Tom Jones’ 1968 song “Delilah” has been banned from the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
The victory will no longer be sung at Wales’ national stadium by the choirs employed to entertain the matches and it has been removed from the official Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) playlists.
Although a Principality Stadium spokesperson told Sky News that the song was removed from the half-time music and entertainment playlist during international matches in 2015, they have now confirmed that it will no longer feature. However, there are no restrictions on fans singing the song.
Jones’ ballad lyrics are the reason it was withdrawn. In the song, “Dalila” is executed after her jealous husband flirts with another man, after which the husband begs her body for forgiveness.
A Principality Stadium spokesman said: “The WRU condemns domestic violence of any kind. We have previously sought advice from experts in the field about censoring the song and we appreciate that it is problematic and upsetting to some fans due to its theme. .”
The Welsh singer Jones addressed the controversy over the lyrics, he says Sky News, saying that people have also taken the song literally. She rejected claims that he trivialized violence against women.
In 2016, Rhondda MP Chris Bryant defended a ban on the song: “It’s a simple fact that when there are big rugby internationals, and sometimes football too, the number of incidents of domestic violence increases dramatically, ” he said. [vÃa The Guardian].
“I know some of you will say, ‘Oh, come on, that’s a terrible murder,’ but the truth is that this song is about murdering a prostitute.”
Earlier, Dafydd Iwan, whose Welsh song “Yma O Hyd” is now around the stadium, told the same newspaper: “A song about murder, it tends to trivialize the idea of ​​murdering a woman. It’s a shame this lyric has now been elevated to the status of a secondary national anthem”.
However, in a letter to The Guardian, he said: “Banning a song is not something I would ever recommend, even if it were possible.”
Meanwhile, Jones last released an album in 2021. His 41st record, Surrounded By Time, arrived in April of that year. The collection includes covers of songs by artists including Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens and Bobby Cole.
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