This song is about two stories of love, told in parallel, to tell each other's tale. On the one hand, we have Samson and Delilah. Delilah didn't cut his hair- she made her servant do it. This tale is from the perspective of the servant, who, in the song, is in love with Samson, though she's a 'nobody,' and forgotten. "The history books forgot about us, and the Bible didn't mention us- not even once." Delilah's servant is not mentioned by name in the Bible, even though they were the instrument of his doom. "Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth" In between the stories, in the airy spaces between the pages of the Bible, between the words, in the unspoken and unwritten elements of the story, is the servant who had to watch her love Samson become weak and powerless, feeling nothing but love- none of Delilah's malice. The second tale, in parallel, is a modern story, of a person with aggressive cancer, told from the voice of the person that loves him. "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." This is a person with cancer, likely undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The intense reaction to the therapy makes it hard to keep anything down- white bread may be all they can stomach. When their hair is going to fall out anyway, and it will itch and hurt their sensitive skin while they're sick from chemo, she has to cut his hair, which she's obviously attached to- his long hair that he had when they first met. Each tale is an allegory for the other- each woman is unnamed and not famous. Each has to watch their love weaken. Each is powerless to time and fate ("Oh we couldn't bring the columns down, we couldn't destroy a single one"). Each has a doomed love, and yet that love endures still. "You are my sweetest downfall- I loved you first."
My first interpretation is also about cancer. Because it mentioned in the song "Your hair was long when we first met." And "Not much hair left on his head."
I've shared this song quite a few times and it never occurred to me to explain why this song means so much to me so I thought I would write an explanation. I was deployed to Iraq twice. The first time I went I saw a few things that I think really messed me up and changed who I was. The second time I went I was more often than not wound so tight that I appeared crazy and if I'm honest with myself I probably was by that time. It was a very stressful time for me. I remember listening to Imogen Heap's song hide and seek over and over and then I somehow came across this song by Regina Spektor. I must've listened to this song hundreds of times while I was in Iraq on that second deployment. While most of my buddies listened to some form of death metal I listened to this because it reminded me of the general soft sweet character of the girls I knew back home. It was very relaxing to hear such a sweet voice amidst the terrible situation I found myself in. When we would go on mission I would put my ear buds in under my much larger comms headphones and have this song on loop at a very low volume as I rolled down the road in a turret with a .50 and a giant flash light scanning for bombs and people trying to kill me or my battle buddies. This song was always playing in the background for me while we communicated in a warzone. It kept my head clear and calm, and kept me relaxed so I could focus. In a weird way this song probably saved my life.
Brian, your story made me cry. Thank you so much for your service to our country and for not letting the horrible things you've seen in war darken your soul or lose the calm within your being. You are truly a hero!😇
Me too. I’ll binge on Regina Spektor for months, overplay the hell out of it and not listen for a year, then rediscover how much I love her music and repeat the process again.
Edit: 2023. Hey you're still here. Coming back to the feels of nostalgia. Edit: 2022. Out of nowhere, you intentionally come back to listen to this song just to bring that nostalgic feeling.
Earlier the lyrics of this song just popped out of nowhere in my head. But i cant remember the tittle of the song. I spend 20mins searching and brainstorming. Until i found my old phone. My old phones brand is samsung. Then it memories flashback its samson. Hahaha. Now im here.
Usually I would ignore these comments, but honestly. It astounds me how many people are still listening to Regina, when her type of music seems so elusive nowadays!
this song gives me a special kind of feelings i don't understand. it makes me happy and kinda sad at the same time. it's so beautiful. i love this song so much
[Chorus] 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 Your hair was long when we first met [Verse 1] 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 And history books forgot about us and the Bible didn't mention us And the Bible didn't mention us, not even once [Chorus] You are my sweetest downfall I loved you first, I loved you first Beneath the stars came falling on our heads But they're just old light, they're just old light Your hair was long when we first met [Verse 2] 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 A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light And he told me that I'd done alright And kissed me 'til the morning light, the morning light And he kissed me 'til the morning light [Verse 3] 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 Oh, we couldn't bring the columns down Yeah, we couldn't destroy a single one And history books forgot about us And the Bible didn't mention us, not even once [Outro] You are my sweetest downfall I loved you first
My husband and I loved Regina Spektor. One night, unplanned, we put on a playlist and laid in bed together. We had the most tender and intimate moment to this song. It became our song, and when we would make up after a fight we would put this on and he would hold me. We lost him a few years ago. Addiction brought him down and although he tried many times he just couldn't beat it. I haven't come back to this song much since then, maybe a handful of times....but when i do im transported back to what it felt like to have him there with me. Its the closest I'll ever feel to touching him again, and although its incredibly painful, I'm grateful for it.
This song is all about love, and told through the story of Samson and Delilah. Samson had tremendous strength, but he lost it when Delilah had his head shaved. In the song, Spektor makes uses this comparison to show how she feels, how even after she did something so horrible to her loved one, he kissed her til the morning light and told her that she'd done alright. It shows the unconditional forgiveness you have for someone you love.
This one has been one of my favorites for years. It pretty well describes a relationship I was in a few years ago. I don't see much Delilah in this song though. As the story goes, she only cut Samson's hair after Israel's enemies paid her gold coins to do it. She knew she was destroying him but gold was more important to her. Not much love and forgiveness going on there. If the song is about the bible myth at all, I think it could have to do with the wife Samson had before Delilah, who was killed by the same enemies that bought off Delilah later on. The references in the song to stars falling could refer to the signs Yahweh gave Samson to discover his superhuman strength, a power Samson didn't choose for himself and probably didn't want. He wasn't even born Jewish. If his original wife had cut his hair first, he would have never had his powers, she'd still be alive, and none of that tragic adventure would have happened. They would have been forgotten by history and unmentioned in the bible, they wouldn't have brought a single column down, but they would have been happier that way. That's what I think this song is about. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it and this song is really just sweet sounding hipster gibberish like most of Regina Spektor's lyrics.
