Dead Songs in Depth

    
Samson and Delilah
w&m: traditional
LASF: http://www.whitegum.com/songfile/SAMSON.HTM
  

    
Samson and Delilah 
Lyrics: Traditional 
Music: Traditional 


Chorus:
If I had my way
If I had my way
If I had my way
I would tear this whole building down

Delilah was a woman, she was fine and fair
She had good looks - God knows - and coal black hair
Delilah she gained old Samson's mind
When first he saw this woman, she looked so fine

Delilah she climbed up on Samson's knee
Said tell me where your strength lies, if you please
Then she spoke so kind, she talked so fair
That Samson said, Delilah you cut off my hair
You can shave my head, cleanse my hand
My strength comes as natural as any other man

[chorus]

You read about Samson, all from his birth
He was the strongest man ever had lived on earth
One day while Samson was walking along
Looked down on the ground he saw an old jaw bone
Then he stretched out his arm and his chains broke like threads
And when he got to move, ten thousand were dead

[chorus]

Now Samson and the lion, they got in attack
And Samson he walked up on the lion's back
You read about this lion, he killed a man with his paw
Samson got hands up round the lion's jaw
He ripped that beast, killed it dead
And the bees made honey in the lion's head

[chorus]
  

    
Some of the early recordings of this song are now available on CD. The
Blind Willie Johnson version is well know and has been available for
some time. But from about the same time (1927) are:

"If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down" by Rev T.E.Weems on
"Preachers and Congregations Vol 7: 1925-1928"

"Samson And The Woman" by Rev J.M.Gates on "Rev J.M.Gates Vol 5:1927"

"If I Had My Way" by Rev T.T.Rose on "Gospel Singers & Preachers"

[thanks to Randy Jackson and Eric Levy for help in identifying these]
  

    



Debbie Burton writes:




When I was young I learned a song from a single
About Samson and Delilah
If I had my way I'd tear this building down
Now at age 46 I still don't know who sang it.
But I have clues now.
Sounded like a young man of color
Bass in the background
Good beat
Sounded like Jazz
I should have been on a single somewhere between 1955and 1960.

The song is the same but the words have been somewhat changed.
Example - You read about ole Samson, you read about his birth
Now Samson was the strongest man that ever walked on earth
Now the....bible tells us down in ancient times that he, kilt a thousand of
the Philistines

You see one day ole Samson was....walkin alone
when he .... looked on the ground and spied that....ole jaw bone
And then he....picked up that jaw bone and swung it round his head
When that..... jaw bone came down now, a thousand were dead

If I had my way
If I had my way
If I had my way praise God Almighty, I would tear this buildin down

I loved this song as a child and would love to know who in the world sang it
and possible get a copy somewhere.
It was full of movement and swing.  Can you help me find this recording or
artist?
Debbie in Ky.
  

    
Peter Paul & Mary's version
  

    
or Rev Gary Davis's

PP&M has the "If I had my way [in this wicked world]" line, eh?