If I Had a Hammer

For other uses, see If I Had a Hammer (disambiguation).

"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
Genre	Folk
Label	Hootenanny
Songwriter(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
Genre	Folk
Length	2:11
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriter(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
Venue	P.J.'s
Genre	Folk rock
Length	2:59
Label	Reprise
Songwriter(s)	Pete Seeger Lee Hays
Producer(s)	Don Costa
Trini Lopez singles chronology
"If I Had a Hammer" (1963) "Kansas City" (1963)

"Datemi un martello"
Single by Rita Pavone
B-side	"Che m'importa del mondo"
Released	December 1963 [1]
Recorded	1963
Genre	Pop, chanson, surf rock
Length	2:40
Label	RCA Italiana
Songwriter(s)	Pete Seeger Lee Hays Sergio Bardotti
Producer(s)	Luis Bacalov
Rita Pavone singles chronology
"Cuore" (1963) "Datemi un martello" (1963) "Son finite le vacanze" (1963)

"If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)" is a protest 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 No. 10 hit for Peter, Paul and Mary in 1962 and then went to No. 3 a year later when recorded by Trini Lopez in 1963. In a May 1963 interview on Folk Music Worldwide, Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary characterized the song as "a young national anthem for the United States". ^[2]

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

Early versions

The song was first publicly performed by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays on June 3, 1949, at St. Nicholas Arena in New York City at a dinner in support of prominent members of the Communist Party of the United States, including New York City Councilman Benjamin J. Davis, who were then on trial in federal court, charged with violating the Smith Act by advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government. ^[3] Four months later, it was one of three songs Seeger played as the warm-up act for Paul Robeson's September 4 concert near Peekskill, New York, attended by Davis, which subsequently erupted into the notorious, anti-Communist Peekskill Riot. ^[4] In 1950 Seeger and Irwin Silber featured a copy of the sheet music of "The Hammer Song" for the cover of Sing Out! , their new magazine (the successor to People's Songs and the People's Songs Bulletin), whose title was taken from the song's chorus. ^[5] Due to the Red Scare and subsequent blacklists, the song when first released did not receive wide exposure outside of activist circles.

Hit versions

It fared notably better commercially when it was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary 12 years later. Their version of the song, released in July 1962 from the group's debut album became a top 10 hit, and won the Grammy Awards for Best Folk Recording and Best Performance by a Vocal Group. It reached number 17 in Canada. ^[6] Trini Lopez's 1963 single went to number three on the same Billboard chart and number five in Canada. ^[7] It was included on his album Trini Lopez at PJ's (Reprise R/RS 6093). ^[8] Rita Pavone's Italian-language adaptation "Datemi un martello", with lyrics by Sergio Bardotti, was a major hit in Italy and also charted in South America. ^[9]