I think it's also about virginity. The Biblical story insinuates that Samson had quite a few lovers. But, he never had a woman like Delilah whom he was madly in love with. So, much so that Samson's parents lectured him about getting a Jewish wife instead. Thus, why Delilah was mad/crazy about him. She loved him first. Romeo and Juliet.
This song is everything if you have loved someone with cancer. The loss when you have to cut their hair, the loss of their strength, the fact that some days the only strength they have is to eat and go back to bed.
This is the first song I heard by Regina. From there I became an instant fan. I have almost ALL of her recordings now, and have seen her in concert once, when she was in our area. A true musical genius.
I lost my person 4 years ago. I grieve every day. This song takes me back to his arms, that I hope to feel again one day. Our love may not be mentioned in the Bible, but story will always be written in my book.
I've had a lot of loss in my life. Not my SO thank God, but I just found out another army buddy took their own life yesterday after I spoke to him a couple weeks back thinking he was OK. I am sorry for your loss. Genuinely hope you get back to happiness.
This song, in some misterious way, reminds me of my Mother…Who died from cancer ten years ago. She was one of the sweetest, happiest and in most way strongest human being I ever seen. I’m a bald guy and I shave my head pretty often, and when she started losing her hair she looked at me with a smile and told me “You’re an expert , SHAVE MY HEAD” At first, I laughed at her…but she was very convinced that if she had to lose her hair, it shouldn’t have to be for chemo treatment…but by hand of someone she really loved… SO I DID IT…..And still today I remember her smile while I was trimming her beautiful hair….. I CRIED THAT DAY, AND I STILL CRY NOW….. (You are my sweetest downfall, mum….)
@@andrews6908 Surely She is.... It's strange how from the very first moments after her passing away, her face went so peaceful.... and, after seven years of suffering and neglecting, she turned again into the beautiful human being She was.... and that's the image that I will keep in my heart of her last days... not the suffering, not the tension.... pure Peace.
i remember when i was a toddler and my mum took my hands and danced me around the kitchen to this album on our cd player. it was one of the few albums we both loved and it was a big part of my childhood. this song never ceases to make me tear up
It took me awhile, but I am now able listen to this song without crying. A few years ago I told a friend of mine that the song made me cry. She didn't believe me, and she wanted proof. So, I played the song, and the tears flowed.
I remember finding this as a 16 yr old kid. Me and my best friend fell in love with her and listened to this on repeat. Now at 34, haven’t listened to the song in probably a decade, it popped into my head. It’s every bit as beautiful today as it was back then. One of the best songs ever made. And Regina’s a babe. 🔥😂
I see a lot of people sharing the story of Sampson and delilah. Which this song does reference. However not enough comments explaining that the Sampson of the Bible is not who this song is about. This song is actually about a past lover , who passed away from cancer. She uses the Sampson reference to draw a comparison of someone who's losing their strength and they lose their hair. There are lots of little hints through the song such as the words "the Bible didn't mention us" and wonder bread being which is a reference to chemo therapy. I really hope people learn the real story and go back and listen again. It is so brilliantly written with all the references and amazing story telling and litterally moments. I truly think knowing the real story makes this song so much better. Also very much sad. But many of the most beautiful songs are.
i think that's the beauty of Regina's songs! she doesn't often speak of their intended meaning, I suspect she likes everything being up to interpretation. So both your take (of a lover succumbing to cancer) and others (a modern retelling of a biblical tale) are valid, I think. the cancer story is very heart-wrenching and i do prefer it, but it's definitely not the only way to see the song (:
Hmm maybe let people interpret this song the way the song speaks to them? That's the beauty of lyric, poetry, and music? I mean, obviously, the creator/writer has her own purpose... but the listener may also assert their personal sentimentality into the song. I used to listen to this song a lot more than a decade ago? When I was till in college. I had interpreted it strictly as about Samson and Delilah. But now that I'm older and I'm listening to this, I sort of widely interpret it about someone's first love being her sweetest downfall (e.g. she helped him "grow up" hence the cutting hair, which is likened to the story in the bible).
My interpretation is this as well. Cancer. The Wonder Bread is a metaphor for a cancer pill. They feel lonely so the bible didn't mention them once... in other words, the bible doesn't play a role here since their situation is different. She's caring for him, but he's her "sweetest downfall" meaning it takes a lot from her to care for him, but "she loves him first. " absolutely beautiful, sad, and heartbreaking.
I listened to this on repeat the first time my heart was broken. Now it takes me back to my 18-year-old self -- and it's still as hauntingly beautiful as ever.
my girlfriend played this to me in the car driving to her family's for xmas. was the first xmas since my mum died and this track just bought something very emotional out of me and started crying without even listening to the lyrics. the melody is beatiful
Absolutely no matter what or where. This song makes me think of my son. He left this earth at 30. I love him forever and unconditionally...always have.
I had this on my MySpace back in the mid 2000s and so did my gorgeous teenage crush and then we dated for 9 months and he moved away 3:12 to NYC. He died years later at 24 and this song just makes me think of that era, our time together and how he is gone and I always get teary eyed and sentimental.
Regina's voice takes me back to when things were much more simple, her songs always gave me peace and felt magical. Growing up with her music was like a promise that life had wonderful things hidden and waiting to be discovered. Well, if there's more people like her doing music like this, maybe I wasnt that wrong 💌 Your music is a gift from above Regina Spektor
00:17 i love the way she looks at the camera right there, she's so beautiful. what a great song. my Dad used to love Regina Spektor, which i used to think was weird, it wasn't until after he passed away that i started listening to her music, now i visit this video almost everyday because it makes me think of my Dad.
This is one of those songs that you love the more you listen to it. At first, I was like, "Well, it's nice and kinda' weird...", but listening to it again in its own context, it always surprises me how beautiful it is, no matter how many times I listen to it.
I must have been 14 years old when I've heard it for the first time. Each time I listen to it over time I discover some new words in a meaning I didn't understand before. This song is a piece of art.
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 Your hair was long when we first met 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 And history books forgot about us and the bible didn't mention us And 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 fallin' on our heads But they're just old light, they're just old light Your hair was long when we first met 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 A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light And he told me that I'd done alright And kissed me 'til the mornin' light, the mornin' light And he kissed me 'til the mornin' 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 columns down Yeah we couldn't destroy a single one And history books forgot about us And the bible didn't mention us, not even once You are my sweetest downfall I loved you first
“The Bible didn’t mention us” wow. Makes me think of that feeling where you wish people could understand how much that person meant to you but they’ll never feel what you felt.
"I cut his hair myself one night.. A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light.. He told me that I've done alright and he kissed me til the morning light". Wow.
@@Monsieur_Cauchemar-YT Yeah, no, it's "A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light". Might wanna actually look up the songwriter's lyrics before correcting someone.
Regina no matter how old this music is and how fast the time will go, I will always love this music and Love your albums. And remember what I saw from cheap seats
I've been in a very very hard and difficult relationship that ive been numb enough not to cry, but Listening to this song helps me shed tears even for a short while
Absolutely one of the best songs I have ever had the privilege to hear. I do not know of her intentions in making this song. But this song drew me closer to God. The story of Samson has always been my favorite. You brought me closer to God after a lifetime of avoiding Him. Thank you Regina Spektor. Even if this was not your intention, please be happy that you improved the life of another.
So my crush recommended Regina Sparks to me. I listened to her and told him I liked her music, and he seemed really pleased and told me his favorite was Samson. My name is Sam, and I have super long hair, and he told me I was the kindest person he ever knew before he left today. AM I READING TOO FAR INTO THIS??!!
sergio roberts im 38 yrs old and heard all kinds of music, from the late 70's 80's 90's blah blah blah.this womens voice is how an angel sounds like. nothing i ever heard before comes close
Someone who hurt me deeply introduced me to this song last year, and sang it relatively well at a bar on stage to me. I thought the song was beautiful, and I thought they were equally so. I still think one of those things is beautiful...guard your hearts and keep your hair long, little Samsons
This song was released when I was barely 13 years old. I loved it then. Listened it throughout the years. I didn’t know I’d come back one day and listen to it while feeling a whole different way about it.
First time I heard this was when I was 13. I'm 29 now and I'm in love with the older albums I grew up listening to. Helped me a lot through tough times with anxiety, depression and bullying. Some time ago I rediscovered this specific song and I think this is one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever heard. Always gets me... Like I'm not crying, you're crying lol. I'm talking to you now, internet stranger - know you are loved, you're an amazing human being.
Regina Spektor’s songs were the anthems of my childhood! My mother loved her, and listing back I do too. This song makes me sob profusely- it’s absolutely gorgeous and I’m so glad it was sung on the Colbert show! (PS I’ve always thought a dodie or harry styles cover of this would be heaven)
I remember listening to this when I was 18. 14 years ago.... Holy Shxt. 14 yrs... I cried to this and tried to show the girl I was seeing. She probably thought was a weirdo. Ehh... 😢 She has no taste inm7sic and that's sad. Now the most sincere songs in her Playlist are the songs I showed her. Regina is an amazing woman and I love her music! I think this is one of the saddest songs I've ever heard!
super late to recognize this beautiful song. this is kinda song that i replay over and over again until i get bored and it's not gonna happen. just love it. it makes you feel something. makes me feel something.
Regina is one of the few voices which over the years have played along into my list of songs i hum and sing to.. what a lovely expressive voice, set to such a rich story ..it really is art.
2018 and my roommate suggested listening to some of Regina Spektor's songs, and I must admit, this one is one of the most meaningful and powerful songs I've heard in a while. I actually listened to it twice to try to understand the meaning a bit more, and then I realized how meaningful this song truly is. I actually almost cried at the end of it, that's how effective it was. I'm so glad I've heard this song now :)
What a beautiful song. I can't begin to tell the word what memories this brings. But much more what emotions those memories bring listening to this. Nostalgic. Depressing. All the above beautiful
"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." Imagine this. You cut off all his hair - all source of his power - you betrayed him, might've possibly just doomed his entire existence, and he knows you did. But what did he do? No, he didn't lash out at you. No, he didn't attack you and tried to escape afterwards. He just tells you you're beautiful, kisses you, and goes right back to bed. This is the part which fucked me the most.
Erik Winter yep it’s a about a couple and the man had cancer... “Beneath the paper lies...” is the test result, “...he ate a slice of wonderbread” referes to the medicines but it didn’t do much as wonderbread was refered in the old days as a nutritional bread that cures diseases but in reality they don’t.
