During a gig on June 28 in Cardiff, Wales, Metallica stirred the pot a bit by covering a 1968 murder ballad that has been banned there since 2023. During the band’s “doodle” portion of the show, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo performed a rendition of Tom Jones’ “Delilah”.
A few years ago, the song was banned at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium for its subject matter. But the decision didn’t come out of nowhere, allegedly. The murderous song had been a Welsh rugby anthem for several years before everyone else apparently had enough. It was frequently played before matches at the stadium where Metallica performed on Sunday.
In 2015, “Delilah” was removed from the stadium playlist. Then, in 2023, it was outright banned from being performed on stage by a choir. The lyrics are from a husband’s perspective as he narrates killing his wife.
“She stood there laughing / I felt the knife in my hand, and she laughed no more,” the song goes. “My, my, my Delilah / Why, why, why, Delilah? / So before they come to break down the door / Forgive me, Delilah, I just couldn’t take any more.”
Metallica Possibly Found a Clever Way Around the Ban on a Tom Jones Hit at a Welsh Venue
Principality Stadium and the Welsh Rugby Union condemned the lyrics in “Delilah” and the violent subject matter. In 2023, both organizations released statements regarding the ban.
“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,” said a stadium spokesperson at the time.
The Welsh Rugby Union said succinctly, “The WRU condemns domestic violence of any kind.”
As for Metallica’s rendition during the gig, it seems unlikely they included it to cause trouble. The general consensus is that the band included it to pay homage to Tom Jones in his home country.
However, reports also indicate that this cover may not have violated any of the stadium’s rules. The ban prevents “Delilah” from being performed on stage, but only vocally. Meaning, if Metallica only played it instrumentally, they actually worked around the ban. Fan-captured video shows the crowd providing the vocals, so technically no rules were broken there.
Considering the ban itself, Tom Jones spoke out against the decision during a 2023 concert in Cardiff. According to a report from the BBC, Jones said, “You can’t stop us singing ‘Delilah’ … Who was the man who didn’t want us to sing ‘Delilah’? He stopped the choir from singing, but he didn’t stop the crowd from singing it.”
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