anonymous March 22nd, 2007 12:53AM  
Thanks to Buffyx at SongMeanings.net

I went and read some about the story of Samson and Delilah, and I think it gave me more insight into this song.

According to the biblical story, Samson was given extraordinary physical strength through God. First he fell in love with a woman named Timnah, a Philistine, and weds her-- at the wedding reception, he promises a group of Philistines that he will provide them with thirty sets of clothes if they can solve a riddle. They are unable to solve it, but they implore Timnah to get the answer from him-- she does, and tells them, and Samson becomes furious because he doesn't have clothing to give to them.

He leaves town and kills thirty other men in a nearby village, steals their clothing, but when he returns, Timnah is now married to a friend of his. Enraged, he ultimately ends up killing a thousand of the Philistines.

When he goes to Gaza, Samson meets and falls in love with Delilah. The Philistines convince her to get him to tell her the source of his power-- he tells her it's his hair (however, it was not *really* in his hair, but because he had already broken two laws of the Nazarite. This was enough for God to take his power away from him).

Delilah cuts off all of Samson's hair, and then he is captured by the Philistines, who gouge out his eyeballs. However, the way he dies is by pulling down the two central pillars in a temple.

This seems to be referred to in the song with the lines "Oh, we couldn't bring the columns down / Yeah, we couldn't destroy a single one."

I think the narrator of this song-- Delilah-- is lamenting about what could have been. Because she secretly did love Samson. All of the stories say that Samson loved Delilah, and make no mention of her returning the feelings. The lyric "I loved you first" seems to imply that not only did she love him back, but she loved him before he even loved her.

As I see it, this song is about how she imagined a different ending for their tragic romance. In this version, after she cuts his hair, he just eats a piece of bread, tells her it's okay, it's all right, nothing has changed. They make love and get a happy ending.

And in her version, the Bible doesn't even mention them because what she did didn't matter-- he didn't change history, and they just loved each other, quietly.

anonymous December 1st, 2007 09:21AM  
It sounds like this it the woman who loved him before Delilah. I'm not familiar with the biblical text, but if Samson was married before, like a previous writer mentioned, then this could be her song. When the lyrics say that she cut his hair and he told her she did well, that they couldn't bring down the pillars and that the Bible didn't mention them it sounded as if she wished that things had been different, that she and Samson had stayed married and lived out their lives together without the events taking place in their lives that made headlines. Later when she says that he laid his head down with little hair on his head that, to me, says that it changed from his hair being cut to him losing his hair with age and they have lived that way into old age.

anonymous February 16th, 2008 01:27AM  
I think it's a love song, pure and simple. It's about Samson's fictional "first" relationship--he's so in love with the narrator that he willingly gives up his power for her. After she cuts his hair, the source of his power, he "told me I'd done alright and kissed me until the morning light." He eats a slice of Wonder Bread and goes back to bed like nothing significant happened. Because he could care less--he's in love.

They lose their place in history and the Bible didn't mention them because without his power they are unremarkable--they are just a normal couple in love. And they're content and happy that way.

Love story pure and simple.

anonymous May 9th, 2008 01:49PM  
I've found this song very interesting, and the many different interpretations make it even more so.

My idea was that she was singing about some lover who died of cancer. It sounds like a longshot, but hear me out ...

"Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth" - sheets of medical information. Her truth is that he's got cancer.

"Oh I cut his hair myself one night" - referring the the radiotherapy, which would have caused him to lose his hair. Perhaps she convinced him to go through with it?

"He told me that I'd done alright" - he knew she was trying to help.

"We couldn't bring the columns down, no we couldn't destroy a single one, and the history books forgot about us and the bible didn't mention us ... not even once" - despite the fact that Samson gave his life, they couldn't prevent other people (the columns) from meeting the same fate. And so many people have died of cancer, they don't matter to the history books or the bible.

"You are my sweetest downfall, I loved you first" - she feels guilty moving on now he's dead.