Hauf cut at any given time, completely sober at any given time, feeling happy, sad, melancholy whatever........this always gets played........we always will kiss someone til the morning light...........beautiful and magnificent xx
When i was a kid me and my mom would sing this together playing on her radio before we sleep... i would never forget those beautiful times. It was the two of us because our family was a mess my dad was cheating and my older siblings were away, this song gave me comfort through all of those problems 🖤
the first time i heard this was when my classmate sang this in our music class. Now I have my own family still listening to this song from time to time and it feels nostalgic makes me sad and happy at the same time. One of the best songs created. Very underrated song.
![Regina Spektor - Fidelity [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wigqKfLWjvM/mqdefault.jpg)
![Regina Spektor - Fidelity [Official Music Video]](/img/tr.png)
![Regina Spektor - "Us" [OFFICIAL Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fczPlmz-Vug/mqdefault.jpg)
This song is about two stories of love, told in parallel, to tell each other's tale.
On the one hand, we have Samson and Delilah. Delilah didn't cut his hair- she made her servant do it. This tale is from the perspective of the servant, who, in the song, is in love with Samson, though she's a 'nobody,' and forgotten.
"The history books forgot about us, and the Bible didn't mention us- not even once." Delilah's servant is not mentioned by name in the Bible, even though they were the instrument of his doom.
"Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth" In between the stories, in the airy spaces between the pages of the Bible, between the words, in the unspoken and unwritten elements of the story, is the servant who had to watch her love Samson become weak and powerless, feeling nothing but love- none of Delilah's malice.
The second tale, in parallel, is a modern story, of a person with aggressive cancer, told from the voice of the person that loves him.
"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." This is a person with cancer, likely undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The intense reaction to the therapy makes it hard to keep anything down- white bread may be all they can stomach. When their hair is going to fall out anyway, and it will itch and hurt their sensitive skin while they're sick from chemo, she has to cut his hair, which she's obviously attached to- his long hair that he had when they first met.
Each tale is an allegory for the other- each woman is unnamed and not famous. Each has to watch their love weaken. Each is powerless to time and fate ("Oh we couldn't bring the columns down, we couldn't destroy a single one"). Each has a doomed love, and yet that love endures still.
"You are my sweetest downfall- I loved you first."
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing :)
Brilliant
I love how you explain the meaning of this song. 😊
My first interpretation is also about cancer. Because it mentioned in the song "Your hair was long when we first met." And "Not much hair left on his head."
Oh wow! Hello James Carry, I'm inlove with your explanation...
I've shared this song quite a few times and it never occurred to me to explain why this song means so much to me so I thought I would write an explanation.
I was deployed to Iraq twice. The first time I went I saw a few things that I think really messed me up and changed who I was. The second time I went I was more often than not wound so tight that I appeared crazy and if I'm honest with myself I probably was by that time.
It was a very stressful time for me. I remember listening to Imogen Heap's song hide and seek over and over and then I somehow came across this song by Regina Spektor. I must've listened to this song hundreds of times while I was in Iraq on that second deployment. While most of my buddies listened to some form of death metal I listened to this because it reminded me of the general soft sweet character of the girls I knew back home. It was very relaxing to hear such a sweet voice amidst the terrible situation I found myself in.
When we would go on mission I would put my ear buds in under my much larger comms headphones and have this song on loop at a very low volume as I rolled down the road in a turret with a .50 and a giant flash light scanning for bombs and people trying to kill me or my battle buddies. This song was always playing in the background for me while we communicated in a warzone. It kept my head clear and calm, and kept me relaxed so I could focus.
In a weird way this song probably saved my life.
You are the man...with good taste in music.
Brian, your story made me cry. Thank you so much for your service to our country and for not letting the horrible things you've seen in war darken your soul or lose the calm within your being. You are truly a hero!😇
Thank you for your story. You're a hero!
Thank you for your service!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Hopefully you won't have to go back there
Fall in love with this every time
Omg, I knew you listened to these kind of songs
I'm a fan!! ^^
I LOVE this song
I came here to listen to this song again.. then i saw Miss Rebecca Vocal Athlete .. 🤣
Me too. I’ll binge on Regina Spektor for months, overplay the hell out of it and not listen for a year, then rediscover how much I love her music and repeat the process again.
@@veldandi2443 p0ppp0@0£00+0000@@pPpPpPpPp£ppa+0++p+0 Op 1+0@0
Edit: 2023. Hey you're still here. Coming back to the feels of nostalgia.
Edit: 2022. Out of nowhere, you intentionally come back to listen to this song just to bring that nostalgic feeling.
No let us not
Earlier the lyrics of this song just popped out of nowhere in my head. But i cant remember the tittle of the song. I spend 20mins searching and brainstorming. Until i found my old phone. My old phones brand is samsung. Then it memories flashback its samson. Hahaha. Now im here.
Out of loneliness, I suddenly remember this.
Coronavirus is the Samson option. :(
Usually I would ignore these comments, but honestly. It astounds me how many people are still listening to Regina, when her type of music seems so elusive nowadays!
this song gives me a special kind of feelings i don't understand. it makes me happy and kinda sad at the same time. it's so beautiful. i love this song so much
this is about her boyfriend who died of cancer
it drips with authentic love.
