We have all heard the song, "If I Had A Hammer". It is a protest song and it was written in 1949 by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays of the folk group, The Weavers. It ruffled the American establishment somewhat for initially it was performed to raise funds for victimised members of The Communist Party of the United States.
The simple song did not disappear. It endured and in 1963, Peter Paul and Mary performed it at the end of the famous People's March on Washington before Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech. Here they are...
The song has been widely performed and recorded - even making its way into churches and school assemblies. It can be sung jauntily or sweetly but I prefer to hear it when it has been injected with a healthy dose of righteous anger when the singer fully realises just what this iconic song proposes. In the final analysis, it is a war cry...
If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening all over this land
I'd hammer out danger, I'd hammer out a warning
I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land, ooh
If I had a bell, I'd ring it in the morning
I'd ring it in the evening all over this land
I'd ring out danger, I'd ring out a warning
I'd ring out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land, ooh
If I had a song, I'd sing it in the morning
I'd sing it in the evening all over this land
I'd sing out danger, I'd sing out a warning
I'd sing out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land, ooh
Well, I got a hammer, and I got a bell
I've got a song to sing all over this land
It's the hammer of justice, it's the bell of freedom
It's a song about love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land
It's the hammer of justice
It's the bell of freedom
It's a song about love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land
This song was one of my favorites. I liked the Weavers.
ReplyDeleteSuch a long time ago but they were authentic.
DeleteI've always loved that song. Trini Lopez recorded it too, in 1963 and did very well from it. I think it hit No. 3 on the charts.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Trini Lopez sang it with the kind of meaning that Pete Seeger anticipated.
DeleteI had completely forgotten about this song, haven't heard it in decades.
ReplyDeleteNow you can sing it in the shower while cleansing your temple.
DeleteOh, yes, I remember this song well. We learned to sing it in Glee Club at school in the late 60s.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it is what made you study law.
DeleteNothing like a good old communist song to cheer you up in the morning. I like to listen to the Russian army march song: Farewell of Slavianka, Composed in 1912 by Vasily Agapkin. It goes well with boiled eggs and soldiers. As I light a small candle in front of my miniature shrine to my beloved Putin, I sip my Earl Grey and wonder: Why do they hate you so?
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Why does it say that Henry? I hope that you are not a Russian secret agent or worse than that a Russian bot in a data warehouse.
Haha. The profile can say anything anyway so what’s the difference? FYI - Yes I am a communist spy- looking for good Yorkshire pudding recipes.
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DeleteIt. Now you can learn all about me!
A "maritime" desk slave? I don't understand how the two things go together. On Blogger since August 2025? I hope you didn't create the enigmatic profile just for me to read. Maybe a profile can say anything but honesty is always the best policy Henry.
DeleteI agree with you. It needs to be sung with angry passion.
ReplyDeleteSingalong with me Andrew! We will be The Righteous Brothers!
DeleteDo West Ham fans sing it?
ReplyDeleteNo - Hull City fans sing it but very rarely..."If we beat The Hammers/ We'll get hammered in the morning..."
DeleteAnd now I have a terrible flea in my ear, and I can only remember the first line of the song.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever considered a cognitive test Andrew? Now might be the time.
DeleteStrangely enough, the only version of this wonderful and important song I know really well was by Ritchie Valens.
ReplyDeleteI have not heard that version. I will google it.
DeleteI realise now that I probably meant Trini Lopez, not Ritchie Valens. My parents had the 7", but I doubt it still exists.
DeletePete Seeger is old now, as many of the people who gathered in London to protest against the Palestine Action crackdown. So the protest songs must still reverberate in our minds.
ReplyDeletePete Seeger is so old that he is in fact dead. He died in 2014 at the age of 94. Bless him.
DeleteThanks for that post. I loved Peter, Paul, and Mary, and I loved that song. The song is still relevant.
ReplyDeleteI ca n't imagine Trump singing along to it.
DeleteLove that song; always have.
ReplyDeleteWe used to sing it in Girl Scouts!
ReplyDeleteGreat song.
ReplyDeleteI think this song is freighted with some of the leftwing politics of its time, which may turn some people off. But one of the reasons it's become such a classic is because it really appeals to almost everyone . . . because almost everyone, no matter their political stripe, is in favor of love, justice and freedom. Also ... it's a catchy tune. I love it!
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