Uploaded June 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From '' Delilah / Travel On ''
Label: K-Ark Records – 925
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1969
Tracklist
A Delilah
B Travel On
Producer – John Capps
------------------------
"Delilah" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in December 1967.
The lyrics were written by Barry Mason, and the music by Les Reed, who also contributed the title and theme of the song.
It earned Reed and Mason the 1968 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.
Music and lyrics
Although the song is a soulful number set in triple metre, the underlying genre may be considered to be a power ballad in the British ballad tradition.
Produced by Peter Sullivan, Jones's version features a big-band accompaniment set to a flamenco rhythm.
The pitch of the final note is A4.
Flamenco was a surprising choice, since there is no reference to Spain anywhere in the song. Possibly, it was because of similarities to the plot of "Carmen", in which Don José stabs Carmen to death when she tells him she is leaving him for another man.
The song tells the story of a man who passes his girlfriend's window and sees her inside making love to another man.
He waits outside all night, and then confronts her in the morning, only to have her laugh in his face. He stabs her to death, and then waits for the police come to break down the door and arrest him. The lyrics unfold from the killer's point of view, and are filled with his, often contradictory, emotions.
He speaks of Delilah in possessive terms, but also refers to himself as her "slave."
He asks his dead girlfriend to "forgive" him, but still clearly sees himself as having been wronged by her.
When Jones performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show, the censors insisted that the line "At break of day when the man drove away" be changed to "At break of day I was still 'cross the way", as the original version implied he had spent the night with Delilah.
Jones later described the change as "such bullshit".
In a two-year court case in The High Court of Justice, 1983 -M- No.1566 , Mason's ex-wife Sylvan Whittingham, the daughter of Bond film Thunderball screenwriter, Jack Whittingham, claimed she had written half the lyrics of "Delilah" and several other songs.
She is registered as a songwriter on "Delilah".
Success
Tom Jones' recording reached No. 1 in the charts of several countries, including Germany and Switzerland.
It reached No 2 in the British charts in March 1968 and was the sixth-best selling single of that year. The US Billboard chart records its highest position as 15.
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (1968) / Peak position
Australia (Go-Set) / 3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) / 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) / 1
Canada (RPM) / 5
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) / 1
French Singles Chart / 1
Ireland (IRMA) / 1
Italian Singles Chart (Musica e Dischi) / 11
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) / 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100) / 1
New Zealand (Listener) / 2
Norway (VG-lista) / 2
Singapore Singles Chart / 6
South Africa (Springbok Radio) / 1
Spain (AFYVE) / 2
Sweden (Kvällstoppen) / 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) / 1
UK Singles (OCC) / 2
US Billboard Hot 100 / 15
West Germany (Official German Charts) / 1
Year-end charts
Chart (1968) / Rank
Switzerland / 5
UK / 4
US Billboard Hot 100 / 66
Miscellaneous uses
Film
The song featured in the 1990 film Edward Scissorhands.
In the 2005 film Romance and Cigarettes, the original recording plays on a jukebox while Christopher Walken sings along and mimes the action.
In the 2013 film American Hustle, the song plays at a bar while Christian Bale and Jeremy Renner sing along.
The chorus of the song was referenced in the movie Hercules Returns.
The song is featured prominently in the film Dream Horse.
TV
In the "Stage Fright" episode of Only Fools and Horses, Tony Angelino, the Singing Dustman, is seen performing the song during his performance at the Down by the Riverside Club.
In the "Homer the Heretic" episode of The Simpsons, Homer sings the chorus while showering, seemingly pleased with himself for getting out of going to church.
In the 14th episode of Raising Hope, "What Up, Cuz?", the song appears in a flashback showing the young Virginia Chance with her cousin Delilah.
In the first episode of the 2012 British comedy series Citizen Khan, Khan sings the song over the mosque speakers, much to the amusement of several fellow worshippers.
Music
According to Philip Norman's 2001 biography of Elton John, John provided background vocals on this song.