Same
Also with the song "Us" and "The Call"
Same
[Chorus]
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
Your hair was long when we first met
[Verse 1]
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
And history books forgot about us and the Bible didn't mention us
And the Bible didn't mention us, not even once
[Chorus]
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the stars came falling on our heads
But they're just old light, they're just old light
Your hair was long when we first met
[Verse 2]
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
A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light
And he told me that I'd done alright
And kissed me 'til the morning light, the morning light
And he kissed me 'til the morning light
[Verse 3]
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
Oh, we couldn't bring the columns down
Yeah, we couldn't destroy a single one
And history books forgot about us
And the Bible didn't mention us, not even once
[Outro]
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first
Thank u i always look for these
My husband and I loved Regina Spektor. One night, unplanned, we put on a playlist and laid in bed together. We had the most tender and intimate moment to this song. It became our song, and when we would make up after a fight we would put this on and he would hold me.
We lost him a few years ago. Addiction brought him down and although he tried many times he just couldn't beat it. I haven't come back to this song much since then, maybe a handful of times....but when i do im transported back to what it felt like to have him there with me. Its the closest I'll ever feel to touching him again, and although its incredibly painful, I'm grateful for it.
So sorry for your loss 🙏🏼🤍
You made me cry... I am so sorry for your loss! But it's beautiful that you had this kind of love! Sending hugs ❤❤❤
.. and now I’m sobbing in a parking lot.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
That's so sad. I'm sorry
This song popped into my head at 1AM Thanksgiving morning 2023. Still as great as when I first heard it
It's like when I heard Down by the Water by Maki Mae for the first time!! ua-cam.com/video/IDvzd7xv_qw/v-deo.html
This song is all about love, and told through the story of Samson and Delilah. Samson had tremendous strength, but he lost it when Delilah had his head shaved. In the song, Spektor makes uses this comparison to show how she feels, how even after she did something so horrible to her loved one, he kissed her til the morning light and told her that she'd done alright. It shows the unconditional forgiveness you have for someone you love.
It has been mentioned Regina had a boyfriend with Cancer, & that's why it mentions the wonderbread I believe
This one has been one of my favorites for years. It pretty well describes a relationship I was in a few years ago. I don't see much Delilah in this song though. As the story goes, she only cut Samson's hair after Israel's enemies paid her gold coins to do it. She knew she was destroying him but gold was more important to her. Not much love and forgiveness going on there. If the song is about the bible myth at all, I think it could have to do with the wife Samson had before Delilah, who was killed by the same enemies that bought off Delilah later on. The references in the song to stars falling could refer to the signs Yahweh gave Samson to discover his superhuman strength, a power Samson didn't choose for himself and probably didn't want. He wasn't even born Jewish. If his original wife had cut his hair first, he would have never had his powers, she'd still be alive, and none of that tragic adventure would have happened. They would have been forgotten by history and unmentioned in the bible, they wouldn't have brought a single column down, but they would have been happier that way. That's what I think this song is about. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it and this song is really just sweet sounding hipster gibberish like most of Regina Spektor's lyrics.
I think it's also about virginity. The Biblical story insinuates that Samson had quite a few lovers. But, he never had a woman like Delilah whom he was madly in love with. So, much so that Samson's parents lectured him about getting a Jewish wife instead. Thus, why Delilah was mad/crazy about him. She loved him first. Romeo and Juliet.
This song is everything if you have loved someone with cancer. The loss when you have to cut their hair, the loss of their strength, the fact that some days the only strength they have is to eat and go back to bed.
@@mandawaggoner8830 exactly
I've only just discovered this song. Absolutely breathtaking!
You are lucky. I wish I could hear this song for the first time again. But i appreciate all the years I've been able to enjoy this.
enjoy :)
Me too, I am listening to it for the first time, it's magical!
This is the first song I heard by Regina. From there I became an instant fan. I have almost ALL of her recordings now, and have seen her in concert once, when she was in our area. A true musical genius.
I lost my person 4 years ago. I grieve every day. This song takes me back to his arms, that I hope to feel again one day. Our love may not be mentioned in the Bible, but story will always be written in my book.
You made me cry so hard, I hope your heart and his can be together sometime.
I lost mine 2 years ago. Our son was 4. I'm so sorry. I listen to this song to bring me to him as well. I have to believe we will see them again.
I've had a lot of loss in my life. Not my SO thank God, but I just found out another army buddy took their own life yesterday after I spoke to him a couple weeks back thinking he was OK. I am sorry for your loss. Genuinely hope you get back to happiness.
Wow!
I saw her perform this live last night, and it was so magical. A dream come true, really.
she's still touring?? where? I'd love to see her live!
"i loved you first" kills me for some reason :'(
Same
Corn Corn what kills me is your icon oh my god
+haleyexe ikr
Maya ᵔᴥᵔ Yours is "killing" me, because Homestuck!
Have you heard the Broadway Aradia version of this song?
the reason is because that describes how God loves (1 John 4:19)
One of the most gorgeous songs ever written.
Period.
This song, in some misterious way, reminds me of my Mother…Who died from cancer ten years ago.
She was one of the sweetest, happiest and in most way strongest human being I ever seen.
I’m a bald guy and I shave my head pretty often, and when she started losing her hair she looked at me with a smile and told me “You’re an expert , SHAVE MY HEAD”
At first, I laughed at her…but she was very convinced that if she had to lose her hair, it shouldn’t have to be for chemo treatment…but by hand of someone she really loved…
SO I DID IT…..And still today I remember her smile while I was trimming her beautiful hair….. I CRIED THAT DAY, AND I STILL CRY NOW….. (You are my sweetest downfall, mum….)
