Hammer

Songs that say something meaningful or stirring about socio-political issues have always appealed to me. They are not too plentiful but they are certainly out there. I think of "Imagine" and "Working Class Hero" by John Lennon , "We Shall Overcome" that evolved from a church hymn, "Little Boxes" by Malvina Reynolds, "No More Auction Block" and other American slave songs,  "The Red Flag" by Jim Connell, "Hurricane" and "With God On Our Side" by Bob Dylan, "Born In the USA" by Bruce Springsteen and "The Internationale" by Eugène Pottier and Pierre De Geyter.

Often such songs are driven by strong senses of injustice or exasperation. They can pierce your heart more than a dump truck load of soppy love songs.

Four years before I was born, American folk figures Pete Seeger and Lee Hays wrote a powerful yet simple socialist anthem that most readers of this blog will be very familiar with. It's "If I Had A Hammer". Of this song, Pete Seeger once said that it had a message for ordinary working people - "We have got tools and we are going to succeed". He also remarked that back in 1949, "Only 'Commies' used words like 'peace' and 'freedom'". Recordings of the song were blacklisted in America and in 1955 Pete Seeger was summoned to give testimony before  the House Un-American Activities Committee. He stood up to them bravely.

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

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 it in danger, I'd ring out a warning

I'd ring in love between my brothers and my sisters all over this land

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 it in danger, I'd sing out a warning

I'd sing out love between my brothers and my sisters all over this land

Well I got a hammer and I got a bell

And I 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

The song has been recorded by many different artistes, some of whom failed completely to convey the angry political message it contains. It's not meant to be a happy little ditty with you grinning and winking at the camera. It is intended to stir and inspire.

Pete Seeger lived a long and fruitful life, remaining true to his core principles. He died in 2014 at the age of ninety four. The recording I have chosen to end this blogpost with was made  five years before his death. Thank you Pete.