THE HAMMER SONG (IF I HAD A HAMMER)
(learned from Pete Seeger and Barry Olivier and Martin Choate in the late 1950s)- written by Lee Hays and Pete Seeger;
- i would guess that it is Pete Seeger's most popular song)
If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the mornin',
If I had a bell, I'd ring it in the mornin',
If I had a song, I'd sing it in the mornin',
Well, I got a hammer, and I got a bell,
(from miriam berg's folksong collection)
I'd hammer in the evenin', all over this land;
I'd hammer out danger, I'd hammer out a warnin',
I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.
I'd ring it in the evenin', all over this land;
I'd ring out danger, I'd ring out a warnin',
I'd ring out love between my brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.
I'd sing it in the evenin', all over this land;
I'd sing out danger, I'd sing out a warnin',
I'd sing out love between my brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.
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 the song of love between my brothers and my sisters,
All over this land.