If I Had a Hammer
Sam Cooke Lyrics


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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 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'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 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 la-a-and

Overall Meaning

Sam Cooke's song "If I Had a Hammer" is a powerful call for justice, peace, and love. The song is a folk anthem that envisions a world where all people can live free from danger and oppression. The song's chorus is an appeal to the power of human creativity, symbolized by the hammer, bell, and song, to build a world that is just and peaceful. The song envisions a world where all people can come together to build a better, more just society.


The first verse of the song talks about how the singer would use their hammer to "hammer out danger" and "hammer out a warning" all over the land. This could be interpreted as a call for action against systemic oppression, inequality, and racism. The second verse talks about ringing a bell to signal danger and warning, while the third verse talks about singing a song to spread awareness and love between all people, emphasizing the power of art and music to bring people together. The final verse declares that the singer has a hammer, a bell, and a song, and that they are symbols of justice, freedom, and love that can be used to build a better future for all.


The song was written in 1949 by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays, members of the folk group The Weavers. The song was originally titled "The Hammer Song," and it became popular during the labor movement and civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The song was later recorded by many artists, including Peter, Paul and Mary, Trini Lopez, and of course, Sam Cooke. Cooke's version of the song was released in 1964 and reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song became an anthem of the civil rights movement and a powerful symbol of hope and resistance.


Line by Line Meaning

If I had a hammer,
If I possessed a tool for construction,


I'd hammer in the morning,
I would use it to strike objects during daybreak,


I'd hammer in the evening,
I'll continue hitting things with it during sunset,


All over this land,
I would use it to affect this entire area,


I'd hammer out danger,
I'll use it to stop threatening things,


I'd hammer out a warning,
I will hit it to alert people of impending danger,


I'd hammer out love between,
I'll use it to cement relationships,


My brothers and my sisters,
With my siblings,


All over this land.
Across this entire region,


If I had a bell,
If I had a resonant signalling device,


I'd ring it in the morning,
I'll make it chime to communicate during daybreak,


I'd ring it in the evening,
I'll make it chime to communicate during sunset,


I'd ring out danger,
I will make it chime loud to warn of potential threats,


I'd ring out a warning,
I will use it to let people know about something important,


I'd ring out love between,
I'll use it to express affection between people,


My brothers and my sisters,
With my siblings - emphasizing unity,


All over this land.
Across this entire region,


If I had a song
If I had a melody to sing,


I'd sing it in the morning
I'll voice it out during daybreak,


I'd sing it in the evening
I'll voice it out during sunset,


All over this land
Across this entire region,


I'd sing out danger
I'll tell others of potential threats,


I'd sing out a warning
I'll use it to alert people about something crucial,


I'd sing out love between
I'll voice the feelings of fondness between individuals,


My brothers and my sisters
With my siblings - emphasizing camaraderie,


All over this land
Across this entire region,


Well, I've got a hammer
Well, I have a construction tool,


And I've got a bell
And I have a resonant signalling device,


And I've got a song to sing
And I have a melody to vocalize,


All over this land
Across this entire region,


It's the hammer of justice
The tool can be used for righteous purposes,


It's the bell of freedom
The device can sound the start of liberation,


It's a song about love between my Brothers and my sisters
The melody conveys unity and fondness among individuals,


All over this land
Across this entire region,




Lyrics © Tratore
Written by: LEE HAYS, PETE SEEGER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Phil David


on Goin' Home

The lyric is not “Nothing loss of days...”
It is “Nothing’s lost, all is gain...”
You will notice this actually supports the rhyme.

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