed by her husband phoning in to express concern about the lyrics of Delilah. I don't agree with the slipper slope argument. I had a much loved gollywog as a child, wouldn't buy one today though.

In fact, there some pretty horrible songs around.

I didn't know that 'Delilah' was a Welsh rugby anthem.....the thought of hundreds of men singing it makes me feel a bit sick.

This was also discussed on the Jeremy Vine Show Radio2 yesterday lunchtime. Some interesting arguments for and against.

This was the subject of a piece on Radio 4 Today this morning. I missed the beginning, but I think someone's written a book about songs about law breaking. Delilah was mentioned along with several others. In The Summertime, Mungo Jerry: "Take a drink, take a drive, go out and see what you can find..."

I think once you start down that road, there'll be no stopping. It's a bit like banning humour that pokes fun at someone, almost all humour pokes fun at someone.

I can understand that it might be hurtful but such tales are part of music and drama and always will be. Greed and a desire for power, betrayal by a lover, jealousy. Othello, Carmen and many more tales are about these subjects.

Theses songs and dramas have been around for centuries.
It seems inappropriate to me to ban them, perhaps we just have to live with them and see them as cautionary tales.

The Greenwood side a classic English folk ballad.

"She leaned her back against the thorn
Oh, the rose and the linsey, oh
And there, two bonny boys, she's born
Down by the Greenwood side, oh

She's taken out her little knife
Oh, the rose and the linsey, oh
And she's robbed them of their life
Down by the Greenwood side, oh
(some versions are
"and stabbed those two boys to the heart")

"Coventry Carol"

Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child
By by, lully, lullay, thou little tiny child
By by, lully lullay

Herod, the king
In his raging
Charged he hath this day
His men of might
In his own sight,
All young children to slay

"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Mama, life had just begun
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooo
Didn't mean to make you cry
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters

I'm glad you did - thanks for the pm.
I looked, but couldn't find anywhere to contact with support.
...anyone?

AlieOxon you may be interested in this news item:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-30432645

We need to drop Delilah song for being too violent, says singer

(Sorry to resurrect old thread)

The ones I particularly enjoyed singing in my choir were:

California Dreaming
Lovely Day
The House of the Rising Sun (a bit of a gloomy I admit, by can be quite dramatic and very choir-friendly)
In My Room (Beach Boys)

I have been wondering the same thing. Would I sing 'Miss Otis regrets'?
(Cole Porter).
Element of humour here too. But I decided, it's still a murder story.
So probably not.
New question - would I feel different if it had been written by a woman...?

Just looked at the lyrics - the whole song has always washed by me up to now. They are distasteful and I certainly would not choose this for the community choir that I run.

Having said that they did many years ago sing Frankie and Johnny and enjoyed it. It was an excellent arrangement and lent itself to a dramatic rendition which has an element of humour in it. I saw it as being a bit tongue-in-cheek.

Philosophical question here: could I take Frankie and Johnny because it was the other way round from Delilah?

Back to 'Delilah'.
I just did a bit of direct action. I walked out of this afternoon's session of my singing group.
I'd been told by two of the members yesterday that they weren't going to sing it again, people hadn't liked it....so I happily went along, only to be told by the leader that, yes it was still on. so I told him I was going, and went.
I told our accompanist as I was leaving why I was going, and she, bless her, was the only person to realise that I was really upset. She took me out and I explained, and this did help.
I just cannot and will not sing or listen to it.

Tegan!

......it is a very catchy song, though.....

A few years ago I heard a really catchy song on the radio. I went to the record part of the supermarket and tried to explain how it sounded to the young lad serving. This is the video of that song
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xat1GVnl8-k
.....please don't watch it if you are of a sensitive disposition [there's an even worse video of it]. Can you imagine how I felt when he put it on to play and I started listening to the lyrics ; I'm blushing now just thinking about it..........

No. This one means yuk

Yes. But I can't understand why he said that. It's obvious what it was. Perhaps they got some flack over it.

The thought of it...

That face meant YUK!

I think the writer admitted that they didn't really know what was thrown off the bridge.

What does that face mean?!

I'm just gonna google the lyrics. It's a long time since Jimmy Young was on.

No, not in the lyrics. Perhaps they got her an abortion and had to do the disposing themselves. Or, she used the hot bath and loads of whisky method.

That was probably it.

That is not in the lyrics, jingl. It did cross my mind, but in a close-knit community like that it would have been pretty hard to hide a pregnancy.

It's hinted that the narrator was actually the girl with him on the bridge, and there's no way her family wouldn't have noticed - unless of course it was an early miscarriage.

(Can't believe we're actually having this discussion! )

A baby.