Samson & Delilah

(a.k.a. "If I Had My Way")

Words & Music:

Reverend Gary Davis

 

I learned this as Peter, Paul & Mary's "If I Had My Way".  The real deal song -- with an excellent Rev. Gary Davis tab -- is in the June 2009 issue of Acoustic Guitar.  I stand humbly, but happily, corrected.

 

1.  Peter, Paul & Mary version:

You can also just alternate the E & A chords for the whole verse.  The Em chord echoes the b3 (G) note that occurs in the vocal line.  Either works.

 

E  A  E  A  [etc.]

You read about Samson, you read about his birth.

Em A       Em  A  [etc.]

He was the strongest man that ever lived on earth.

E  A  E  A  [etc.]

One day as Samson was walking alone

Em A       Em  A  [etc.]

He looked down on the ground & saw an old jawbone.

E  A  E  A  [etc.]

He lifted up that jawbone & swung it over his head.

Em A       Em  A  [etc.]

And when he got to moving, 10,000 was dead.

 

CHORUS:

A    A7     E  A  E       Em7    A           E

If I had my way----, if I had my way in this wicked world,

E     G#m  C#m               F#        B7       E A  E  A  [etc.]

If I had-- my-- way, I would tear this building down.

 

Delilah was a woman, she was fine & fair.

She had such lovely looks & coal black hair.

Delilah, she climbed up on Samson's knee

And said, "Tell me where your strength lies, if you please."

She talked so fine, she talked so fair.

Samson said, "Delilah, cut off my hair.

Shave my head just as clean as your hand

And my strength will be that of a natural man."

 

CHORUS:

 

CODA:

        F#        B7       E  A  E  A  E  A  E

I would tear this building down.

2.  Rev. Gary Davis' orignal version:

For a tab, go get the June 2009 issue of Acoustic Guitar.  It should be online, too.

 

INTRO:  G  C  G7  C  Gm  D  G

 

CHORUS:

G                     C      G

If I had my way,
if I had my way,

G               C                   G7   C        Gm  D7   G

If I had my way, Lord knows I would tear this old building down.

 

        G  [keep playing this G for the whole verse]

Well, 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.

The first he saw this woman, could be the last time.

Delilah, she climbed up on Samson's knee,

Said, "Tell me where your strength lies if you please."

She spoke so kind and she talked so fair.

'Til Samson said, "Delilah, cut off my hair.

You can shave my head, clean as my hand.

My strength come natural as any man.

 

CHORUS:

 

Well, old Samson, Samson, all from his birth,

He was the strongest man that ever lived on Earth.

One day when Samson was a-walkin' along,

He looked down on the ground and saw an old jawbone.

He stretched out his arm and it broke like flint.

When he got to movin', ten thousand was dead, good God.

 

CHORUS:

 

And good, old Samson and the lion started to attack.

Samson, he crawled up on the lion's back.

You read about this lion, he killed a man with his paws,

But Samson got his hands in that lion's jaws.

He ripped that beast until he killed him dead

And the bees made honey in the lion's head.

 

CHORUS: