Welsh veteran singer Sir Tom Jones has spoken out, questioning the decision to ban his classic song Delilah from being sung at national rugby matches.
It was announced by the venue’s owners in February that the song – whose lyrics feature a woman’s murder by her jealous partner – was no longer suitable to be sung by choirs at the national Principality Stadium in Welsh capital city Cardiff.
The song has been one of Jones’s most popular hits since its release in 1968 and, at a concert on Friday night at Cardiff Castle, the singer told the crowd he would continue to perform it.
The BBC reports him telling the audience, “You can’t stop us singing Delilah.
“Can you imagine… Who was the man who didn’t want us to sing Delilah?
“And we will keep singing it too.”
Rugby choirs ceased performing the song in 2015, and it was officially banned earlier this year.
At the time, the Principality Stadium said of performances at the huge venue: “Delilah will not feature on the playlist for choirs for rugby internationals.
“Guest choirs have also more recently been requested not to feature the song during their pre-match performances and throughout games.
“The WRU [Welsh Rugby Union] condemns domestic violence of any kind.
“We have previously sought advice from subject matter experts on the issue of censoring the song and we are respectfully aware that it is problematic and upsetting to some supporters because of its subject matter.”
