Folk singer Mark Cohen covers "Samson & Delilah (If I Had My Way)"

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For the fourth instalment of our Live At The Gaslight series, we are proud to present singer/songwriter Mark Cohen, from Buffalo, New York, covering the traditional “Samson & Delilah (If I Had My Way)”.

The song dates back to the early twentieth century, with the first known recordings made in the 1920s by blues singers Blind Willie Johnson and Reverend Gary Davis. Since these early blues renditions, numerous artists have covered “If I Had My Way” including: Bob Dylan, Dave Van Ronk, Peter, Paul & Mary, Bruce Springsteen and The Grateful Dead.

Mark Cohen has been performing his adaptation of the song since the mid-1960s. Cohen’s version is lyrically similar to the versions sung by Dave Van Ronk and Peter, Paul & Mary, and comes across as somewhat of a mix of the two. He had this to say of the comparison:

“Right on target. I only cover a song when it feels natural to me. Dave’s was Dave’s; and Peter, Paul & Mary’s version had such energy and their harmonies were so beautiful, I was really taken by it.

It wasn’t only the harmonies that grabbed me but the ways in which they used point and counterpoint - call and response, like a Gospel song.

On my arrangement, I was never aware of the way the guitar and vocal worked together until I listened back to the recording. I got to playing the first verse slowly and with a strong guitar rhythm. It sets up the rest of the story and the rest of the song. Each verse speeds up, the tempo taking it to another level. The song becomes a real killer at the final crescendo and chord strums.”

In this recording, Cohen has adapted the story of “Samson & Delilah (If I Had My Way)” to include a fourth and final verse that he wrote. His lyrics fit in as though they always existed within the song.

“The original song seemed incomplete to me and I just wanted to finish the story. To me, the song was asking for this verse to be written.”

Be sure to read more about Cohen below and have a listen to his original track, "Thank God For You", along with his instrumental cover of "Wildwood Flower".

Thanks for listening, and remember, don’t touch that dial...

Cover Photo Credit: Jack Hirschorn