Delia was a gamblin’ girl. She only had eyes for rounders, card players who knew all the angles. Cutty or Cooney, depending on the version, loved poor Delia but she didn’t love him back. Bad news.

Here’s Martin Grosswendt…

Now Cutty’s going to be in jail until Delia comes back.

Let’s take it back to 1949 in Atlanta with Blind Willie McTell…

The song may have originated after an actual murder, of 15 year old Delia Green by Moses “Cooney” Houston.

I’m sure many listeners are familiar with this next one. This is Johnny Cash performing live the same arrangement recorded on the brilliant 1994 American Recordings…this one gives me the shivers

And one last version…here’s Bob Dylan from another recording I’m very fond of, World Gone Wrong.

I should mention that I have a cat named Delia. She’s over 20 years old now, tiny and frail but she still has a lot of spirit.