If I Had a Hammer

"The Hammer Song"
Original 1950 release by The Weavers on Hootenanny Records, 101-A.
Single by The Weavers
B-side	"Banks of Marble"
Released	1950
Format	Vinyl single
Genre	Folk
Label	Hootenanny
Writer(s)	Pete Seeger Lee Hays

"If I Had a Hammer"
Single by Peter, Paul and Mary
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
Length	2:11
Label	Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Pete Seeger Lee Hays
Producer(s)	Albert Grossman Milt Okun
Peter, Paul and Mary singles chronology
"Lemon Tree" (1962) "If I Had A Hammer" (1962) "Puff, the Magic Dragon" (1963)

"If I Had a Hammer"
Single by Trini Lopez
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 music
Length	2:59
Label	Reprise
Writer(s)	Pete Seeger Lee Hays
Producer(s)	Don Costa
Trini Lopez singles chronology
"If I Had a Hammer" (1963) "Kansas City" (1963)

"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. It was a number 10 hit for Peter, Paul and Mary in 1962 and then went to number three a year later when recorded by Trini Lopez.

The Weavers released the song under the title "The Hammer Song" as a 78 single in March 1950 on Hootenanny Records, 101-A, backed with "Banks of Marble".

Early versions

The song was first performed publicly by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays on June 3, 1949, at St. Nicholas Arena 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 in commercial terms when it was first released. It was part of the three songs Seeger played as the warm-up act for Paul Robeson's September 4 concert near Peekskill, New York, which subsequently erupted into a riot.^[2]

Hit versions

It fared notably better in commercial terms when it was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary a dozen years later. Their cover of the song, released in August 1962, became a Top 10 hit. Trini Lopez's 1963 single went to number three on the same Billboard chart. It was included on his album, Trini Lopez at PJ's (Reprise R/RS 6093).^[3]

Foreign language versions

Other versions

• Johnny Cash released the song on his album Any Old Wind That Blows in 1972. Also released as a single, the song hit number 29 on the US country chart.
• Sam Cooke recorded it on his 1964 live album Sam Cooke at the Copa and RCA Victor released it as a 45 single, 47-8934, in September, 1966.
• Aretha Franklin recorded the song on her Yeah! album.
• Wanda Jackson released the song as a single in 1969. It was included on her album The Many Moods of Wanda Jackson. It reached number 41 on the US country chart.
• Martha and the Vandellas in 1963 on the Motown Records album Heatwave and a live recording in 1965 in Paris on the Motortown Revue in Paris collection.
• Peter, Paul and Mary released the song as a single in 1962, reaching #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
• The Limeliters^[6]
• Bobby Rydell's version of "If I Had a Hammer" from the 1964 Cameo album The Top Hits of 1963 Sung By Bobby Rydell. This is a cover of the Trini Lopez version.
• Nicky Thomas as a Trojan Records 45 single in 1970.
• Lorraine Ellison as a Warner Bros. 45 single, 5895.
• Lane Relations as a 45 single on Arctic 124.
• The Kidsongs Kids covered the song in 1986 on their Kidsongs video "Sing Out, America!".
• Willie Hightower on the Capitol Records album If I Had A Hammer, ST 367.
• Luther Vandross on the 2007 album Every Child Deserves a Lifetime.
• Rob De Nijs and The Lords, 1963 Fontana EP.
• Arlo Guthrie at the 1994 Kennedy Center Honors.
• John Mellencamp in 2009 at Madison Square Garden.
• German pianist and bandleader Horst Jankowski in 1977.
• German trumpeter James Last in a medley with "America" and "Lucky Lips" from the album Hammond A Go Go, Vol. 1.
• The Soul Stirrers in a gospel version.
• Albertina Walker in a gospel version.
• Doc Severinsen in an arrangement for trumpet and orchestra.
• Debbie Reynolds
• Leonard Nimoy on the 1968 album The Way I Feel.
• Nanci Griffith
• The Seekers
• The Brothers Four
• Percy Faith
• Enoch Light
• Betty Willis in 1965 in a recording produced and arranged by Leon Russell released as a Phil-Dan 45 single.
• Blind Boys of Alabama
• AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson on the 2010 various artists compilation CD Love & Peace: Greatest Hits for Kids on Rhino.
• "World Famous" Coasters in 1976 as a 45 single on American International Artists, AIA 1122.
• Victor Jara on the 1969 album Pongo en tus Manos Abiertas, translated to Spanish as "El Martillo".
• Richard Barone and Al Jardine recorded a version for the ONE Campaign in June 2013
• Claude François translated the song to French as Si j'avais un marteau in 1963.
• Fandango released Spanish language version "Dame Aquel Martillo" in 1990 for their album "Volver A Ser Feliz"

Legacy

The song "If I Had a Hammer" was a Freedom Song of the American Civil Rights movement.

