… Read Full Bio ↴Ruthie Foster is an American singer/songwriter of blues and folk music.
She is from Gause, Texas and from a family of gospel singers. She studied music at McLennan Community College and then worked in the US Navy, where she started performing. Her debut was released in 1997 and she has performed in North America, Europe and Australia. She has often been compared to Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin.
If I Had a Hammer
Ruthie Foster Lyrics
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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,
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.
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.
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 the song about Love between my brothers and my sisters,
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.
The lyrics to Ruthie Foster's "If I Had A Hammer" express a desire for unity, love, and equality among all people. The hammer is used as a metaphor for the power to create change, the bell as a call to action, and the song as a way to inspire and spread love. The repetition of "all over this land" emphasizes the need for this message of equality to reach all corners of society.
The first verse introduces the idea of hammering and its potential to bring both warnings and love. The second verse continues the theme but introduces a bell that can ring out the same messages. The final verse brings in the idea of song, which could be the most powerful tool of all. The chorus ties all three together as the hammer, bell, and song all work together to spread love and equality.
The final stanza communicates the main message of the song. The singer has everything they need to spread justice, freedom, and love, and they are ready to use these tools to bring about change. The repetition of "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" drives home the importance of these themes.
Overall, "If I Had A Hammer" is an uplifting and inspirational song that encourages unity and love among all people. It suggests that change is possible but requires the effort of everyone, using whatever tools are available.
Line by Line Meaning
If I had a hammer,
If I possessed a tool to strike objects,
I'd hammer in the morning
I would utilize my hammer during the early hours of the day
I'd hammer in the evening,
I would use my hammer during the later hours of the day
All over this land
Everywhere throughout the country
I'd hammer out danger,
I would use my hammer to get rid of any unsafe situation
I'd hammer out a warning,
I would strike my hammer to apprise people of potential dangers
I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters,
I would utilize my hammer to establish a sense of love among family
If I had a bell,
If I owned a bell
I'd ring it in the morning,
I would produce a sound from my bell during the early hours of the day
I'd ring it in the evening,
I would make a sound from my bell during the later hours of the day
I'd ring out danger,
I would use my bell to warn of danger
I'd ring out a warning
I would use my bell to alert people of potential issues
I'd ring out love between my brothers and my sisters,
I would make sounds with my bell to establish a sense of love among family
If I had a song,
If I had a melody to sing
I'd sing it in the morning,
I would perform my song during the early hours of the day
I'd sing it in the evening,
I would perform my song during the later hours of the day
I'd sing out danger,
I would include signs of danger in my song
I'd sing out a warning
I would include warnings in my song
I'd sing out love between my brothers and my sisters,
I would include signs of love among family members in my song
Well I got a hammer,
I possess a hammer
And I got a bell,
Additionally, I also have a bell in my possession
And I got a song to sing, all over this land.
Lastly, I am in the possession of a melody, which I intend to sing all over the country
It's the hammer of Justice,
My hammer represents justice
It's the bell of Freedom,
My bell is a symbol of freedom
It's the song about Love between my brothers and my sisters,
The melody that I sing is about the love that family members share
All over this land.
Everywhere throughout the country
It's the hammer of Justice,
My hammer represents justice
It's the bell of Freedom,
My bell is a symbol of freedom
It's the song about Love between my brothers and my sisters,
The melody that I sing is about the love that family members share
All over this land.
Everywhere throughout the country
Lyrics © Tratore
Written by: LEE HAYS, PETE SEEGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind