Artist: Weavers
Author: Pete Seeger/Lee Hays
Label: Hootenanny
Year: 1950
Agit-folk offspring of the Almanac Singers (see: Union Maid) with Pete Seeger, Gordon Jenkins and Lee Hays. Ended up on senator McCarthy's blacklist in 1952. Singing about hammers was like begging for a communist label. Earlier version for the Charter label was saved up for Bear Family box set Songs For Political Action.
Covers:
Libby Frank [the first to sing: "my brothers and my sisters" instead of "all of my brothers"]
Pete Seeger [coauthor as If I Had A Hammer]
Vipers Skiffle Group [idem]
Peter, Paul & Mary [top 10 US]
Trini Lopez [n°1 B & NL]
Brothers Four [all as If I Had A Hammer]
Claude François [as Si j'avais un marteau n°1 Fr]
Surfs [idem and as Datemi Un Martello]
Rita Pavone [as Datemi Un Martello n°1 It]
Rob de Nijs [as Oh Had Ik Een Hamer]
Ace Cannon [all as If I Had A Hammer]
Victor Jara [as El Martillo]
Nicky Thomas [reggae version]
Johnny Cash [with June Carter]
Will Tura [as Had Ik Een Hamer]
Franck Olivier [as Si j'avais un marteau]
Nanci Griffith [with everyone involved on her album Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back To Bountiful)]
Jan Rot [as Man Met De Hamer]
Kronos Quartet [as If I Had A Hammer]
Sing Out! magazine's title was inspired by the third verse.
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)