“Why, Why, Why?”: Sir Tom Jones fans boo Delilah ban

The Welshmen took to the stage on Wednesday night to perform his greatest hits - including the famous 1968 track.

The ballad was adopted for many years by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), before being banned from sporting fixtures in 2023 due to claims that it advocates domestic violence. 

The song centres on the story of a jealous man who murders his unfaithful partner and inclues the lyrics from the track say “She stood there laughing... I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more.”

When Sir Tom mentioned that the single had been banned, the crowd began booing in support of the singer. The reaction drew an impassioned rant from the Welsh icon, who claimed the lyrics “should not be taken literally”. 

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“Who's that man who said we shouldn't sing that song anymore? That used to make my day, that, on an international match,” said Sir Tom.

“I used to wait for it and then they said we can't sing it anymore.”

He then defiantly sang the track, which reached number two in the UK charts when it was released by the hit maker.

The singer also took a swipe at MPs whilst on stage, saying: "You've got to be careful of politicians."

"You know when a politician is lying? When his lips move."

His performance was peppered with his other classics, including What’s New Pussycat?, Sex Bomb and I’m Growing Old, as he opened the first of his two nights at the castle. 

Delilah was originally written by Barry Mason, and was later adopted by Welsh rugby fans as their anthem.

It was scrapped from the Principality Stadium’s half-time playlists in 2015, after previous calls to ban the song in 2014 and 2016. In 2023, the WRU stopped a choir singing the song at Welsh international fixtures.

A spokesman said at the time: "The WRU condemns domestic violence of any kind. 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."

The song is also associated with football club Stoke City, who have sung Sir Tom’s classic since the eighties.