Other versions

• The Limeliters titled their version The Hammer Song on the 1960 album The Limeliters .
• Martha and the Vandellas performed it on their 1963 album Heat Wave . ^[10]
• Ross MacManus, father of Elvis Costello, sang the song with the Joe Loss Orchestra on the Royal Variety Show in 1963. ^[11]
• The Sam Cooke album Sam Cooke at the Copa (1964) contains a live version of the song. ^[10]
• Leonard Nimoy covered the song in 1968. ^[10] It was republished in 1993 as part of the Highly Illogical compilation, and in 1997 as part of the Spaced Out compilation. Critics derided Nimoy's version, ^[12] calling it "a real lowlight". ^[13] Sado-masochistic performance artist Bob Flanagan pounded nails into his scrotum while playing Nimoy's version. ^[14]
• Chilean singer Victor Jara included a Spanish-language version of the song titled "El martillo" (Spanish : The Hammer) on his 1969 album Pongo en tus manos abiertas . ^[15] Promoting left-wing political ideas, Jara was making a connection between U.S. civil rights concerns and the same in Chile. Later, in 1971, he covered another U.S. song: the political satire of "Little Boxes". ^[16]
• Johnny Cash released the song in 1972 with his wife June Carter Cash singing harmony. The song hit number 29 on the US country chart in August 1972, ^[17] and it was included on his album Any Old Wind That Blows (1973). Cash's version was more in the rock music vein, powered by two electric guitarists: Carl Perkins on lead and solo, and Bob Wootton handling rhythm. ^[18]
• 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 in April 1969. ^[19]
• French singer Claude François released a version in a single in 1963. It was translated and adaptated by Vline Buggy. This version does not contain the protest dimension of the original song. On the contrary, it values the idea of family and work. In this context, the bell evokes the church and places the song in a conservative French tradition. It reached number 1 on the French country chart in 1963, and number 2 in Belgium (WA).
• Bruce Springsteen recorded an unrehearsed version of the song with a star-studded group in 2004, but the track was left out of the resulting album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006) because Springsteen was concerned that the song's fame would upstage the lesser-known songs on the album. The album was successful, attracting more fans to Seeger's music. ^[10] In 2018, Springsteen's Seeger Sessions version of "Hammer" was released in a compilation album titled Appleseed's 21st Anniversary – Roots And Branches. ^{[20] [21]}

Legacy

The song "If I Had a Hammer" was a freedom song of the civil rights movement. It had a tremendous impact on the American youth in the 1960s who protested against the American culture. It helped to spark the hippie movement.^{[ citation needed ]}

Charts

Peter, Paul and Mary

Chart (1962)	Peak position
Canada CHUM Chart [22]	17
US Billboard Hot 100 [23]	10
US Cashbox Top 100 [24]	13

Trini Lopez

Chart (1963–1964)	Peak position
Argentina [25]	1
Australia (Kent Music Report) [26]	2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [27]	1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [28]	1
Canada (CHUM Chart) [29]	5
Denmark (Hitlisten) [30]	1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [31]	16
France (IFOP) [32]	3
France (Cash Box) [33]	1
Ireland [34]	3
Israel (Kol Yisrael) [35]	1
Italy ( Musica e dischi ) [36]	10
Mexico (AMPROFON) [37]	1
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [38]	1
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) [39]	2
Norway (VG-lista) [40]	2
Peru [41]	1
South Africa [42]	3
Spain (AFYVE) [43]	1
Sweden (Kvällstoppen) [44]	1
Sweden ( Tio i Topp ) [45]	1
Switzerland (Musikmarkt) [46]	2
UK Singles (OCC) [47]	4
Uruguay [48]	4
US Billboard Hot 100 [49]	3
US Billboard Hot R&B Singles [50]	12
Venezuela [51]	8
West Germany (GfK) [52]	2

Rita Pavone

Chart (1964)	Peak position
Argentina (CAPIF) [53]	3
Brazil (IBOPE) [54]	1
Uruguay [55]	5