I also heard somewhere that one of Regina's own boyfriends had died of cancer ... although that may just be a rumour or gossip.

Hope its okay :)

anonymous October 3rd, 2008 03:48PM  
This song reflects on the story of Samson and Delilah. It is Delilah singing about how she wished it all ended. Eating a slice of wonder bread after she cut his hair resembles the ordinary, as if he was never super strong, and never lost any strength. Beneath the sheets of paper lies my thruth means that behind what we have written about Delilah in the past, (her decieving Samson and only wanting money), she really loved him even before he loved her. We couldn't bring the columns down resembles the pillars that Samson brought down, killing everyone including himself. The Bible didn't mention us is Delilah imagining how her life would have ended if she hadn't cut his hair because if she hadn't, none of this would have mattered and they would have loved each other forever.

anonymous October 22nd, 2008 01:58AM  
Great song...sad and poetic...everyones got a good take on it, and the melodys been stuck in my head long enough that I finally needed to track down her heart behind it...

nothing new to add, just a summary tone...its definitely a tragic relationship..."sweetest downfall"...not a good thing, but for some, love has good feelings mixed with hurt/betrayal loss...

and the biblical comparison is just that...a comparison to a tragic "downfall" of a relationship...although samson/deliliah in the bible isn't about their love-its about destroying enemies-and he does follow through even though samsons blind and old-he got his strength back...

so the tragic part for me is hearing..."the bible didn't mention us"...cause the relationship in this song still didn't make it through...its powerful, and I hope this helps anyone else searching for the heart behind its meaning.

anonymous November 2nd, 2008 06:05PM  
I also don't think that the song is literally about the Biblical story, since it adds certain modern aspects (ie wonderbread) and certain lines differ from the original story (ie loved him first as if there was someone else, and Samson DID bring the columns down and Delilah had nothing to do with it).
I'm not sure whether this is actually the interpretation Regina Spektor had in mind, but this is sorta what I came up with.

She's loved him for a long time but now he's w/ someone else and at some point they had an affair. She compares herself to Delilah as the sort of villain in the story and by saying that he is Samson and that he is HER sweetest downfall, they weaken each other and so do things they might not otherwise have done.

You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth
I have to go, I have to go
*(she is ending their affair and this is her way of telling him)*
Your hair was long when we first met
*(he was strong before)*

Samson went back to bed,
not much hair left on his head,
ate a slice of wonderbread and went right back to bed
*(he is passive to some extent, not fighting for love with this other woman but also staying with her, letting life go on as it has and so not fighting for his love with the Delilah character)*
And the history books forgot about us,
and the Bible didn't mention us,
the Bible didn't mention us, not even once.
*(there is no mention of their love because officially, it didn't happen. She is saying that without ever having had a real relationship, what they had may as well have never happened, even if they did love eachother)

You are my sweetest downfall,
I loved you first, I loved you first,
Beneath the stars lay falling on our heads,
but they're just old light, they're just old light
*(their love is romantic and beautiful, but really nothing is accomplished and for all its beauty they're both left with nothing)*

Samson came to my bed,
told me that my hair was red,
told me I was beautiful and came into my bed.
Oh I cut his hair myself one night,
I burried those scissors in the yellow light,
and he told me that I'd done alright and kissed me till the morning light.
He kissed me till the morning light.
*(She herself weakened him, she 'burried the scissors' because it was secret and was either a one time thing or was supposed to be. He told her she'd done alright because he willingly allowed himself to be weakened by her, and they had a night together)*
Oh we couldn't bring the columns down,
we couldn't destroy a single one,
and the history books forgot about us,
and the Bible didn't mention us,
the Bible didn't mention us, not even once.
*(Even though they tried to be together, because of their own weakness or his passivity they couldn't do, so what they had will only be forgotten by everyone other than them)*

You are my sweetest downfall,
I loved you first.

