The Brothers Four are an American folk group founded in 1957 in Seattle, Wa… Read Full Bio ↴The Brothers Four are an American folk group founded in 1957 in Seattle, Washington. Bob Flick, John Paine, Mike Kirkland, and Dick Foley met at the University of Washington, where they were members of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity in 1956. Their first professional performances were the result of a prank played on them in 1958 by a rival fraternity, who had arranged for someone to call them, pretend to be from Seattle's Colony Club, and invite them to come down to audition for a gig. Even though they were not expected at the club, they were allowed to sing a few songs anyway, and were subsequently hired. Flick recalls them being paid "mostly in beer."

They left for San Francisco in 1959, where they met Mort Lewis, Dave Brubeck's manager. Lewis became their manager and later that year secured them a contract with Columbia Records. Their second single, "Greenfields," released in January 1960, hit #2 on the pop charts, and their first album, Brothers Four, released toward the end of the year, made the top 20. Other highlights of their early career included singing their fourth single, "The Green Leaves of Summer," from the John Wayne movie The Alamo, at the 1961 Academy Awards, and having their second album, BMOC/Best Music On/Off Campus, go top 10. They also recorded the theme song for the ABC television series Hootenanny, "Hootenanny Saturday Night," in 1963.

The British Invasion and the ascendance of such folk musicians as Bob Dylan put an end to the Brothers Four's early period of success, but they kept performing and making records, doing particularly well in Japan and on the American hotel circuit.

The band attempted a comeback by recording a highly commercial version of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." But the band was unable to release it because of licensing issues, and The Byrds eventually stole their thunder by releasing their heralded version.

Mike Kirkland left the group in 1969, and was replaced by Mark Pearson, another University of Washington alumnus. In 1971, Pearson left and was replaced by Bob Haworth, who stayed until 1989 and was replaced by a returning Pearson. Dick Foley left the group in 1990 and was replaced by Terry Lauber. Despite all the changes and having spent 47 years in the business, the group is still active today (2004).

If I Had a Hammer
The Brothers Four 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 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...

Overall Meaning

The Brothers Four's song "If I Had A Hammer" is a powerful anthem of social justice and activism, calling for love and unity across society. The lyrics speak of the desire to hammer out danger and warning but also to hammer out love between brothers and sisters, all over this land. The singer of the song expresses a hopeful optimism, a belief that even the smallest actions, such as ringing a bell or singing a song, can make significant differences in the world. The final stanza asserts that the hammer, bell, and song are not just hypothetical but are already in the singer's possession, and they represent the hammer of justice, the bell of freedom, and the song of love between siblings all over the land.

The song's message is clear: small actions can make a big difference in the world, and anyone can contribute to the cause of justice and equality. The repetition of the phrase "All over this land" reinforces the idea that these messages of love, warning, and danger are universal and must be spread everywhere. The hammer, bell, and song are symbols of the singer's commitment to and belief in the power of social change, and they represent the tools that anyone can use to make the world a better place.

Line by Line Meaning

If I had a hammer
If I had a tool, I would use it

I'd hammer in the morning
I would use it in the morning

I'd hammer in the evening
I would use it in the evening

All over this land
Everywhere

I'd hammer out danger
I would use it to eliminate danger

I'd hammer out a warning
I would use it to issue a warning

I'd hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters
I would use it to spread love among all people

If I had a bell
If I had an object that makes a sound when struck

I'd ring it in the morning
I would use it to make noise in the morning

I'd ring it in the evening
I would use it to make noise in the evening

I'd ring out danger
I would use it to eliminate danger by creating noise