The Weekly Coos

Over the weekend, we got more nostalgia in the form of a follow-up to “Hey There Delilah” by The Plain White T’s. This follow-up features Canadian singer-songwriter LØLØ, who last week reposted a response cover she recorded six years ago.

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Though different from the final version, the concept is similar. It’s dreamy, hopeful, and focused on following the desire Tom Higgenson (frontman of the Plain White T’s) felt when he created the song. He wrote it after meeting cross-country runner Delilah Dicrescenzo and becoming enamored, but the feeling was never reciprocated, especially since she was seeing someone else at the time. She later went as his date to the 2008 Grammys, as the song was nominated for Song of the Year. In an interview with USA Today, Dicrescenzo said, “It was so beautifully written. There was pressure to live up to this ideal. I didn’t know how to be polite but, you know, ditch him.” There was a lot of weight on her shoulders. But LØLØ didn’t take this angle, which was smart and for the better, since this dreamy love song carried so much hope and ambition. She responded similarly. There was ambition, hope, and longing woven from the melancholic promises Higgenson gives in the original song. 

Hey, it’s Delilah, and boy, times arе getting hard

But I believе you when you say you’ll pay the bills with your guitar

I know you could

We’ll have the life we knew we would

My word is good

Hey, it’s Delilah, I’ve got so much left to say

But when I listen to this song you wrote, you take my breath away

And most of all, even more in love with you, I fall

It’s all your fault

The sentiments are parallel to Delilah Dicrescenzo’s thoughts about the song, specifically the beauty beneath it, but this hypothetical love and understanding is being reciprocated gently. The instrumentation/production didn’t change, so when the acoustics hit, the beauty of the love song expands into something profound. I’ve noted in my post about Michelle Branch that her duet with Gregg Alexander of New Radicals didn’t work, but the duet on this new version of “Hey There Delilah” made me shed a tear. I was in awe of how effective it was. I was skeptical at first, but LØLØ does something special with her verse. It refines that simplicity and creates a connection that shines brighter than the sunrise of another beautiful day. Beyond this, the song capitalizes on the thoughts of many: “Who is Delilah?” Not everyone is privy to the song’s history or who Delilah was, so it builds on the fascination and dreamlike whimsy of two people in love, and their form of communication is through these two songs. It’s this resounding ethereal feeling that you get with great music, and this is more than great. 

I know many prefer the original, but this is a great companion piece that I’d heavily recommend.