IF I HAD A HAMMER (THE HAMMER SONG)

Official studio version

[Spoken:] One two, a one two

If I had a hammer I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening all over this land
I'd hammer out danger, I'd hammer out a warning
I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters all over this land

If I had a bell I'd ring it in the morning
I'd ring it in the evening all over this land
I'd ring out danger, I'd ring out a warning
I'd ring out love between my brothers and my sisters all over this land

[Spoken:] Soozie

[Violin solo]

If I had a song I'd sing it in the morning
I'd sing it in the evening all over this land
I'd sing out danger, I'd sing out a warning
I'd sing out love between my brothers and my sisters all over this land

[Spoken:] Mark

[Banjo solo]

Well I got a hammer and I got a bell
I got me a song to sing all over this land
It's the hammer of justice, it's the bell of freedom
It's the song about love between my brothers and my sisters all over this land

(Ooh ooh)

Info

IF I HAD A HAMMER (THE HAMMER SONG) is a 1950 song by The Weavers. See the original The Weavers version for more details.

Official studio version

Bruce Springsteen recorded IF I HAD A HAMMER (THE HAMMER SONG) with The Seeger Sessions Band during the third of the three Seeger Sessions. See WE SHALL OVERCOME (the "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions" section) for more details. He decided not to include it on the We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions album because, as he told The New Yorker's Alec Wilkinson, he felt that it asserted itself too forcefully among the other songs, possibly because it was so well known.

The song was eventually released in 2018 on the various artists album Appleseed's 21st Anniversary: Roots And Branches. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's official studio version of IF I HAD A HAMMER (THE HAMMER SONG) as released in 2018.

Various artists -- Appleseed's 21st Anniversary: Roots And Branches

3xCD - Appleseed Recordings (APR CD 1142) - USA, 2018

This album was released on 19 Oct 2018. It contains two Bruce Springsteen tracks, IF I HAD A HAMMER (THE HAMMER SONG) and WE SHALL OVERCOME, and Tom Russell's cover of Bruce Springsteen's ACROSS THE BORDER.

Live History

As far as it's known, Bruce Springsteen has never performed IF I HAD A HAMMER (THE HAMMER SONG) live.

Available Versions

List of available versions of IF I HAD A HAMMER (THE HAMMER SONG) on this website:

Page last updated: 21 Oct 2018