Delilah isn’t Appropriate for Kids to Sing

[Wenfy]

Tom Jones is apparently complaining about a kids’ choir being banned from singing it at the Rugby, but it’s a horrible, horrible song that glorifies female violence.

So the real question is why do people sing it at the Rugby in the first place!!

🤣@Pandor , yes, if in your world there are only these two options!

On MN they are!

How is it being celebrated? The 'singer' isn't celebrating it, recommending it or even get away with it. Within the song he regrets it, asks for forgiveness and knows he will be punished for it. I wouldn't call that the celebration of a murder.

Lots of old folk songs have pretty dark or violent meanings if you really think about it, which in practice barely anyone does.

The thing is, are the lyrics excusing or celebrating/ glorifying the emotion of violence to women, or are they commenting and acknowledging it? Is this song saying to other men, this is something you might relate to??
Songs, like any art form, be it poetry or narrative, show not just the good but also the evil in the world.

I don't have an answer, I'm just wondering about what may be best. Is it better only show what is considered "ideal" in terms of behaviour, so no violence, and therefore limit the exposure to young minds? Or is it best to depict reality, in the hope that it can help improve the situation?
Don't know what I think really .

YANBU, it's a horrible song.

Not impressed by the various whataboutery and minimising posters.
There are plenty of topics other than 'rainbows and love and nice things' that aren't about a man murdering a woman and blaming it on her. and the other problem is it being a rather jolly tune and used as a singalong type of song at sports events .... really 'why, why why ...wtf don't you choose something less horrible and inappropriate?'

Naturally we should also ban Oranges and Lemons as well. The death penalty is a disgusting thing for children to be singing about.

And there’s nothing enjoyable about plagues. So Ring a Roses also must be banned.

Depicting difficult topics in art is valid.

However, this thread is specifically about whether this song is one children should be singing.

That was meant to be a 😃 not a bottle!

YANBU

@Pandor "Are songs only allowed to be about rainbows and love and nice things?"

Of course not. But are you really saying that a rugby anthem, traditionally sung by stadiums full of men, should be about stabbing and killing a woman? You don't really think that, so you?

Delilah isn’t Appropriate for Kids to Sing

Why, why, why?

It’s a horrible song & Children shouldn't be singing it. I certainly wouldn’t let my child sing it.

It is a song telling a story. There are thousands upon thousands of violent stories, many of which have become fairytales and nursery rhymes, read, recited and sung by children every single day.

While Welsh Rugby is mired in accusations of sexism and inappropriate behaviour towards women they took the decision to not have choirs perform a song about murdering a woman.

They haven't "banned" it, spectators still sing it in the stands.

I think it's inappropriate for anyone to sing. But I appear to be in a minority of 1 in this!

Not a minority of one at all.
I've thought for a long time that people need to listen to the lyrics - long before it became a campaign.

I love a bit of Tom Jones. Delilah is a great tune.
I'm not advocating the song is banned.

However

I don't think it is an appropriate choice for a children's choir, and I think whoever is running a children's choir ought to take some responsibility for what they teach children, yes.

Adults can make their own decisions.

A friend just named her daughter Delilah - it has a nice sound, but she seemed oblivious to both the song and the biblical Delilah.

From the rugby matches I've seen (and I watch rugby) the crowd hardly know the words, same with Swing Lo. They never ever sing the full song.

Not sure why a children's choir would sing it, I would have gone with Bread of Heaven.

I do think it's funny when people try so hard not to appear woke or politically correct that they end up backed into defending children's choirs singing a song (written in the 1960s, so not a folk song!) about a man murdering a woman with a knife because he thinks she had cheated on him....

Agreed.

Can you think of another one where a woman is stabbed and blamed for it? It’s hardly the three little pigs, is it?

God forbid they learn the meanings behind most nursery rhymes then!

Does that mean I'm not supposed to let my girls listen to Goodbye Earl, then?

Given some of the song lyrics we have floating around today, I think Tom Jones is the least of people's problems...