anonymous November 22nd, 2008 08:54PM  
I think that the very first person who posted was exactly right. and one of the others. Of course it's a modern interpretation of the Samson and Delilah story, and of course some of the things it mentions, like wonderbread showcase that. However, I think people's interpretations about the bread specifically are wrong. In the original Samson and Delilah story, he eats the bread while saying that everything will be fine. The bread is not only a symbol of ordinary life, its a symbol of hope, and that everything will work out in the end(the way it's supposed to be) I think even though that's only one part of it, it's important. The bread symbolizes a lot.

anonymous May 14th, 2009 01:02PM  
I think it is about a couple growing old together - like in 'The Notebook'. The couple intially were together and everything is exciting and they are happy. But then their lives become more mundane and they do the same things 'eat wonderbread' and 'cut hair'; although they still love each other. However, despite their love being so powerful, nobody remembered them and the love they shared - hence, the 'history books never mentioned us'.

anonymous August 19th, 2009 10:10AM  
Everyone is taking the line "ate a piece of wonder bread" so literally and modernly. If you read the bible, you'd know that the theme of bread is present throughout. Therefore, Regina's reference to "Wonder bread" could be biblical, as manna, the bread from God. In fact, the Hebrew word "manna" literally means "What is this?" or "wonder-what-this-is" bread. In the book of Numbers, the Isrealites are starving in the desert, until God provides for them. What we are told is that every morning, the manna covered the ground like a fine mist. Everyone collected what they needed for the day and any manna leftover would rot. Manna was then the original daily bread. Except on Fridays when you got twice as much as you needed so you could rest on the Sabbath and that double portion stayed miraculously fresh.

killerqueen October 3rd, 2009 07:31PM  
Well, I personally think altough the song is called "samson" it is not straightly about Samson and Delilah. I deeply feel it talks about someone with cancer. "Samson went back to bed Not much hair left on his head " So, apparently, this person compared to samson lost his hair because of a chemo, and he seems to loose all his "power". (As Samson does, as long as I am concerned) "He ate a slice of wonder bread and went right back to bed " Again "wonderbread" is a reference to cancer. "And history books forgot about us and the bible didn't mention us The bible didn't mention us, not even once" Here she mixes both elements, I think. No one is going to appear in history books or in the bible because you went through this strong disease, and on the other hand, she plays with Samson and Delilah, their love it is not enough to be mentioned on the bible. "Beneath the stars came falling on our heads But there just soft light, there just soft light" There is a contrast, between how they felt when they fell in love, and how things are now. They feel wasted, consumed by his disease. "we couldn't bring the columns down Yeah we couldn't destroy a single one " That´s a way of saying they couldn´t beat the disease, or the problems they had as a couple. But anyway, just an interpretation.

sacatetuco3_. October 25th, 2009 08:02AM  
It doesnt matter what is all about... All I know if that this songs makes me weep. That is very rare to me. But that's Regina's gift; she can do that with her wonderful talent.

anonymous December 14th, 2009 10:16PM  
So Here is what I think.
I feel that the first interpretation is right on but I think there is more too it than that. I picture it as 'Delilah' sitting on the edge of her bed looking through some papers. As she is doing this she is recalling all of the great things that they had together. But at the same time she is recalling the regret that she has over some actions that she took. While a lot of people feel that he screwed it up I think that her line "cutting his hair" represents a time that she cheated on him. When you look at the biblical version of Samson and Delilah you will see that his pride of life was his strength and his hair is the key to that. I think that in a metaphorical sense she cheated on him, therefore robbing him of his pride. He loved her so much that he shrugs this off reassuring her that it will be ok. The problem is that his 'hair' never grows back and the relationship never goes back to what it used to be. From that point forward things are just different. I think the line talking about them not being able to bring the columns down and not being able to destroy a single one represents the fact that they tried to reconcile this mistake but it just did not seem to work.

