Take This Hammer

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"Take This Hammer" Nine Pound Hammer
Language	English
Form	ABCC

Take This Hammer (Roud 4299) is a prison work song. It was collected by John and Alan Lomax. The song Nine Pound Hammer has a few phrases in common with this song, and the same Roud number. Swannanoa Tunnel is similar, and this group of songs are referred to as 'hammer songs' or 'roll songs'. According to the Columbia State University, the earliest collected version was made by Newman Ivey White in 1915.

[edit] Published Versions

[edit] Recordings

Monroe Brothers as "Nine Pound Hammer is Too Heavy" (1936), also on "Feast Here Tonight" (1975)
Leadbelly (on a single recorded in 1942)
Mississippi John Hurt
Delmore Brothers as "Tell It To The Captain" (1948)
Odetta on Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues (1956)
Big Bill Broonzy on the DVD "The Story of the Blues" (2003)
Lonnie Donegan on "Lonnie Rides Again" (1959)
Foggy Mountain Boys (Flatt and Scruggs) on "Folk Songs of our Land" (1962)
Johnny Cash on "Blood, Sweat and Tears" (1963) under the title "Tell Him I'm Gone"
The Greenbriar Boys on "Ragged But Right!" (1964)
Junco Partners on a single in 1965 (re-released on Pebbles, Volume 6 (LP) (1980)
Jimmy Witherspoon on "Live in London" (recorded 1966)
The Beatles on "Get Back 'Camera B' Rolls vol 11" (recorded 1969) (also on "Thirty Days")

These are bootlegs (see Day by Day (The Beatles bootleg))

Osborne Brothers on "Voices in Bluegrass" (c 1970)
Merle Travis on "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" (1972) as "Nine Pound Hammer"
Notting Hillbillies on "Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time" (1990) under the title "Railroad Worksong"
New Christy Minstrels on "Presenting and In Person" (2003)
The Felice Brothers on "Tonight at the Arizona" (2007)
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, Stevie Wonder on "A Toot and a Snore in '74" 1974 - bootleg recording