A regular feature at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff has been the inclusion of Tom Jones’ 1968 hit single ‘Deliliah’. However, it now looks as though the song will no longer be played by choirs at the Welsh national rugby team ground for fans’ entertainment, and it has also been removed from the Welsh Rugby Union official playlists.
While the song will no longer be performed in an official capacity, there is no ban on fans singing it. The song’s lyrics have drawn widespread criticism as it tells of the murder of the titular woman after her husband discovers that she has been flirting with another man.
The spokesperson told Sky News: “The WRU 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.”
Jones himself has claimed that people are taking the lyrics too literally and has batted away suggestions that the song trivialised domestic violence towards women. Chris Bryant, a Welsh MP, said in 2016: “It is a simple fact that when there are big international rugby matches on, and sometimes football matches as well, the number of domestic violence incidents rises dramatically. I know that some people will say, ‘Oh, here we go, he’s a terrible spoilsport,’ but the truth is that that song is about the murder of a prostitute.”
Dafydd Iwan, the writer of ‘Yma O Hyd’, an unofficial Welsh sporting anthem, chimed in on the controversy, saying, “A song about murder, it does tend to trivialise the idea of murdering a woman. It’s a pity these words now have been elevated to the status of a secondary national anthem.”
He later added: “Banning songs is not something I would ever advocate – even if it was possible.”
