Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional
Sung regularly by Bob Weir with the Grateful Dead from the mid-1970s
onwards. He varied the lyrics a little: the main differences are noted below.
If I had my wayNotes
I would tear this whole building down (note 1)
Delilah was a woman, she was fine and fair
She had good looks - God knows - and coal black hair (note 2)
Delilah she gained old Samson's mind
When first he saw this woman, she looked so fine (note 3)
Delilah she climbed up on Samson's knee (note 4)
Said tell me where your strength lies, if you please
Then she spoke so kind, she talked so fair
That Samson said, Delilah you cut off my hair
You can shave my head, clean as my hand
My strength become as natural as any old man
Chorus
If I had my way
If I had my way
If I had my way
I would tear this whole building down
You read about Samson, all from his birth (note 5)
He was the strongest man ever has lived on earth
One day while Samson was walking along
Looked down on the ground he saw an old jaw bone
Then he stretched out his arm and his chains broke like threads
And when he got to move, ten thousand was dead
[chorus]
Now Samson and the lion, they got in attack (note 6)
And Samson he crawled up on the lion's back
You read about this lion, he killed a man with his paws
Samson got hands up round the lion's jaws
He ripped that beast, killed him dead
And the bees made honey in the lion's head
[chorus]
[chorus]
I would tear this whole building down
You read about Samson from his birthThe best-known early recording of the something nearer the Gary Davis song is by Blind Willie Johnson under the title "If I Had My Way, I Would Tear This Building Down," from 1927. But there are at least three other recordings available from about the same time: "If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down" by Rev T.E.Weems; "Samson And The Woman" by Rev J.M.Gates; and "If I Had My Way" by Rev T.T.Rose.
He could have been the strongest man on earth
Way back yonder in the ancient times
He killed ten thousand Philistines
Samson was a man, been wandering about
No one found his strength without
Not until his wife fell on her knees
Said, tell me where your strength lies, if you please
Samnson's wife she talked so fair
Samson said the strength lies in my hair
You cut off my hair, clean as my hands
My strength will become as a natural man's
Samson is a witness for my Lord
Samson is a witness for my Lord
Samson is a witness for my Lord
My soul is a witness for my Lord
Brothers and sisters, I'm gonna sing a song tonight.This is the later, and better known, version by Blind Willie Johnson (thanks to Anita Cantor for the transcription):
And the subject of this song is, "If I had my way (Amen)
I would tear the building down" (Yes).
That old building of sin that troubled the Christian past (Yes sir),
I will tear it down (Amen).
I want the whole congregation to sing with uplifted voices.
If I had my way (Lordy Lordy Lord)
If I had my way (Lordy Lordy Lord)
If I had my way
I would tear this building down
Delilah was a woman she was fine and fair
Pleasant looks, and her coal black hair
Delilah gained old Samson's mind
When he first saw the woman she looked so fine (Amen)
Whether he went to Timothy I cannot tell
But the daughters of Timothy pleased Samson so well (Yes)
Samson told his father just to go and see
If you can get that beautiful woman for me (Amen)
Cryin' if I had my way (Lordy Lordy Lord)
If I had my way (Lordy Lordy Lord)
If I had my way
I would tear this building down
Samson went to town and he stayed too late
They wanted to kill him so they made him wait (Yeah)
Now wasn't Samson very strong
He pulled up the gate boards and he carried them along (Amen)
Samson he burned down a field of corn
They looked for Samson but he was gone (Yes)
So many thousand they formed a plot
It was not many days before he was caught (Yes sir)
They bound his hands while walking along
He looked on the ground and saw an old jawbone (Amen)
He moved his arms and the ropes popped like thread
When he got through playin' three thousand was dead (Amen)
Cryin' if I had my way (Lordy Lordy Lord)
If I had my way (Lordy Lordy Lord)
If I had my way
I would tear this building down
Samson was a man very large in size
They overpowered Samson and they plucked out his eyes
Oh just listen to this tale
They taken old Samson and they put him in jail (Amen)
Let me tell you what the Philistines done
They took him to the building for to have some fun (Yes)
I was told that the building was high from the ground
Samson braced against the building and it tumbled down (Amen)
Cryin' if I had my way (Lordy Lordy Lord)
If I had my way (Lordy Lordy Lord)
If I had my way
I would tear this building down
Well, if I had my wayNotes
I had-a, oh wicked ones
If I had-a, ah Lord, tear this building down
Weh-ell!
Delilah was a woman fine an' fair
Her pleasant looks-a, her coal black hair
Delilah gained old Samson's mind
A-first saw the woman that looked so fine
A-well went Timnathy, I can't tell (note aa)
A daughter of Timnathy, a-pleased him well
A-Samson told his father, 'I'm goin a-a-a'
(Help) me Lord
If I had my way
Well, if a had-a, oh wicked ones
If I had-a, ah Lord, tear this building down
Weh-ell!
Samson's mother replied to him
'Can't you find a woman of your kind and kin?'
'Samson, will you please your mother's mind?'
Go'd and married that-a Philistine
Let me tell you what, old Samson
Well, he roared at the lion, the lion run
Samson was the first man the lion attack
He caught the lion and got upon his back
A-written that he killed a man with his ...
And Sampson had his hand in the lion's jaws
If I had my way
If I had-a, oh wicked ones
If I had-a, ah Lord, tear this building down
'Well, your riddle please, a-tell it to me'
'A-how an eater became forth meat?'
'Well, your riddle please, a-tell it to me'
'A-how strong of it came forth sweet?
Deliah got his army after him
Well, the bees made-a honey in the lion hair
Well, if I had my way
Well, if I had-a, oh wicked ones
If I had-a, ah Lord, tear this building down
So men in Sorek a-formed a plot
Not many days 'fore Samson was caught
A-bind his hands whilst a-walkin' along
A-looked on the ground and found a lil' jawbone
He moved his arm, ropes a-pop like thread
Dropped those threads, three thousand were dead
Lord, If I had my way
Well, if I had a, oh wicked ones
If I had a, ah Lord, tear this building down
Weh-ell!
Samson's strength though they never found out
'Till they began to wonder about
A-'till his wife sat up upon his knee
'A-tell me where your strength lie, if you please?'
Samson's wife she a-talked so fair
Told his wife cut off-a his hair
'Shave my head, clean as your hand
'Till I become a natural man!'
Lord, If I had my way
Well, if I had a, oh wicked ones
If I had a, ah Lord, tear this building down