Samson

Here is a balad that was recently played to us by a good friend in a session with other good friends. Each of us brought a few songs that meant something to us. My friend brought "Samson" by Regina Spektor and think it is really special. It basically tells the biblical story of Samson and Delila from Delila's perspective - Samson wasn't tricked into cutting his hair, but chose so himself, out of love. I think her story is so credible and such a good alternative to the biblical story - after all Samson's uncontrolled anger was also the source of his invincibility, but how could he truely love with an anger like that? So she cut his hair out of love and she did rightly so. Yet their ensuing true love was only meant for a night: After all Samson, as a major political leader, could not afford to be in love, with enemies waiting for him to pounce upon the sign of weakness - and then they wrote history, blaming it all on Delila.
There is a lot in this song and if you read up on the biblical narrative, it makes you think - about feminism, politics, the politics of religion, the lies that may well be hidden within the biblical narrative if you think that Delila might just as well have been a political scapegoat --- and primarily a great lover.

Thank you Julianna for the picture of Delila and Samson from St. Trophime in Arles and thank you K. and P. for the song...