• 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 it in danger, I'd ring out a warning
  I'd ring in love between my brothers and my sisters all over this land
  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 it in danger, I'd sing out a warning
  I'd sing in love between my brothers and my sisters all over this land
  Well I got a hammer and I got a bell
  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 a song about love between my brothers and my sisters all over this land Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 3

• Barry from Sauquoit, NyPer: http://www.oldiesmusic.com/news.htm
  Ronnie Gilbert, contralto singer with the influential Weavers folk quartet, died of natural causes Saturday (June 6th, 2015) at a retirement home in Mill Valley, California. She was 88. The group-- including Pete Seeger, Lee Hays (who had performed together earlier in the Almanac Singers) and Fred Hellerman-- formed in 1948 in Greenwich Village, New York where they appeared at the Village Vanguard club. Their name came from an 1892 play about the uprising by Eastern European weavers nearly 50 years earlier. They were quickly signed to Decca Records where they succeeded with traditional American folk tunes like "Goodnight Irene" (#1-1950), "So Long It's Been Good To Know You" (#4-1951) and "On Top Of Old Smoky" (#2-1951)-- the latter with Terry Gilkyson. When Pete and Lee were identified as members of the Communist Party and called to testify before the House Committee on Unamerican Activities in 1955 (Lee pleaded the Fifth Amendment, Pete refused to answer on First Amendment grounds though he had left the party in 1949 and was indicted for contempt of Congress), the group's success was over. Decca had already dropped their contract in 1952, they were blacklisted from radio and television and the group eventually split up. Ronnie went on to tour solo but with little commercial success. However, the Weavers' influence in the folk boom of the late '50s and early '60s on such groups as the Kingston Trio; Peter, Paul and Mary and Bob Dylan was undeniable. The group reunited in 1980 for a documentary film, "The Weavers: Wasn't That A Time," which was released two years later. They were given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2006 and inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001...
  May she R.I.P.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyPete Seeger passed away yesterday, January 27h, 2014, at the age of 94...
  In 1949 he, along with Lee Hays, composed "If I Had A Hammer"; and their folk group the Weavers recorded in that year...
  On August 12th, 1962 Peter, Paul and Mary's covered version entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on October 7th, 1962 it peaked at 10 (for 1 week) and spent 12 weeks on the Top 100...
  And one year later on July 21st, 1963 Trini Lopez entered the Top 100 with his version for a stay of 12 weeks; on September 1st, 1963 it reached #3 (for 3 weeks), it was his biggest hit and his only Top 10 record of the thirteen he place on the Top 100.
• Wesley from King, United KingdomI discovered this song through Leonard Nimoy's cover, and it has fast become one of my favourites. I've read also that it was something of an anthem for the civil rights movement in the 50s and 60s. If more people hammered out the songs of love, this would be a much better world. Peace and love. :)

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