If I Had a Hammer
If I Had a Hammer is the title of one of Pete Seeger ( music) with Lee Hays ( text ) in 1949 written protest song that became an evergreen.
Genesis
The folk group The Weavers had their radio debut on January 2, 1949 when the transmitter WNYC in New York Folk Song Festival. In the coming months the song with the original title The Hammer Song originated as a protest against the prosecution of 11 Communists of the progressive movement ( " Progressive movement" ), who had violated the Smith Act for advocating an overthrow, and in June 1949, so before the Foley Square Federal Courthouse were indicted. This was adopted back in June 1940 law banned all activities that supported the overthrow of the U.S. government. The Weavers had the composition first performed on June 3, 1949 in the St. Nicholas Arena in New York during a dinner with the leaders of the Communist Party, whose supporters Pete Seeger was until 1951. When the Internal Security Act was adopted in September 1950 and, among other investigations of "subversive songs " prompted, Pete Seeger had therefore before the " House of Un-American Affairs" committee on August 18, 1955 and statements made it clear that he had " before vagrants and the Rockefellers sung " and he was proud to have never refused " to audiences whatever their religion, color or life situation " to sing.
The text combined the " Hammer of Justice " ( hammer of justice ) of the Communist Party of the USA ( CPUs ) with the symbol of the liberty bell ( bell of freedom ). The aim was to sing out loud on threats and warnings - a reference to the coming difficult times of the left movement - but also about the love between brothers and sisters across the country ( " sing out danger ... sing out a warning ... sing out love in between all of my brothers and my sisters all over this land " ). The " Hammer of Justice " although there was no allusion to the symbolism of the hammer and sickle, but was considered to be treacherous extolling the ideology of the Soviet Union; Seeger had ( " hammering judgment " ) this metaphor from the Spiritual Hammering Judgement borrowed and used for power, which aims to promote the love and the fight against injustice.
The Weavers were with Decca Records. After Decca rejected incorporation because of the political content, the Weaver Lee Hays ( vocals), Ronnie Gilbert recorded the song first in November 1949 in New York City in the occupation of Pete Seeger ( banjo / vocals), (vocals) and Fred Hellerman (vocals / guitar) for charter Records on. However, for the publication it came not because the little label was liquidated shortly thereafter. A new recording was made in December 1949 for the small label Hootenanny Records, which was considered as a platform for subversive, politically left-wing boards.
Publication and success
In Hootenanny Records the single The Hammer Song / Banks of Marble ( Hootenanny 101) came in March 1950 on the market. The B- side was a very political song. After only seven singles and an LP also this obscure label disappeared from the market. This single was a collector's item, but could not place in the charts themselves. The word combination "singing out" ( loud singing ) from The Hammer Song spread quickly and gave the magazine Sing Out! his name, the first issue in May 1950 also contributed to the title screen with the lyrics of the song Hammer.
Cover versions
There are at least 116 recorded cover versions. As one of the first groups The Limelighters attacked the folk song ( LP The Limelighters; March 1960 ), and still as a hammer song. Peter, Paul and Mary arranged the song and re- titled for the first time as If I Had a Hammer ( LP Peter, Paul and Mary, April 1962 ); the LP reached No. 1 on the LP charts and sold 2 million copies. From this they coupled If I Had a Hammer as their second single from ( August 1962 ) and sang the title and the Civil Rights march on August 28, 1963 ( March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom ). The single reached rank 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 The Weavers presented the song live on 2/3 May 1963 at Carnegie Hall as If I Had a Hammer. This was followed in particular the Brothers Four (LP Big Folk Hits, May 1963 ), The Lettermen ( September 1963 ), Martha and the Vandellas ( September 1963 ), Bobby Darin (LP Golden Folk Hits, July 1962, published in November 1963), Brian Hyland (15 November 1963) or Sam Cooke ( July 7/8 1964).
Trini Lopez If I Had A Hammer took live on " PJ's Club" in Los Angeles for his debut album, Trini Lopez at PJ's on. He was here with his consort (Dick Brant / bass, and Mickey Jones / drums) booked for 3 months. Music producer Don Costa began with help from the recording studio - owner Wally Heider a live atmosphere of night clubs with infectious audience clapping. Published on June 5, 1963 LP sold more than 1 million copies, published in the July 1963 single release in the U.S. remained in the Top 40 for 48 weeks, reached rank 3 of the charts and became a number -one hit in 36 countries. She sold in the U.S. 1 million, 500,000 in Germany and more than 4.5 million copies.
Claude François made the French version j'avais Si un marteau ( " If I had a Hammer" ) to number -one hit in France ( October 1963 ). Rita Pavone brought it in Italy with the Twist version Datemi Un Martello ( " Give me a hammer ", January 1964 ) to rank second on a Spanish-language version, titled Si Tuviera un martillo made the Chilean singer Victor Jara known. A German -language version is derived from Peter Kraus and Gina Dobra under the title If I had a hammer ( 1964). Wanda Jackson (8 November 1968) brought out a Contryversion that rank 41 on the country charts reached. From Country - mate Johnny Cash there was in June 1972, a duet with June Carter Cash.