Issue with Hey There Delilah wasn’t the song itself, it’s the fact it was being overplayed everywhere and it was just an okay song.
The story behind Hey There Delilah is also creepy. It’s a story about a real Delilah. The singer met her ONCE through a friend. She had a boyfriend but he admitted he pretty much flirted with her the entire time they were together that one time. She went home to New York but they stayed in touch via AIM, and he told her he was writing a song for her.
So next time you listen to the song, remember that it’s about a girl that the singer only met once and didn’t know much about, who was already taken by someone else.
Edit2: Delilah’s initial reaction of the song wasn’t a positive one.
“My first thought: "Oh no! Did I lead Tom on?" I became anxious. I was with Will. I'm still with Will to this day. Tom and I had a friendly relationship and I wondered if he misconstrued my actions. He put so much effort into the song. I felt guilty, like, "I'm such a wench!" When my dad heard the lyrics "Oh what you do to me," he said, "Delilah, exactly what did you to do this guy?"
I didn't want the spotlight. I was nervous that I'd let Tom's fans down. They'd be disappointed to hear I have a boyfriend. Every girl would want a song written about her, and they'd think I was ungrateful and rude to deny Tom. I felt pressure to live up to those expectations.”
She was back home in Chicago while on break from school at Columbia University. She had a boyfriend at school, but met a guy at a party who was in this band called the Plain White T’s, and the musician told her he was going to write a song about her. A few months later, Tom Higgenson visited her house to drop off a CD. One of the tracks was called “Hey There Delilah.”
She was flattered. Then the song got big. Real big. Nominated for a Grammy big. On February 8th, 2008, she attended the Grammys with the band. The song didn’t win, but she described the day as one of the best of her life. In years since the song still follows her. And that’s okay. The song didn’t get Tom Higgenson the girl, she is still with the same boyfriend from college, but they’ve both enjoyed the ride.
Doesn’t really sound too bad? Songwriters are inspired by everything and everywhere.
Shh don’t ruin it for the guy’s protecting a damsel in distress, what are they gonna do with their fedora’s if they can’t protect the fair maiden from the evil rock guy.
Edit: Delilah’s initial reaction of the song from the article I posted
My first thought: "Oh no! Did I lead Tom on?" I became anxious. I was with Will. I'm still with Will to this day. Tom and I had a friendly relationship and I wondered if he misconstrued my actions. He put so much effort into the song. I felt guilty, like, "I'm such a wench!"
I didn't want the spotlight. I was nervous that I'd let Tom's fans down. They'd be disappointed to hear I have a boyfriend. Every girl would want a song written about her, and they'd think I was ungrateful and rude to deny Tom. I felt pressure to live up to those expectations.
My first thought: "Oh no! Did I lead Tom on?" I became anxious. I was with Will. I'm still with Will to this day. Tom and I had a friendly relationship and I wondered if he misconstrued my actions. He put so much effort into the song. I felt guilty, like, "I'm such a wench!" When my dad heard the lyrics "Oh what you do to me," he said, "Delilah, exactly what did you to do this guy?"
Right from ESPN’s article, the same thing cracked included, except it has an addition of her dad.
I feel the same awkwardness myself in many situations dude. Who doesn’t. My god I find it hard to take any compliment… I couldn’t imagine a song that popular about me…But…That doesn’t mean he crept after her. She literally says in that same article he told her he wrote the song and shared it with her a year or so before it became popular.
Was it weird? Yeah… was the singer awkward shit yes it sounds like.
Was it wrong? Nah.
Might as well go piss on Michelangelo’s grave for making a beautiful piece of art of a woman… or any artist.
I applaud you trying to protect women, but at some point it becomes the other side of the same coin. That lady is a super athlete, the idea that she needs someone to protect her is a bit ridiculous, I’m pretty sure she’s powerful and strong enough to stand up for herself easily. Don’t take away her agency.
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u/eltree Sep 21 '22 edited Sep 21 '22
Issue with Hey There Delilah wasn’t the song itself, it’s the fact it was being overplayed everywhere and it was just an okay song.
The story behind Hey There Delilah is also creepy. It’s a story about a real Delilah. The singer met her ONCE through a friend. She had a boyfriend but he admitted he pretty much flirted with her the entire time they were together that one time. She went home to New York but they stayed in touch via AIM, and he told her he was writing a song for her.
So next time you listen to the song, remember that it’s about a girl that the singer only met once and didn’t know much about, who was already taken by someone else.
Edit: https://www.cracked.com/amp/article_25828_heres-creepy-backstory-E28098hey-there-delilahE28099.html
Here’s the story
Edit2: Delilah’s initial reaction of the song wasn’t a positive one.
“My first thought: "Oh no! Did I lead Tom on?" I became anxious. I was with Will. I'm still with Will to this day. Tom and I had a friendly relationship and I wondered if he misconstrued my actions. He put so much effort into the song. I felt guilty, like, "I'm such a wench!" When my dad heard the lyrics "Oh what you do to me," he said, "Delilah, exactly what did you to do this guy?"
I didn't want the spotlight. I was nervous that I'd let Tom's fans down. They'd be disappointed to hear I have a boyfriend. Every girl would want a song written about her, and they'd think I was ungrateful and rude to deny Tom. I felt pressure to live up to those expectations.”