So back to her sitting on the bed looking through the papers. I think these are divorce papers. I think she realizes that it will never be what it used to be and that while she loves him, his pride will never return. What makes me think that the papers are divorce papers? And why did she cheat on him? The line "beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth" could mean multiple things but the first part beneath the sheets (I feel) implies that something happened in a bed and that in this divorce paper it is all written therefore exposing her truth. I also think it is divorce because the history books forgot about them, possibly meaning their marriage was taken off the record.

But I don't think it ends their either. I think that along with having to face her truth she realizes that she loved (loves) him but that while her mistake (downfall) ruined the relationship, she can look back on what they had as the sweetest thing she ever had.

So some of this is a stretch but that is why it is my interpretation and not what the song is actually about. If you have any suggestions or other spin offs please comment. Thanks.

Black_Heart December 25th, 2009 10:21PM  
I think that this song simply uses the story of Delilah and Samson as a play-on-words. I'm going to break down my interpretation using the lyrics.

You are my sweetest downfall; I loved you first,
I feel that this mean that this person that the narrator loves has hurt her so badly, but she is still glad that she was with him (which is why he was her sweetest downfall) She let herself love him Before he loved her not knowing if he'd return her feelings, taking that risk.

Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth; I have to go,
But now their relationship has become one full of thin white lies that cover up the truth (which is that this isn’t working anymore, and neither of them is really happy)

Your hair was long when we first met
I think that hair means power (like in the story) something such as his light, or pride that he used to have.

Samson went back to bed; Not much hair left on his head; He ate a slice of wonder bread and went right back to bed
He has accepted the fact that something has changed, and is now content living a routine ordinary life.

And history books forgot about us and the bible didn't mention us; and the bible didn't mention us, not even once
There is no longer anything magical or special about this relationship and neither of the people in it are fooling anyone.

Beneath the stars came fallin' on our heads; But they're just old light, they're just old light
Some of the things that used to make the relationship special has died out and is now. . . well old and ineffective

Samson came to my bed; told me that my hair was red; told me I was beautiful and came into my bed
He acted okay while he was hurting telling the narrator that he was fine, she was beautiful, and acting normal.

Oh I cut his hair myself one night; A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light
She took his pride one night; she hurt him unknowingly taking something dear to him. She tried to help but instead she just hurt him.

And he told me that I'd done alright; and kissed me 'til the morning' light,
But he still acted as though she had helped him, never fully letting her in, or allowing her to acknowledge her mistakes, because he knew they were both "stuck" in their relationship, and didn’t want to hurt it anymore.

You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first
But still she knows that she loved him, and wouldn’t change their experience for anything else, in fact she still loves him, but if she stays she'll break. (if she goes she will too, but she knows she can rebuild.)

agentsoapbox March 14th, 2010 10:51PM  
I think the song is about an affair where she was forgotten. Samson in Judeo-Christian tradition is a tragic hero who's hair was the source of his strength. I think the narrator of "Samson" is a woman who fell in love with a strong man. She sings that "your hair was long when we first met" which would probably mean that he was powerful when they met. She also sings that "I loved you first" which would suggest there is a second maybe third or fourth woman, lending to the idea that there is adultery. Their love either was not epic enough to be mentioned, or they had to carry their love affair in secret, leaving no record in either history or bible. I believe the latter, that they had to carry on their love affair in secret and keep it off the records. (The histroy books forgot about us, and the Bible didn't mention us) the Bible does mention samson's affair with delilah however, perhaps her Samson was with a delilah. she also mentions that samson is "Her sweetest downfall" perhaps this relationship is unhealthy for her, but its so delicious she cannot leave. Samson is with delilah, but having an affair with the narrator. the narrator should leave, but she cant. the song goes that "I cut his hair myself one night" could it be that she wanted to get out of the shadows and exposed the affair? this may have cost Samson his power. perhaps it was his job, perhaps it was his family, perhaps it was a political position?

anonymous March 15th, 2010 04:44PM  
I think that when she says "I loved you first", she is not referring to loving him before anyone, she is referring to loving him at first, and mabey not loving him now. I think that she is saying that before any other actions on her part, she loved him, but now that has changed.