| "If I Had A Hammer" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Peter, Paul and Mary | ||||
| from the album Peter, Paul and Mary | ||||
| B-side | Gone The Rainbow | |||
| Released | 1962 | |||
| Format | vinyl single | |||
| Genre | Folk music | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Writer(s) | Pete Seeger, Lee Hays | |||
| Producer | Albert Grossman, Milt Okun | |||
| Peter, Paul and Mary singles chronology | ||||
|
||||
| "If I Had A Hammer" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Trini Lopez | ||||
| from the album Trini Lopez at PJ's | ||||
| B-side | Unchain My Heart | |||
| Released | 1963 | |||
| Format | vinyl single | |||
| Genre | Folk music, Pop | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Writer(s) | Pete Seeger, Lee Hays | |||
| Producer | Don Costa | |||
| Trini Lopez singles chronology | ||||
|
||||
"If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)" is a song written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays. It was written in 1949 in support of the progressive movement, and was first recorded by The Weavers, a folk music quartet composed of Seeger, Hays, Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman, and then by Peter, Paul and Mary.
Contents |
The song was first performed publicly by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays on June 3, 1949 at St. Nicholas Arena on W. 66th Street in New York at a testimonial dinner for the leaders of the Communist Party of the United States, who were then on trial in federal court, charged with violating the Smith Act by advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government.[1] It was not particularly successful when it was first released, likely due in part to the political climate of the time. It fared notably better when it was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary more than a decade later. Their cover of the song, released in August 1962, became a Top 10 hit.
The song has since been recorded by dozens of major artists, including a version by Trini Lopez on his 1963 album Trini Lopez at PJ's (Reprise R/RS 6093), which reached No. 3 in the USA, as well as one by Leonard Nimoy, which appeared on his 1968 release The Way I Feel. Australian folk group The Seekers also performed the song, and recorded it in 1963.
A more recent example is the reggae-style cover released by BBC personality Handy Andy, which was not particularly well received.
French popstar Claude François released his cover "Si j'avais un marteau" ("If I had a Hammer") in November 1963.
The French vocal group Les Surfs released another cover "Si j'avais un marteau" in a version faithful to that of Trini Lopez
Italian popstar Rita Pavone sang "Datemi un martello" ("Give me a hammer") in 1963, using the theme but without any political overtones.
Bulgarian singer Lili Ivanova did a cover in Bulgarian of Pavone's version. Another Bulgarian singer, Emil Dimitrov recorded a cover of the Trini Lopez version.
Chilean Folk Artist Víctor Jara also sang a 1969 cover titled "El Martillo" ("The hammer") on his album Pongo En Tus Manos Abiertas.
Jamaican Toaster U-Roy recorded a very violent version of the song called "Hammering" in 1972
Nicaraguan singer, song writer and composer Hernaldo Zúñiga, also made a cover version in Spanish for the Mexican group "Fandango" titled "Dame Aquel Martillo", this one was released in 1991.
Israeli singer Geula Gil also made a cover version in Hebrew.
Another version can be found on Kidsongs video and DVD, "Yankee Doodle Boy (AKA Sing Out America)".
Another version of the song was recorded by AC/DC's lead singer Brian Johnson.
Sam Cooke recorded the song in concert.
The Von Trapp Children also recorded their version for their vol. 2 CD.
Waldemar Matuška Kladivo (czech Hammer)
The song "If I Had a Hammer" was a Civil Rights anthem of the American Civil Rights movement.
It also was a common selection for "folk masses" in Roman Catholic Churches.
Wikileaks has chosen it as their "Wikileaks song".[2]