Album: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song was written by Florence Welch and her songwriting partner Isabella Summers (The Machine) during a trip in Jamaica. The lyrics were inspired by an anxious wait as Welch anticipated a call from her boyfriend that never arrived. The song uses the biblical tale of the Hebrew strongman hero Samson and the beautiful and treacherous Delilah as a gender-reversing metaphor for her man ('Delilah')'s betrayal of her.

    "This was one of the first songs Isa and I wrote for this record... while we were at Geejam studios in Jamaica," Welch explained. "It's based on a party we had just been to in Miami, the biblical tale of Samson and Delilah, and the agony of the mobile phone in modern relationships."
  • How Big How Blue How Beautiful is the most personal record that Florence and the Machine has made to date. Welch told Billboard magazine that it was her friend Taylor Swift who made her more comfortable putting her own experiences into song: "Taylor said that you must sing about what's happening in your life," she said.

    "It's definitely not about trying to be vindictive," Welch added. "It's about being honest. This could've been a breakup record," she added about the longtime off-and-on relationship that inspired many of the tracks. "But it was much more about trying to understand myself."
  • The video was directed by long-time Florence + The Machine collaborator Vincent Haycock. It finds Welch in the clutches of a bed demon that contemplates strangling her in her sleep. A warrior princess enters the scene and prays the demon away.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Rock Stars of Horror

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

Frankie Valli

Frankie ValliSong Writing

An interview with Frankie Valli, who talks about why his songs - both solo and with The Four Seasons - have endured, and reflects on his time as Rusty Millio on The Sopranos.

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Kip Winger

Kip WingerSongwriter Interviews

The Winger frontman reveals the Led Zeppelin song he cribbed for "Seventeen," and explains how his passion for orchestra music informs his songwriting.

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.