Songs with the name Delilah

The name Delilah carries a heavy weight in Tom Jones’s 1968 Delilah, where it belongs to a woman whose unfaithfulness leads to murder. The record is a booming, theatrical piece of late-sixties pop, driven by a steady, almost cheerful chorus that contrasts sharply with the dark story. Jones sings with a full, commanding voice, and the song is remembered for that bold, rousing delivery and the dramatic twist in its narrative.

In 1999, The Cranberries released a gentler Delilah, a slow-burning alternative record carried by understated guitars and a quiet, atmospheric mood. The name here sounds like someone distant and unspoken of, serving as an anchor for the song’s soft, reflective sadness rather than the center of a loud story.

Florence + the Machine’s 2015 Delilah pushes toward something sweeping and rhythmic, built on rising percussion and a grand vocal that turns the name into a cry of strength. It feels built to overwhelm in the best way, with the name acting as a kind of invocation.

The most familiar Delilah of the modern era comes from Hey There Delilah, the 2006 acoustic hit by the Plain White T’s. It is a quiet, intimate record: one voice, one guitar, and a direct address to a woman far away. The name is doing something tender here, tied to a promise of faithfulness across distance, and the song is remembered for the plainness and sincerity of its delivery.