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“Stop and let me tell you what Samson done …” – Two 1939 Library of Congress recordings

A few more recordings of “Samson” are available online from the Library of Congress.  Two that John and Ruby Lomax collected in the field in May of 1939 are of primary interest.  On the 17th, they recorded Sylvester “Deacon” Johnson singing “Samson,” alone and A Capella, at the New Zion Baptist Church in Knight Post Office, Louisiana.  On the 26th, Dock Reed and Jesse Allison sang it together into Lomax’s microphone on the porch of William and Ruby Tartt in Livingston, Alabama.

Those two performances provide us with yet another set of lyrics distinct from those of Gary Davis.  Lomax took liberties to combine them, and published his version in 1941.   Unfortunately, he offered no comment, much less analysis.  Harold Courlander referenced the same lyrics in his 1963 Negro Folk Music, and added at least a bit of commentary.

The dramatic, epic-like saga of Samson, the half-tamed human-lion, the “natural man” among Biblical heroes, has been recorded in a number of Negro religious songs, but the best known is one called “If I Had My Way.”  Over a period of time, many stanzas have appeared which were probably not a part of the “original” rendition …

His point about additional stanzas assumes the song is old, but he provides no direct evidence.   Still, we can already see for ourselves there were multiple lyric branches of this song by the 1920s. This supports Courlander’s assumption.  When it comes to folk music, more branches almost always means deeper roots.

Courlander’s point about the importance of Samson as a central figure in traditional African-American religious culture is, however, undeniable.  This post isn’t about proving all that, but anyone who simply scratches at the surface of that question can find ample veins to mine.

“Shave my head as clean as your hand …” – 1960s and ’70s

Peter, Paul, and Mary’s version of “Samson” introduced the song to many white folks during the Folk Revival. They released their rearranged cover of Davis’ version in 1962 on their eponymous first album.  Though Davis’ performance is obviously more powerful and authentic, it’s easy to imagine the song failing to survive into the 21st century without this recording.

Lyrics – Peter, Paul and Mary

Dave Van Ronk, a student of Davis’, released his version of “Samson and Delilah” (lyrics) in 1962 as well, on his album Folksinger. Bobby Darrin cut a strange folk-pop-rockabilly version of “The Sermon of Samson” (lyrics) for his album Earthy in 1963.  The Staple Singers also released a rock-gospel version of “Samson and Delilah” in 1965, on their album Amen.  All of these versions clearly owe much to Davis, though all use lyrics from other sources as well.  Some we can hear in the older versions above, and some may have be newly created.

For now, though, we need to move on to the most well-known cover of Gary Davis’ version of “Samson.”

The Grateful Dead performed Davis’ “Death Don’t Have No Mercy” as early as 1966.  Jerry Garcia likely drew it directly from Harlem Street Singer.  However, though “Samson” comes from that same album, we know that Bob Weir learned how to play the song authentically from Davis himself.  According to Grateful Dead historian and biographer Blair Jackson, Bob Weir told him in 1985 about visiting Gary Davis:

I went and visited him a couple of times in New York in this basement apartment he had.  I learned “Samson and Delilah” the way he used to play it, which is not the way we play it onstage now – you can’t play that style of guitar in a band, really.  I learned a few other tunes from him too.

Though the music is their own, the lyrics are Davis’.  The Dead released their version on the studio album Terrapin Station in 1977, but it was the live performances of “Samson” that, uh, brought down the house.  Judge for yourself.

“Delilah she gained old Samson’s mind …”

Covers of “Samson” from the late 20th and early 21st century are relatively common of course, as you’d expect. The most recent I can find is from 2017!  If you’re interested in checking out more, please skip down to my Spotify playlist at the bottom of this post.

For now, I only want to give you one more track.  Folk musician Greg Brown released a compelling version of “Samson” on his 2004 album Honey in the Lion’s Head.  You’ll make up your own mind of course, but I find it the most creative take on the song since the Dead’s.  He seems to draw from many of the sources we heard above.

Coda – “If I had my way …”

Ellis spoke above about fostering “group identity and involvement” with “refrains and choruses” in traditional African American religious music.  There’s no doubt “Samson” has that going for it.  You can hear it in those singing sermons.  You can hear it with Peter, Paul and Mary.  I always heard it in the crowd at the Dead shows when Billy and Mickey would start pounding out their unique dual drum intro, and when we all shouted “If I had my way …” while we danced.

Gary Davis and Willie Johnson were evangelists as much as anything else.  Their music usually served the Gospel, and so they used the tools available to them to achieve that mission.  “Samson” was uniquely effective among many tools in that regard.  Though they performed it as individual street preachers rather than as ministers leading a congregation in chorus, their recordings show us clearly that its power in that context was not diminished.

When Weir took Gary Davis’ version off the streets and changed it to fit the concert halls, he and the Dead were in a sense returning the song to something like its original, congregational context.  It’s possible that whatever that building might be, the best way to tear it down is by singing your heart out together with your brothers and sisters.

Thanks for reading and listening this week, folks!