From '' Delilah / Travel On ''
Label: K-Ark Records – 925
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1969
Tracklist
A Delilah
B Travel On
Producer – John Capps
------------------------
"Delilah" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in December 1967.
The lyrics were written by Barry Mason, and the music by Les Reed, who also contributed the title and theme of the song.
It earned Reed and Mason the 1968 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.
Music and lyrics
Although the song is a soulful number set in triple metre, the underlying genre may be considered to be a power ballad in the British ballad tradition.
Produced by Peter Sullivan, Jones's version features a big-band accompaniment set to a flamenco rhythm.
The pitch of the final note is A4.
Flamenco was a surprising choice, since there is no reference to Spain anywhere in the song. Possibly, it was because of similarities to the plot of "Carmen", in which Don José stabs Carmen to death when she tells him she is leaving him for another man.
The song tells the story of a man who passes his girlfriend's window and sees her inside making love to another man.
He waits outside all night, and then confronts her in the morning, only to have her laugh in his face. He stabs her to death, and then waits for the police come to break down the door and arrest him. The lyrics unfold from the killer's point of view, and are filled with his, often contradictory, emotions.
He speaks of Delilah in possessive terms, but also refers to himself as her "slave."
He asks his dead girlfriend to "forgive" him, but still clearly sees himself as having been wronged by her.
When Jones performed the song on The Ed Sullivan Show, the censors insisted that the line "At break of day when the man drove away" be changed to "At break of day I was still 'cross the way", as the original version implied he had spent the night with Delilah.
Jones later described the change as "such bullshit".
In a two-year court case in The High Court of Justice, 1983 -M- No.1566 , Mason's ex-wife Sylvan Whittingham, the daughter of Bond film Thunderball screenwriter, Jack Whittingham, claimed she had written half the lyrics of "Delilah" and several other songs.
She is registered as a songwriter on "Delilah".
Success
Tom Jones' recording reached No. 1 in the charts of several countries, including Germany and Switzerland.
It reached No 2 in the British charts in March 1968 and was the sixth-best selling single of that year. The US Billboard chart records its highest position as 15.
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (1968) / Peak position
Australia (Go-Set) / 3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) / 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) / 1
Canada (RPM) / 5
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) / 1
French Singles Chart / 1
Ireland (IRMA) / 1
Italian Singles Chart (Musica e Dischi) / 11
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) / 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100) / 1
New Zealand (Listener) / 2
Norway (VG-lista) / 2
Singapore Singles Chart / 6
South Africa (Springbok Radio) / 1
Spain (AFYVE) / 2
Sweden (Kvällstoppen) / 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) / 1
UK Singles (OCC) / 2
US Billboard Hot 100 / 15
West Germany (Official German Charts) / 1
Year-end charts
Chart (1968) / Rank
Switzerland / 5
UK / 4
US Billboard Hot 100 / 66
Miscellaneous uses
Film
The song featured in the 1990 film Edward Scissorhands.
In the 2005 film Romance and Cigarettes, the original recording plays on a jukebox while Christopher Walken sings along and mimes the action.
In the 2013 film American Hustle, the song plays at a bar while Christian Bale and Jeremy Renner sing along.
The chorus of the song was referenced in the movie Hercules Returns.
The song is featured prominently in the film Dream Horse.
TV
In the "Stage Fright" episode of Only Fools and Horses, Tony Angelino, the Singing Dustman, is seen performing the song during his performance at the Down by the Riverside Club.
In the "Homer the Heretic" episode of The Simpsons, Homer sings the chorus while showering, seemingly pleased with himself for getting out of going to church.
In the 14th episode of Raising Hope, "What Up, Cuz?", the song appears in a flashback showing the young Virginia Chance with her cousin Delilah.
In the first episode of the 2012 British comedy series Citizen Khan, Khan sings the song over the mosque speakers, much to the amusement of several fellow worshippers.
Music
According to Philip Norman's 2001 biography of Elton John, John provided background vocals on this song.
