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"Samson and Delilah" is a traditional song based on the Biblical tale of Samson and his betrayal by Delilah. Its best known performer is perhaps the Grateful Dead, who first performed the song live in 1976, with guitarist Bob Weir singing lead vocals. The 1977 album Terrapin Station featured a studio recording of the song.

Although Weir learned the song from Reverend Gary Davis, several earlier versions had been recorded under various titles, including "If I Had My Way I'd Tear the Building Down"/"Oh Lord If I Had My Way" by Blind Willie Johnson in 1927. The song has since been performed by a wide variety of artists ranging from Dave van Ronk, Bob Dylan, Charlie Parr, The Staple Singers, Ike and Tina Turner, Clara Ward, Dorothy Love Coates & The Gospel Harmonettes, to Peter, Paul and Mary, The Washington Squares, The Blasters, Willie Watson, Elizabeth Cook, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band (in Verona, Italy 2006). Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson's version appeared in the second season premiere episode (also titled "Samson and Delilah") of the Fox television show Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, in which Manson was also a main cast member. Art Greenhaw recorded a version with The Jordanaires and Larry "T-Byrd" Gordon, which was released in 2005.

Guest star Simon Oakland sings the song with the drovers around a campfire in the Rawhide episode "Incident of the Travellin' Man", aired in season six on October 17, 1963.

Song appeared on the Sir Tom Jones' album Surrounded By Time in 2021.

References

1. "Grateful Dead Song & Lyric Finder: Samson and Delilah". Whitegum.com. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
2. Archives, 2006 Grammy Nominees, National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences and www.grammy.com

v t e Samson
Cultural depictions	Art Samson Slaying a Philistine (Giambologna, c. 1562) Samson and Delilah (Rubens, c. 1609–10) Samson and Delilah (van Dyck, 1620) Samson and Delilah (van Dyck, 1630) Samson and Delilah (Rembrandt, 1630) Samson Threatening His Father-In-Law (Rembrandt, 1635) The Blinding of Samson (Rembrandt, 1636) The Wedding Feast of Samson (Rembrandt, 1638) Samson Mocked (Steen, c. 1670) Comics Doc Samson Mighty Samson Samson Film Samson (1914) Samson and Delilah (1922) Samson and Delilah (1949) Aurat (1953) Samson (1961) Gideon and Samson: Great Leaders of the Bible (1965) Samson and Delilah (1984) Aaj Ka Samson (1991) Samson and Delilah (1996) Samson (2018) Literature Book of Judges 13–16 Samson Agonistes (Milton) Samson (Jabotinsky) Music Samson (Handel) Samson and Delilah (Saint-Saëns) "Samson and Delilah" (traditional song) "Sam and Delilah" (Gershwin) "Samson" (Emly Starr) "Delilah" (The Dresden Dolls) "Samson" (Regina Spektor) Television Samson & Goliath
Other	Bedan Delilah Manoah Manoah's wife Hazzelelponi Samson's riddle Rabbinic literature Rock of Etam Samson Option (book) Samson Unit Samson coat of arms Crane The Modern Samson

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