❤😢
This is so heartbreaking. I hope she is in a better place now
@@andrews6908 Surely She is.... It's strange how from the very first moments after her passing away, her face went so peaceful.... and, after seven years of suffering and neglecting, she turned again into the beautiful human being She was.... and that's the image that I will keep in my heart of her last days... not the suffering, not the tension.... pure Peace.
i remember when i was a toddler and my mum took my hands and danced me around the kitchen to this album on our cd player. it was one of the few albums we both loved and it was a big part of my childhood. this song never ceases to make me tear up
fuck I feel old reading that
Yeah thanks for making us feel old :)
Omgosh, that's lovely. What a dreamy soundtrack to being a lil being.
I hope she was a good mom, but for sure she was a cool mom (compliment!) 🧡
Is it normal this song still makes me wanna cry after all this time?
"I loved you first"
Oh completely normal. I always cry when Regina sings "Kiss me into the morning light"
Oh good! It's nice to know this song makes other people cry too. Makes me a little less of a freak ^__^
I do too :)
+Crystal Calvin i love u
It took me awhile, but I am now able listen to this song without crying. A few years ago I told a friend of mine that the song made me cry. She didn't believe me, and she wanted proof. So, I played the song, and the tears flowed.
I remember finding this as a 16 yr old kid. Me and my best friend fell in love with her and listened to this on repeat.
Now at 34, haven’t listened to the song in probably a decade, it popped into my head. It’s every bit as beautiful today as it was back then. One of the best songs ever made.
And Regina’s a babe. 🔥😂
She's so underrated :(
Been listening to this for 15 years...don't plan on stopping now.
Was listening to music at work with my best friend last night, and she put this on...I was totally unprepared for the ride on the feels train.
first I heard this, I was dumbfounded in public...
hi! gorgeus :)
I see a lot of people sharing the story of Sampson and delilah. Which this song does reference. However not enough comments explaining that the Sampson of the Bible is not who this song is about.
This song is actually about a past lover , who passed away from cancer. She uses the Sampson reference to draw a comparison of someone who's losing their strength and they lose their hair. There are lots of little hints through the song such as the words "the Bible didn't mention us" and wonder bread being which is a reference to chemo therapy. I really hope people learn the real story and go back and listen again. It is so brilliantly written with all the references and amazing story telling and litterally moments. I truly think knowing the real story makes this song so much better. Also very much sad. But many of the most beautiful songs are.
Thank you
i think that's the beauty of Regina's songs! she doesn't often speak of their intended meaning, I suspect she likes everything being up to interpretation. So both your take (of a lover succumbing to cancer) and others (a modern retelling of a biblical tale) are valid, I think. the cancer story is very heart-wrenching and i do prefer it, but it's definitely not the only way to see the song (:
Nicr
Hmm maybe let people interpret this song the way the song speaks to them? That's the beauty of lyric, poetry, and music? I mean, obviously, the creator/writer has her own purpose... but the listener may also assert their personal sentimentality into the song. I used to listen to this song a lot more than a decade ago? When I was till in college. I had interpreted it strictly as about Samson and Delilah. But now that I'm older and I'm listening to this, I sort of widely interpret it about someone's first love being her sweetest downfall (e.g. she helped him "grow up" hence the cutting hair, which is likened to the story in the bible).
My interpretation is this as well. Cancer. The Wonder Bread is a metaphor for a cancer pill. They feel lonely so the bible didn't mention them once... in other words, the bible doesn't play a role here since their situation is different. She's caring for him, but he's her "sweetest downfall" meaning it takes a lot from her to care for him, but "she loves him first. " absolutely beautiful, sad, and heartbreaking.
I listened to this on repeat the first time my heart was broken. Now it takes me back to my 18-year-old self -- and it's still as hauntingly beautiful as ever.
I did exactly the same!
we're so old.
Man, I used to listen to this while sitting at my boyfriends desk at the university of toledo. 2007. What a time. Getting old is weird.
This was the song that made me fall in love with her. It makes me tear up like a little baby every time.
my girlfriend played this to me in the car driving to her family's for xmas. was the first xmas since my mum died and this track just bought something very emotional out of me and started crying without even listening to the lyrics. the melody is beatiful
This one makes me cry, too. It activates or triggers something in me, not real sure what.
😢
I didn't know your mom or you but I'm a mama and trust me when I say that she loved you
Absolutely no matter what or where. This song makes me think of my son. He left this earth at 30. I love him forever and unconditionally...always have.
Exactly, just from the melody alone i feel sadness.
I saw her in concert this week. When she played this song NOT a dry eye in the whole audience. Incredible concer.t
I had this on my MySpace back in the mid 2000s and so did my gorgeous teenage crush and then we dated for 9 months and he moved away 3:12 to NYC. He died years later at 24 and this song just makes me think of that era, our time together and how he is gone and I always get teary eyed and sentimental.
This is not just a beautiful song. The most special person asked me to listen to it one night, so it has had its own place in my heart ever since.
I love you papiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
gaaayyyy
Chris McCorkhill Yes, we know! :D
That's adorable you guys ^ o ^
Regina's voice takes me back to when things were much more simple, her songs always gave me peace and felt magical. Growing up with her music was like a promise that life had wonderful things hidden and waiting to be discovered. Well, if there's more people like her doing music like this, maybe I wasnt that wrong 💌 Your music is a gift from above Regina Spektor
One of the most beautiful songs ever
This song is a masterpiece! One of my favorites.
00:17 i love the way she looks at the camera right there, she's so beautiful. what a great song. my Dad used to love Regina Spektor, which i used to think was weird, it wasn't until after he passed away that i started listening to her music, now i visit this video almost everyday because it makes me think of my Dad.