References

1. "Rita Pavone - Datemi un martello".
2. "PAUL STOOKEY 2 - Folk Music Worldwide, 1963 Interview". www.folkmusicworldwide.com. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
3. "Town Talk," The Daily Worker, June 1, 1949
4. Frillmann, Karen. "Today in History: Peekskill Riots". WYNC (New York), 4 September 2009. Accessed 25 January 2015.
5. Irwin Silber, in "Notes from an Editor’s Diary", recalls he borrowed the name Sing Out! from the third verse of "The Hammer Song" written by Lee Hays and Pete Seeger, which incidentally was printed on the cover of issue number one. It seemed to the publishers an appropriate aim to "sing out danger ... sing out a warning ... sing out love between all my brothers (and my sisters) all over this land". "Sing Out, History"
6. "CHUM Hit Parade - August 27, 1962".
7. "CHUM Hit Parade - September 2, 1963".
8. Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 21 - Forty Miles of Bad Road: Some of the best from rock 'n' roll's dark ages. [Part 2]" (audio). Pop Chronicles . University of North Texas Libraries. Track 2.
9. Salvatori, Dario (2001). "Datemi un martello". Dizionario delle canzoni italiane. Elle U. p. 119. ISBN   8888169016.
10. Phull, Hardeep (2008). Story behind the Protest Song: A Reference Guide to the 50 Songs That Changed the 20th Century. ABC-CLIO. p. 20. ISBN   9781567206852.
11. Laing, Dave (December 21, 2011). "Ross MacManus Obituary". The Guardian . Retrieved 23 September 2017.
12. Simpson, Paul, ed. (2003). The Rough Guide to Cult Pop. Rough Guides. p. 80. ISBN   9781843532293.
13. Schnakenberg, Robert (2014). The Encyclopedia Shatnerica: An A to Z Guide to the Man and His Universe. Quirk Books. p. 223. ISBN   9781594747762.
14. Sandahl, Carrie (2000). "Bob Flanagan: Taking It Like a Man". Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism: 97–105.
15. "Pongo en Tus Manos Abiertas - Victor Jara | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 2020-03-23.
16. Mularski, Jedrek (2014). Music, Politics, and Nationalism In Latin America: Chile During the Cold War Era. Cambria Press. p. 94. ISBN   9781621967378.
17. "Johnny Cash". Billboard .
18. Banister, C. Eric (2014). Johnny Cash FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Man in Black. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 208. ISBN   9781617136092.
19. "Wanda Jackson". Billboard .
20. "Various Artists – Appleseed's 21st Anniversary: Roots and Branches". AllMusic . Retrieved July 14, 2021.
21. "Appleseed will release unreleased Springsteen recording". Point Blank. August 28, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
22. "CHUM Hit Parade - August 27, 1962".
23. "Peter Paul Mary Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
24. "Cashbox Top 100: October 16, 1962". cashboxmagazine.com. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
25. "Cash Box – International Best Sellers" (PDF). World Radio History. Cash Box. 29 August 1964. p. 46.
26. Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book (1940–1969). Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-44439-5.
27. "Trini Lopez – If I Had A Hammer" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
28. "Trini Lopez – If I Had A Hammer" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
29. "CHUM Hit Parade - September 2, 1963".
30. "Cash Box – International Best Sellers" (PDF). World Radio History. Cash Box. 7 December 1963. p. 36.
31. Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Trini Lopez". Sisältää hitin – 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 152. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
32. "InfoDisc : Accès direct à ces Artistes > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
33. "Cash Box – International Best Sellers" (PDF). World Radio History. Cash Box. 11 January 1964. p. 38.
34. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . 2 November 1963. p. 28. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
35. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . 9 November 1963. p. 24. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
36. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 15 March 2024. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Trini Lopez".
37. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . 25 April 1964. p. 36. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
38. "Trini Lopez – If I Had A Hammer" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
39. Flavour of New Zealand, 3 October 1963
40. "Trini Lopez – If I Had A Hammer". VG-lista. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
41. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . 15 February 1964. p. 38. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
42. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . 23 November 1963. p. 32. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
43. Salaverri, Fernando (2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN   84-8048-639-2.
44. Hallberg, Eric (1993). Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 - 19. 8. 1975. Drift Musik. p. 243. ISBN   9163021404.
45. Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (1998). Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 - 74. Premium Publishing. p. 313. ISBN   919727125X.
46. Swiss Charts Archive. 15 February 1964.
47. "Trini Lopez: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
48. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . 30 May 1964. p. 28. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
49. "Trini Lopez Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
50. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 360.
51. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard . 9 May 1964. p. 30. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
52. "Offiziellecharts.de – Trini Lopez – If I Had A Hammer" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 15 March 2024. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON Trini Lopez"
53. "Billboard (8/29/64)" (PDF).
54. "Billboard (9/5/64)" (PDF).
55. "Billboard (7/18/64)" (PDF).

External links

• Lyrics on Arlo Guthrie website
• Lyrics and a collection of quotes about "If I Had A Hammer"
• Ross MacManus performing the song