Samson
Alternative
You are my sweetest downfall1
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the sheets of paper2 lies my truth
I have to go, I have to go
Your hair3 was long when we first met
Samson4 went back to bed
Not much hair left on his head
He ate a slice of wonder bread5
And went right back to bed
And the history books6 forgot about us
And the Bible7 didn't mention us
The Bible didn't mention us
Not even once
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the stars came falling8 on our heads
But they're just old light, they're just old light9
Your hair was long when we first met
Samson came to my bed
Told me that my hair was red10
He told me I was beautiful
And came into my bed
Oh, I cut his hair myself one night
A pair of dull scissors and the yellow light11
And he told me that I'd done alright
And kissed me till the morning light,
the morning light
And he kissed me till the morning light
Samson went back to bed
Not much hair left on his head
Ate a slice of wonderbread
And went right back to bed
Oh, we couldn't bring the columns12 down
Yeah, we couldn't destroy a single one
And the history books forgot about us
And the Bible didn't mention us
Not even once
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first.
1. A great failure or surrender.
2. Metaphor for secrets laid out in the open
3. In the story of Samson and Delilah, Samson took the Nazirite vow at birth and since then had been set apart to God. As part of his vow, his hair was never to be cut, and this was the source of his unnatural strength and superhuman capabilities.
4. Samson was at the time a judge of Israel, and was greatly hated by the Philistines.
5. Brand of Bread.
6. History is written or told, and the stories being passed down generation after generation are recorded in a form of mouth or scripture.
7. The Bible is where the story of Samson and Delilah is located in the book of Judges.
8. “Falling” is the act in which they do end up falling in love.
9. That love was only in the past, an old spark.
10. The color red symbolizes strength, power, and devilish characteristic.
11. Through the course of the night in Samson’s day, electricity didn’t exist. So a night light needs to be lit in order to see.
12. Obstacles, also referring to the place in which Samson died from.
Written by: Regina Spektor
Glossed by: Keen Malasarte
12
Year: 2002