Your comment slayed me. I am a dad, 50, with a daughter, 13, Regina Spektor is one of the few artists we love together.
Sometimes a song touches you.....you don't know why it just does....this is one of those songs and I am glad it did
This is one of those songs that you love the more you listen to it. At first, I was like, "Well, it's nice and kinda' weird...", but listening to it again in its own context, it always surprises me how beautiful it is, no matter how many times I listen to it.
I must have been 14 years old when I've heard it for the first time. Each time I listen to it over time I discover some new words in a meaning I didn't understand before. This song is a piece of art.
I sang this to my son when he was in the womb. He's 6 now and still asks me to sing it to him at night. It's an unbelievable song of pure love.
Just discovered her today. I'm so glad i did even if it's late.
same
you're never late too discover beauty!
On the contrary friend i would say you were four months early to discover her. Seeing as how today is today, and not four months ago. ;)
taylor R actually 5 months ago..
Never too late to find a musical artist! :)
"I loved you first" kills me
same D':
Ditto. I also love. "They're just old light" It seems such a clever check or suspicion of sentimentality that helps ground the song.
I have LOVED this song for years. More than 10 years I think, and everything I start loosing myself, I come back here. It brings tears to my eyes.
I love her songs..the slow piano and her voice so solemn.
wow this song aged well. Both the visuals and the music itself. Absolutely timeless fourteen years later.
What a masterpiece!! she is so different, i love the way she looks at the camera
This is probably my favorite love song of all time
This song will be so sweet for her firstborn child
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
Your hair was long when we first met
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
And history books forgot about us and the bible didn't mention us
And 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 fallin' on our heads
But they're just old light, they're just old light
Your hair was long when we first met
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
A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light
And he told me that I'd done alright
And kissed me 'til the mornin' light, the mornin' light
And he kissed me 'til the mornin' 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 columns down
Yeah we couldn't destroy a single one
And history books forgot about us
And the bible didn't mention us, not even once
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first
I'm not a sensitive person but this song is one of the most beautiful i've ever heard.
“The Bible didn’t mention us” wow. Makes me think of that feeling where you wish people could understand how much that person meant to you but they’ll never feel what you felt.
Repeated it like 10 times already. this song is BEAUTIFUL
"I cut his hair myself one night.. A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light.. He told me that I've done alright and he kissed me til the morning light". Wow.
I bared those scissors ... not a pair of scissors.
@@Monsieur_Cauchemar-YT No, it's really a pair of dull scissors.
@@Monsieur_Cauchemar-YT Yeah, no, it's "A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light". Might wanna actually look up the songwriter's lyrics before correcting someone.
@@Jason-oc2tf B nndn vffbsbdhshshhshshshshhßdhher#shhk
@@Jason-oc2tf ussj
I have listened to this song non-stop literally and legitimately for almost 24 hours. That's how good this song is.
Only she could describe the stars as "just old light" and make perfect sense
i love how she can twist a biblical reference with a modernized parellel story and make it good.
Regina no matter how old this music is and how fast the time will go, I will always love this music and Love your albums.
And remember what I saw from cheap seats
Even after years and years this song was released, every time I listen to it makes me cry.
I've been in a very very hard and difficult relationship that ive been numb enough not to cry, but Listening to this song helps me shed tears even for a short while
I have always loved Regina . Her energy is infectious and really beautiful
Many years have passed and this is still one of my favorite songs and I can't stop listening to this.
Absolutely one of the best songs I have ever had the privilege to hear. I do not know of her intentions in making this song. But this song drew me closer to God. The story of Samson has always been my favorite. You brought me closer to God after a lifetime of avoiding Him. Thank you Regina Spektor. Even if this was not your intention, please be happy that you improved the life of another.
The song is actually about a man she loved and his death from cancer.
@@crabbypandait's actually two stories in parralel. The one this person mentioned and yours.
This song kills me everytime, so beautiful. I love the reference to Samson and Delihla, but she really did her own thing with the mythology
I loved this song when I was like 12... I can't believe it's like 10 years old now
Me too!
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If she wasnt using those as approximations, that'd be a funny comment.
C.P. SAME!!!
My dad introduced me to this when I was at least 5 I'm obsessed it's been sick uears
She has so much musically inclined soul that makes me want to cry for the humanist she is. Yes, she's all there. Thank you for posting.
So my crush recommended Regina Sparks to me. I listened to her and told him I liked her music, and he seemed really pleased and told me his favorite was Samson. My name is Sam, and I have super long hair, and he told me I was the kindest person he ever knew before he left today. AM I READING TOO FAR INTO THIS??!!
We just saw you in San Diego. Thank you for allowing us to experience your musically human soul❤
This is just so beautiful.
Beverly Vejar sim, verdade
i normally listen to death metal...this is my guilty pleasure.
yep, i do opposite. shht :)
were all allowed our guilty pleasures :)
Don't feel guilty. I'm a black/death metal kinda guy too, but I cannot get enough Regina Spektor.
Shhh dude, dont say it too loud haha
sergio roberts
im 38 yrs old and heard all kinds of music, from the late 70's 80's 90's blah blah blah.this womens voice is how an angel sounds like. nothing i ever heard before comes close
2006 "this song is incredibly beautiful"
2019 "this song is incredibly beautiful"
3019 "this song is incredibly beautiful"
@ThirdSoundPiano i am
You know you´ll be dead by 3019! Hope you can enjoy this even then!
2020 "this song is incredibly beautiful"
Mndaaush..
