If I had a Hammer – On the Rocks

by The Weavers – – – Key of A

The “hammer” in this song is a metaphor for power, and a call to use that power to promote love and fight injustice. It’s a song that has endured through changing times because the message is constant.
Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary said in Performing Songwriter “The civil rights movement embraced If I Had A Hammer as a kind of an anthem, but that song was also sung very much as part of grass roots movements like the peace movement and the environmental movement. It is a song of empowerment, and songs that empower with the sense of elasticity so they can relate to the world as it evolves also will remain with us.”

[Intro]   - - - -  G D C D  4x
 
[Verse] - - - - - If I had a [G] hammer, [ D C D ]   I'd hammer in the [G] morning [ D C D ]  I'd hammer in the [G] evening, [ D C ] all over this [D] land.  I'd hammer out [G] danger,  I'd hammer out a [Em] warning.  I'd [C] hammer out [G] love [C] between, my [G] brothers and my [C] sisters, [D] all over this land [ G D C D G D C D ]
 
[Verse] - - - - - 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. 
 
[Verse] - - - - - If I had a [G] song, [ D C D ] I'd sing it in the [G] morning, [ D C D ] I'd sing it in the [G] evening, [ D C ] all over this [D] land.    I'd sing out [G] danger, I'd sing out a [Em] warning.  I'd sing out [C] love [G] between, my [C] brothers and my [G] sisters, [C] all [D] over this [G] land.   [ D C D ]  [G D C D ]
 
[Verse] - - - - - Well I got a [G] hammer, [ D C D ] and I got a [G] bell [ D C D ]  And I got a [G] song [D] to [C] sing, all over this [D] land. 
 
STANZA:   It's the hammer of [G] justice,  It's the bell of [Em] freedom. It's the song about [C] love [G] between, my [C] brothers and my [G] sisters, [C] all [D] over this [G] land.  [ D C D ] 
 
REPEAT STANZA ONE TIME