Delia’s Gone is in many ways a typical Johnny Cash song, full of black humor and regret. In the hands of another singer, this song could be absolutely brutally painful, or woefully plastic. In Cash’s capable hands, it’s a masterpiece.
Johnny Cash brings a grim tongue in cheek quality to this song, in many ways a counterpoint to Robert Johnson’s 32-20 Blues. However, he manages to avoid the manic insanity of Johnson’s tune, with a little more regret and a little more anger. In many ways, he makes this song about killing someone more or less palatable.
And of course, the lyrics:
Delia, oh, Delia Delia all my life
If I hadn’t have shot poor
Delia I’d have had her for my wife
Delia’s gone, one more round Delia’s gone
I went up to Memphis
And I met Delia there Found her in her parlor
And I tied to her chair
Delia’s gone, one more round Delia’s gone
She was low down and trifling
And she was cold and mean
Kind of evil make me want to Grab my sub machine
Delia’s gone, one more round Delia’s gone
First time I shot her I shot her in the side
Hard to watch her suffer
But with the second shot she died
Delia’s gone, one more round Delia’s gone
But jailer, oh, jailer Jailer,
I can’t sleep ‘Cause all around my bedside
I hear the patter of Delia’s feet
Delia’s gone, one more round Delia’s gone
So if you woman’s devilish
You can let her run
Or you can bring her down and do her
Like Delia got done
Delia’s gone, one more round Delia’s gone