Wikileaks chose the song as its "Wikileaks song".^[7]

References

External links

• Lyrics on Arlo Guthrie website
• Lyrics and a collection of quotes about "If I Had A Hammer"

Johnny Cash Studio albums With His Hot and Blue Guitar Sings the Songs That Made Him Famous The Fabulous Johnny Cash Greatest! Songs of Our Soil Sings Hank Williams Now, There Was a Song! Now Here's Johnny Cash The Sound of Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash The Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash I Walk the Line Orange Blossom Special Everybody Loves a Nut Happiness Is You Old Golden Throat More of Old Golden Throat Hello, I'm Johnny Cash The World of Johnny Cash Man in Black A Thing Called Love International Superstar Any Old Wind That Blows Ragged Old Flag The Junkie and the Juicehead Minus Me John R. Cash Look at Them Beans One Piece at a Time The Last Gunfighter Ballad I Would Like to See You Again Gone Girl Silver Rockabilly Blues The Baron The Adventures of Johnny Cash Johnny 99 Rainbow Johnny Cash Is Coming to Town Classic Cash: Hall of Fame Series Water from the Wells of Home Boom Chicka Boom The Mystery of Life American Recordings Unchained American III: Solitary Man American IV: The Man Comes Around Personal File American V: A Hundred Highways American VI: Ain't No Grave Out Among the Stars Concept albums Ride This Train Blood, Sweat and Tears Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian Sings the Ballads of the True West From Sea to Shining Sea America: A 200-Year Salute in Story and Song The Johnny Cash Children's Album The Rambler Gospel albums Hymns by Johnny Cash Hymns from the Heart The Holy Land The Gospel Road (film soundtrack) Sings Precious Memories A Believer Sings the Truth Believe in Him Return to the Promised Land (video soundtrack) My Mother's Hymn Book Christmas albums The Christmas Spirit The Johnny Cash Family Christmas Classic Christmas Johnny Cash Country Christmas Collaborations The Lure of the Grand Canyon Carryin' On with Johnny Cash and June Carter Johnny Cash and His Woman The Legend of Jesse James The Survivors Live Highwayman Class of '55 Heroes Highwayman 2 The Road Goes on Forever VH1 Storytellers Live albums At Folsom Prison At San Quentin The Johnny Cash Show På Österåker Strawberry Cake Koncert v Praze (In Prague–Live) At Madison Square Garden A Concert Behind Prison Walls Non-Gospel Soundtracks I Walk the Line Little Fauss and Big Halsy Compilations Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 Heart of Cash Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Sunday Morning Coming Down Five Feet High and Rising Destination Victoria Station Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 The Unissued Johnny Cash Johnny & June Tall Man Encore Biggest Hits The Man in Black 1954–1958 The Man in Black 1959–1962 Come Along and Ride This Train The Essential Johnny Cash (1992) Wanted Man The Man in Black 1963–1969 The Man in Black – His Greatest Hits 16 Biggest Hits Love, God, Murder The Essential Johnny Cash (2002) Unearthed The Legend The Legend of Johnny Cash Johnny Cash: Patriot 16 Biggest Hits: Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II The Complete Columbia Album Collection Songs "25 Minutes to Go" "Seasons of My Heart" "Any Old Wind That Blows" "The Ballad of Ira Hayes" "Ballad of a Teenage Queen" "Big River" "Blistered" "A Boy Named Sue" "Busted" "Cat's in the Cradle" "Cocaine Blues" "Cry! Cry! Cry!" "Daddy Sang Bass" "Dark as a Dungeon" "Don't Take Your Guns to Town" "Engine 143" "Flesh and Blood" "The Folk Singer" "Folsom Prison Blues" "Forty Shades of Green" "Get Rhythm" "Goodnight, Irene" "Green, Green Grass of Home" "Greystone Chapel" "Guess Things Happen That Way" "Hey, Porter" "Home of the Blues" "Hurt" "I Couldn't Keep from Crying" "I Love You Because" "I Still Miss Someone" "I Walk the Line" "If I Had a Hammer" "If I Were a Carpenter" "In My Life" "In the Jailhouse Now" "It Ain't Me Babe" "Jackson" "Kate" "The Man Comes Around" "Man in Black" "The Matador" "Oh Lonesome Me" "One Piece at a Time" "Oney" "Orange Blossom Special" "The One on the Right Is on the Left" "Remember the Alamo" "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" "Ring of Fire" "Rock Island Line" "So Doggone Lonesome" "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" "Tennessee Flat Top Box" "There Ain't No Good Chain Gang" "A Thing Called Love" "Understand Your Man" "What Is Truth" "What'd I Say" Family June Carter Cash John Carter Cash Rosanne Cash Carlene Carter Vivian Liberto Tommy Cash Carter Family Related articles Albums discography Singles discography Sun Records discography Highwaymen Carter Family Fold Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words Cash: The Autobiography Johnny Cash! The Man, His World, His Music Walk the Line We Walk the Line: A Celebration of the Music of Johnny Cash Ring of Fire (2013 film) Ring of Fire (musical) My Father and the Man in Black Dyess, Arkansas The Sound Behind Johnny Cash Book