An unreliable narration is a type of story told in first person (usually) where the audience is strung along by the narrator’s side of the story.  Recent popular examples of unreliable narration novels are Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. 

Tom Jones’ 1967 hit, Why, Why, Why Delilah is a song told from only the narrator’s point of view and Delilah never gets to tell her side of things.  She is painted as a two timing scornful woman who gets what was coming to her by the man whose only crime was to love her. 

Really?  With a nod to the MeToo movement, let’s examine the narrative and the evidence on Delilah’s behalf, shall we?

I saw the light on the night that I passed by her window

Okay, why was he passing by her window in the first place?

I saw the flickering shadows of love on her blind

Do we know for sure that what he saw were flickering shadows of love?  How good was his eyesight?  What were the weather conditions like that night?  Perhaps she was just watching television.

She was my woman

Note the use of past tense here.  How long ago had they broken up?  Has he been ‘passing by her window’ for a couple of months now?  Years maybe?  Had she in fact ever been ‘his woman’?  If, in fact they ever went out together, how long did the relationship last?  We don’t know.     

As she deceived me I watched and went out of my mind

Well, we haven’t clearly been able to establish that she was in fact deceiving him.

My, my, my, Delilah

Why, why, why, Delilah

I could see that girl was no good for me

Or perhaps vice versa?  We just don’t know.

But I was lost like a slave that no man could free

Now he’s talking like an obsessed man, which is perhaps the truth of the matter.

At break of day when that man drove away, I was waiting

Waiting or stalking?  And do we know the identity of said man driving away?  No, we do not.  He could have been her brother in town for a visit.

I crossed the street to her house and she opened the door

She should have been more careful.

She stood there laughing

Was she?  We only have his word for it.

I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more

Ah ha!  Why would he have a knife in his hand if he were not stalking her in the first place?

My, my, my Delilah

Why, why, why Delilah

Why?  Well, she may have had her reasons, or perhaps he was not adhering to the limits of his restraining order.

So before they come to break down the door

Well, here he is being reasonable.  He understands he has committed murder and will pay for it.

Forgive me Delilah I just couldn’t take any more

Take any more what?  Only Delilah knows for sure.

I intend no offense with any of this, just a fun challenge to an unreliable narrative.

I apologize in advance for any ear worms that may or may not be generated as a result of reading this post.

Reliably told from an omnipotent point of view is a new episode that has been posted at  Contentment is for Cows.

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Enjoy!