2020 this song is incredibly beautiful
Someone who hurt me deeply introduced me to this song last year, and sang it relatively well at a bar on stage to me. I thought the song was beautiful, and I thought they were equally so. I still think one of those things is beautiful...guard your hearts and keep your hair long, little Samsons
This song is just so raw and hits at the part of me that loves, the part of me I've been trying to keep down
This song makes me feel so nostalgic for something I can't name.
I love her songs and I often listen to her songs whenever I want peace of mind.
I’m not ashamed to admit this song makes me get so choked up
Music of a decade ago, still haunts me to listen and never regret it :')
This song was released when I was barely 13 years old. I loved it then. Listened it throughout the years. I didn’t know I’d come back one day and listen to it while feeling a whole different way about it.
My goodness... Still LOVE her Voice, melody, and sound... I grew up on this album, and still can't quite miss a day without hearing her.
'Beneath the stars came falling on our heads. But they're just old light.'
I love that lyric so much.
First time I heard this was when I was 13. I'm 29 now and I'm in love with the older albums I grew up listening to. Helped me a lot through tough times with anxiety, depression and bullying. Some time ago I rediscovered this specific song and I think this is one of the most beautiful pieces I've ever heard. Always gets me... Like I'm not crying, you're crying lol.
I'm talking to you now, internet stranger - know you are loved, you're an amazing human being.
@@Krispysquare It's even funnier because I listened to Imogen Heap whilst growing up as well. It was my escape. Alo her in Frou Frou :P
Regina Spektor’s songs were the anthems of my childhood! My mother loved her, and listing back I do too. This song makes me sob profusely- it’s absolutely gorgeous and I’m so glad it was sung on the Colbert show!
(PS I’ve always thought a dodie or harry styles cover of this would be heaven)
I really love these old but gold standard songs..❤️the texture of her voice
I remember listening to this when I was 18. 14 years ago.... Holy Shxt. 14 yrs... I cried to this and tried to show the girl I was seeing. She probably thought was a weirdo. Ehh... 😢 She has no taste inm7sic and that's sad. Now the most sincere songs in her Playlist are the songs I showed her. Regina is an amazing woman and I love her music! I think this is one of the saddest songs I've ever heard!
super late to recognize this beautiful song. this is kinda song that i replay over and over again until i get bored and it's not gonna happen. just love it. it makes you feel something. makes me feel something.
Regina is one of the few voices which over the years have played along into my list of songs i hum and sing to.. what a lovely expressive voice, set to such a rich story ..it really is art.
Ugh im so inlove with this song right now!
+Yoshioka Futaba same, it's perfect!
+Demetria Samantha IT LOVED YOU FIRST.
HAHAHA YOJOEHOJO
This song is so beautiful, it makes me cry everytime I listen to it.
2018 and my roommate suggested listening to some of Regina Spektor's songs, and I must admit, this one is one of the most meaningful and powerful songs I've heard in a while. I actually listened to it twice to try to understand the meaning a bit more, and then I realized how meaningful this song truly is. I actually almost cried at the end of it, that's how effective it was. I'm so glad I've heard this song now :)
What a beautiful song. I can't begin to tell the word what memories this brings. But much more what emotions those memories bring listening to this. Nostalgic. Depressing. All the above beautiful
I don't think I'll ever get tired of this song.
I was 10 years old when I heard this song my mom loved this song, she used to play this a lot. I'm turning 25 this year. Time really flies so fast.
I found Regina when I was 16 and Loved her since. I got to go to her concert last year I hope she has more. 2018
What a pretty song.
"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."
Imagine this. You cut off all his hair - all source of his power - you betrayed him, might've possibly just doomed his entire existence, and he knows you did. But what did he do? No, he didn't lash out at you. No, he didn't attack you and tried to escape afterwards. He just tells you you're beautiful, kisses you, and goes right back to bed.
This is the part which fucked me the most.
💔
Ang sheket! Sobrang mapanaket naman to! :'(
Isn't this a song about cancer?
Erik Winter yep it’s a about a couple and the man had cancer... “Beneath the paper lies...” is the test result, “...he ate a slice of wonderbread” referes to the medicines but it didn’t do much as wonderbread was refered in the old days as a nutritional bread that cures diseases but in reality they don’t.
It reminds me of the movie “phantom thread” where he knew she’s poisoning him but he still eats it.
One of the most creative song writer/singers in the last 20 years! Love this song.....
The Voice brought me here. Such a great song!
Me too...
+Charlie Baby (Charliebaby0624) lol me too
+MrPiojame Dam good show. Dam good performance. Seemed like that was given to Korin but she is really good.
me too
me too!!
Honestly my favorite song of hers.
It's been years since I last heard this, and it will always be as beautiful as the first time.
Hauf cut at any given time, completely sober at any given time, feeling happy, sad, melancholy whatever........this always gets played........we always will kiss someone til the morning light...........beautiful and magnificent xx
When i was a kid me and my mom would sing this together playing on her radio before we sleep... i would never forget those beautiful times. It was the two of us because our family was a mess my dad was cheating and my older siblings were away, this song gave me comfort through all of those problems 🖤
15 years ago, this became one of my favorite songs. It still is to this day.
the first time i heard this was when my classmate sang this in our music class. Now I have my own family still listening to this song from time to time and it feels nostalgic makes me sad and happy at the same time. One of the best songs created. Very underrated song.
Ughh🤧 how time flies so fast
My wife and I actually got to hear this live in Philadelphia. It was everything I hoped for.