Bruce Springsteen Tribute - Lebanese Tribute to Bruce Springsteen

SAMSON AND DELILAH

a.k.a. IF I HAD MY WAY

Reverend Gary Davis' version

If I had my way
If I had my way
If I had my way
I would tear this old building down

Well Delilah, she was a woman fine and fair
She had good looks, God knows and coal black hair
Delilah, she came to Samson's mind
The first he saw this woman that looked so fine
Delilah, she set down on Samson's knee
Said tell me where your strength lies if you please
She spoke so kind, God knows, she talked so fair
'til Samson said 'Delilah, you can cut off my hair
You can shave my head, clean as my hand
And my strength 'come as natural as any a man'

If I had my way
If I had my way
In this wicked world
If I had my way
I would tear this old building down

Talk, Yeah
Yeah, Talk to me
Yeah, Yeah, talk to me
Yeah, what happened then?

If I had my way
If I had my way
If I had my way
I would tear this old building down

Yeah you read about old Samson, told from his birth
He was the strongest man that ever had lived on Earth
So one day while Samson was-a-walkin' along
He looked on the ground and saw an old jawbone
He stretched out his arm, God knows, it broke like flint
When he got to movin' ten-thousand was dead, Mmm

If I had my way
If I had my way in this wicked world
If I had my way
I would tear this old building down

Well old Samson and the lion got attacked
Samson he jumped up on the lion's back
So you read about this lion had killed a man with his paws
But Samson got his hand in the lion's jaws
He rid that beast until he killed him dead
And the bees made honey in the lion's head

Good God!

If I had my way
If I had my way
If I had my way
I would tear this old building down

If I had my way
If I had my way in this wicked world
If I had my way
I would tear this old building down

Good God!

This song is first known from song sheets that were sold on the streets in early 1900's, with the title SAMSON TORE THE BUILDING DOWN. It was recorded by many artists throughout the century under different titles and with Some of the early and late recordings of the song:

The earliest known recordings
Artist	Title	Recording date/location	Notes
Paramount Jubilee Singers	SAMSON TORE THE BUILDING DOWN	1923	This recording is not confirmed
Rev T. E. Weems	IF I HAD MY WAY I'D TEAR THE BUILDING DOW	25 Mar 1927, Atlanta, GA	Available on Preachers And Congregations Vol 7: 1925-1928
Rev J. M. Gates	SAMSON AND THE WOMAN	21 Oct 1927, Atlanta, GA	Available on Rev J. M. Gates Vol 5: 1927
Rev T. T. Rose	IF I HAD MY WAY	circa Apr 1927, Chicago, IL	Available on Gospel Singers & Preachers
Blind Willie Johnson	IF I HAD MY WAY I'D TEAR THE BUILDING DOWN	03 Dec 1927, Dallas, TX	This is the most known early recording of the song, and is available on the LP Sweeter As The Years Go By
Mrs L.C. Gatlin	DELIA (IF I HAD MY WAY)	circa 28 Jun 1933, Prairie View Normal, TX	Library Of Congress Recordings
The most popular recordings from later years
Artist	Title	Recording date/location	Notes
Reverend Gary Davis	SAMSON AND DELILAH (IF I HAD MY WAY)	24 Aug 1960 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ	Available on Harlem Street Singer
Peter, Paul And Mary	IF I HAD MY WAY	1962	Released on their 1962 debut album Peter, Paul And Mary
Bob Weir with the Grateful Dead	SAMSON AND DELILAH	mid-1970s onwards	Performed regularly during live shows from the mid-1970s onwards

The song is credited as traditional, but sometimes it is credited to Blind Willie Johnson or to Reverend Gary Davis.

Reverend Gary Davis -- Harlem Street Singer

The above lyrics refer to Reverend Gary Davis' version, to which Bruce Springsteen's rendition is mostly close. Check out Bruce's live 05 Oct 2006 version.