If I Had A Hammer
Pater & Paul & Mary Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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, uh

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, oh

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 song of out a warning
I'd sing out love between
My brothers and my sisters
All over this land, oh

Well, I've got a hammer
And I've got a bell
And I've 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
It's a hammer of justice
It's a bell of freedom




It's a song about love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "If I Had a Hammer" by Peter, Paul, and Mary convey a message of unity, activism, and the power of love. The song expresses a desire for social change and a belief in the ability of ordinary people to bring about that change.


The repeated refrain "If I had a hammer" represents the singer's aspirations for social justice. The hammer symbolizes the power to shape and transform society. By hammering out danger and warning, the song suggests the need to challenge and confront injustice and oppression. The singer also longs to hammer out love between their brothers and sisters, highlighting the importance of unity and empathy in creating a better world.


The next verse introduces the image of a bell. The bell is used to ring out danger and warning, drawing attention to the need for awareness and action. It is also a symbol of liberation and freedom. Through ringing the bell, the singer hopes to promote equality and justice for all.


The final verse introduces the idea of a song. Songs have the power to inspire, uplift, and unite people. By singing out danger and warning, the singer aims to raise awareness and motivate others to take action. The song also emphasizes the importance of love and connection among all individuals, regardless of their differences.


The concluding lines, "I've got a hammer, and I've got a bell, and I've got a song to sing all over this land," affirm the power and agency of the singer. They possess the tools needed to enact change and spread a message of justice and love. The hammer represents justice, the bell symbolizes freedom, and the song represents unity and hope.


Line by Line Meaning

If I had a hammer
If I possessed a tool for creating change


I'd hammer in the morning
I would take action during the early hours


I'd hammer in the evening
I would continue my efforts throughout the day


All over this land
Throughout this entire nation


I'd hammer out danger
I would eliminate threats and hazards


I'd hammer out a warning
I would alert others to potential dangers


I'd hammer out love between My brothers and my sisters
I would foster love and unity among all people


All over this land, uh
In every corner of this country


If I had a bell
If I possessed a symbol of communication


I'd ring it in the morning
I would use it to make a resounding impact from the start


I'd ring it in the evening
I would continue to make my voice heard until the day's end


I'd ring out danger
I would alert others to looming threats


I'd ring out a warning
I would sound an alarm to caution others


I'd ring out love between My brothers and my sisters
I would convey a message of love and harmony among all people


All over this land, oh
Throughout this entire nation


If I had a song
If I possessed a means of expression


I'd sing it in the morning
I would share it at the beginning of each day


I'd sing it in the evening
I would continue to spread my message until the day's end


All over this land
Throughout this entire nation


I'd sing out danger
I would bring attention to potential threats


I'd song of out a warning
I would melodically convey a message of caution


I'd sing out love between My brothers and my sisters
I would use my voice to promote love and harmony among all people


All over this land, oh
Throughout this entire nation


Well, I've got a hammer
Well, I possess a tool for creating change


And I've got a bell
And I possess a symbol of communication


And I've got a song to sing
And I possess a means of expression


All over this land
Throughout this entire nation


It's the hammer of justice
It represents the power of fairness and equity


It's the bell of freedom
It symbolizes the liberation and independence


It's a song about love between My brothers and my sisters
It is a melody that promotes love and unity among all people


All over this land
Throughout this entire nation


It's a hammer of justice
It symbolizes the tool for bringing about fairness and equity


It's a bell of freedom
It represents the symbol of liberation and independence


It's a song about love between my brothers and my sisters
It is a musical expression of love and unity among all people


All over this land
Throughout this entire nation




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lee Hays, Pete Seeger

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@melaninsupergurl-vu4uv

​@@SophiaSchwartz009 stalinist communists with the hammer of the hammer and sickle.

Written for the Progressive Party which was controlled from Moscow because they needed a new face because HCSA was going to make CPUSA illegal.

Progressive equals Communist.

Don't let anyone fool you.

AOC, ANTIFA etc.



All comments from YouTube:

@h2d127

Sent this song to my friend who’s going through chemotherapy and all he wants to do is ring the bell 🔔 which will signal his success. Please pray for him every one who reads this message. Thank you so much!

@alanstar9175

Praying for your friend to get through this most difficult time of his life. May he be blessed and surrounded with good, loving, and positive energy. Sending him lots of this energy for recovery.

@user-cy2oc2bj1g

Im 47yo.. When i was 6yo my dad would play this song while doing carpentry in our house... Thanks dad for all our wonderful memories, grateful to God for giving me the best dad in the whole world.. Rest well in heaven... You are forever in my heart!❤❤ ❤❤

@pmimagery1295

This is the first song I ever learned to sing. I used to sing it to my grandparents, may God bless their souls.

@not2tees

The hammer of justice, the bell of freedom . . . they ring forever.

@Teho231

There’s something about that song that speaks to my heart even when I first heard it as a child in the 60’s. Thank you for this wonderful download.

@bigbadwolf200335

We used to sing this in school in the 60's and 70's

@beckyyeagersmith7252

IF any of us had HALF the conviction as Mary singing this song, swinging her hair...meaning it. By golly, we'd get things DONE .

@wislinman

Mary Travers for President (I know...)!!!

@9175rock

Smh

More Comments

More Versions