She was born Odetta Holmes in Birmingham, Alabama, grew up in Los Angeles, California, and studied music at Los Angeles City College. Having operatic training from the age of 13, her first professional experience was in musical theater, with a touring company of the musical Finian's Rainbow in 1949.
While on tour with Finian's Rainbow, Odetta "fell in with an enthusiastic group of young balladeers", and after 1951 concentrated on folksinging. She made her name by playing around the country: at the Blue Angel nightclub (New York City), the hungry i (San Francisco), and Tin Angel (San Francisco), where she and Larry Mohr recorded Odetta and Larry in 1954, for Fantasy Records.
A solo career followed, with Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues (1956) and a live album recorded at the Gate of Horn in Chicago in 1957. Harry Belafonte included her in a nationwide television special in 1959, and Odetta Sings Folk Songs was one of 1963's best-selling folk albums.
Odetta was active in the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King, Jr. called her "the queen of American folk music". Bob Dylan and Joan Baez were among many folk musicians who credited Odetta with being a major influence on their work.
Having previous acting experience, Odetta also acted in several films, notably the film of William Faulkner's Sanctuary (1961) and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974).
On December 02, 2008, Odetta died from heart disease in New York City. She was 77 years of age.
If I Had A Hammer
Odetta Lyrics
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I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening
All over this land!
Hammer out danger
I'd hammer out a warning
I'd hammer out love
Between all of my brothers
If I had a bell
I'd ring it in the morning
And I'd ring it in the evening
All over this land!
Ring out danger
I'd ring out a warning
I'd ring out love
Between all of my brothers
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!
Sing out danger
Sing out warning
I'd sing out love
Between all of my brothers
All over this land!
Well, I got a hammer
I've got a bell
And I got a song to sing
All over this land!
It's the hammer of justice
The bell of freedom
And my song about love
Between all of my brothers
All over this land!
The song “If I Had a Hammer” by Odetta is a call for social justice and equality. The lyrics suggest that with the right tools, love, and warnings, all people can come together to fight against injustice, poverty, and conflict. The hammer represents the power to create and build, and it's the starting point for creating a better world. The bell symbolizes alarms of danger that need to be heard and heeded, and the song represents a powerful tool to spread knowledge and hope.
The chorus, “All over this land!” implies that this fight for equality and justice is universal, and it isn't limited by geography, race or religion. The repetition of the phrase, “Between all of my brothers," highlights the importance of brotherhood, unity and love across all boundaries.
The fourth verse declares that the singer already owns the hammer, bell and song. The Hammer of Justice, the Bell of Freedom and the Song of Love, will provide the essential tools for the struggle ahead. The song, which is a powerful social and political protest song, captures our shared aspiration for a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
If I had a hammer
If I possessed the tool of a hammer
I'd hammer in the morning
I'd strike the hammer against objects during the morning
I'd hammer in the evening
I'd strike the hammer against objects during the evening
All over this land!
Everywhere in this country!
Hammer out danger
Use the hammer to eliminate danger
I'd hammer out a warning
Use the hammer to alert of incoming danger
I'd hammer out love
Use the hammer to create unity and peace
Between all of my brothers
Amongst all people in society
If I had a bell
If I possessed the musical instrument of a bell
I'd ring it in the morning
I'd make the bell create sound in the morning
And I'd ring it in the evening
I'd make the bell create sound in the evening
Ring out danger
Create sound with the bell to eradicate danger
I'd ring out a warning
Create sound with the bell to announce incoming peril
I'd ring out love
Create sound with the bell to spread warmth, unity and love
If I had a song
If I owned a melodious tune
I'd sing it in the morning
I'd use my voice to melodically sing in the morning
I'd sing it in the evening
I'd use my voice to melodically sing in the evening
Sing out danger
Chant a song that yells out and fights danger
Sing out warning
Chant a song that warns against a hazard
I'd sing out love
Chant a song of affection towards others
Well, I got a hammer
I have a hammer
I've got a bell
I own a bell
And I got a song to sing
I have a melodic tune to chant
All over this land!
In every place of this country!
It's the hammer of justice
The hammer represents an instrument of justice
The bell of freedom
The bell symbolizes freedom
And my song about love
My tune focuses on love between all people
Between all of my brothers
Amongst all individuals in society
All over this land!
In every location of this country!
Contributed by Carson P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.