Samson is an enchanting indie ballad by the American singer-songwriter Regina Spektor. It was recorded in just one take on Christmas Day, 2001. Although Samson was never released as a single it is considered one of Spektor’s greatest songs. It was initially recorded as the first track for Spektor’s second album Songs. In 2006, Spektor re-recorded the song for her album Begin to Hope, which, unlike Songs, had a major label backing. Despite not being released as a single, the Begin to Hope version of Samson charted in four countries (inc. Australia No 52, UK 174), being Spektor’s most charted single to date.
So we have two songs in succession after Leonard Cohen’s Samson in New Orleans yesterday referring to “Samson” from the book of Judges. Today’s song deals with the episode of Samson and Delilah, found in Judges 16:
Samson was granted extraordinary physical strength by God, though his strength was held in his hair, without which he was powerless. He fell in love with Delilah, who, because of his lust for women, discovered his vulnerability, and used it against him.
[Chorus]
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth
I have to go, I have to go
Your hair was long when we first met
[Verse 1]
Samson went back to bed
Not much hair left on his head
He ate a slice of Wonder bread
And went right back to bed
And history books forgot about us
And the Bible didn’t mention us
And the Bible didn’t mention us, not even once
[Chorus]
[Verse 2]
Samson came to my bed
Told me that my hair was red
Told me I was beautiful
And came into my bed
Oh, I cut his hair myself one night
A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light
And he told me that I’d done alright
And kissed me ’til the morning light, the morning light
And he kissed me ’til the morning light
[Verse 3]
Samson went back to bed
Not much hair left on his head
He ate a slice of Wonder bread
And went right back to bed
Oh, we couldn’t bring the columns down
Yeah, we couldn’t destroy a single one
And history books forgot about us
And the Bible didn’t mention us, not even once
[Outro]
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first
Below are some extracts from the Wikipedia article below:
Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (born February 18, 1980) is a Russian-born American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Her mother Bella Spektor, was a music professor in a Soviet college of music and taught at public elementary schools in Mount Vernon, New York, now retired. Regina started taking piano lessons when she was seven. She grew up listening to classical music and Russian bards. Her father, who obtained recordings in Eastern Europe and traded cassettes with friends in the Soviet Union, also exposed her to rock and roll bands such as the Beatles, Queen, and the Moody Blues.
The family left the Soviet Union for the Bronx in 1989, when Spektor was nine and a half, during the period of Perestroika, when Soviet citizens were permitted to emigrate. She had to leave her piano behind.
After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in New York City’s independent music scenes, particularly the anti-folk scene centered on New York City’s East Village. Spektor signed with Sire Records in 2004 resulting in greater mainstream recognition. After giving her third album Soviet Kitsch a major label re-release, Sire released Spektor’s fourth album, Begin to Hope, which achieved a Gold certification by the RIAA. Her following two albums, Far and What We Saw from the Cheap Seats, each debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200.
Mayor Bill de Blasio proclaimed June 11, 2019, Regina Spektor Day in New York City.
References:
1. Samson (Regina Spektor song) – Wikipedia
2. Regina Spektor – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
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