If I Had A Hammer
Peter Paul and 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 song “If I Had a Hammer” by Peter, Paul, and Mary is a call for social justice and equality. The hammer, bell, and song are symbols of the tools people can use to make a difference in the world. The lyrics speak to the power of music, activism, and the idea that change can come from everyday people taking action. The repeated refrain of “all over this land” emphasizes the universality of these struggles and the need for unity in the fight for justice. This song is a classic example of the folk genre's ability to engage people in important social movements.


The first verse of the song speaks to the idea of using a hammer to fix things, but also using it to hammer out danger and a warning. This can be interpreted as an effort to fix the injustices of society while also warning people about them. The second verse introduces the bell as a symbol of alerting people to danger and the need for change. Lastly, the third verse talks about the power of song as a way to inspire and motivate people to take action against injustice.


Overall, this song is a powerful message about the role that each individual can play in making a difference. It encourages people to use whatever skills or tools they have to create a better world for all.


Line by Line Meaning

If I had a hammer
If I possessed a tool used for pounding nails or other materials (a hammer)


I'd hammer in the morning
I would use the hammer in the early hours of the day


I'd hammer in the evening
I would use the hammer in the later hours of the day


All over this land
In all areas of this country


I'd hammer out danger
I would use the hammer to eliminate risky situations


I'd hammer out a warning
I would use the hammer to provide advance notice of potential danger


I'd hammer out love between
I would use the hammer to foster affection and harmony among


My brothers and my sisters
My fellow people of all genders and colors


All over this land, uh
In all areas of this country


If I had a bell
If I owned a small instrument that makes a ringing sound when struck (a bell)


I'd ring it in the morning
I would use the bell to produce a sound in the early hours of the day


I'd ring it in the evening
I would use the bell to produce a sound in the later hours of the day


I'd ring out danger
I would use the bell to eliminate risky situations


I'd ring out a warning
I would use the bell to provide advance notice of potential danger


I'd ring out love between
I would use the bell to foster affection and harmony among


My brothers and my sisters
My fellow people of all genders and colors


All over this land, oh
In all areas of this country


If I had a song
If I possessed the ability to create and perform music


I'd sing it in the morning
I would perform the song in the early hours of the day


I'd sing it in the evening
I would perform the song in the later hours of the day


All over this land
In all areas of this country


I'd sing out danger
I would use the song to warn about hazardous situations


I'd song of out a warning
I would use the song to provide advance notice of potential danger


I'd sing out love between
I would use the song to foster affection and harmony among


My brothers and my sisters
My fellow people of all genders and colors


All over this land, oh
In all areas of this country


Well, I've got a hammer
I already have a hammer


And I've got a bell
I already have a bell


And I've got a song to sing
I possess the ability to create and perform music


All over this land
In all areas of this country


It's the hammer of justice
My hammer represents the power to achieve fairness and equality


It's the bell of freedom
My bell symbolizes the sound of liberation


It's a song about love between
My music celebrates the affection and unity among


My brothers and my sisters
My fellow people of all genders and colors


All over this land
In all areas of this country


It's a hammer of justice
My hammer embodies the might to achieve fairness and equality


It's a bell of freedom
My bell is a symbol of the sound of liberation


It's a song about love between my brothers and my sisters
My music celebrates the affection and unity among my fellow people of all genders and colors


All over this land
In all areas of this country




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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