Take This Hammer

For the 1963 documentary film, see Take This Hammer (film).

"Take This Hammer" Nine Pound Hammer
Language	English
Form	ABCC

"Take This Hammer" (Roud 4299) is a prison work song. It was collected by John and Alan Lomax. The song "Nine Pound Hammer" has a few phrases in common with this song, and the same Roud number. "Swannanoa Tunnel" is similar, and this group of songs are referred to as 'hammer songs' or 'roll songs'. According to the Columbia State University, the earliest collected version was made by Newman Ivey White in 1915.

Recordings

• The Beatles on Get Back 'Camera B' Rolls vol 11 (recorded 1969) (also on Thirty Days)
• The Beau Brummels as "Nine Pound Hammer" on their LP Triangle
• Big Bill Broonzy on the DVD The Story of the Blues (2003)
• Brothers Four (on the CBS LP Starportrait)
• Delmore Brothers as "Tell It To The Captain" (1948)
• Ken Colyer (1955, Decca Single F10631, b/w "Down By The Riverside")
• Drafi Deutscher & His Magics, 1965 German version "Ich Will Frei Sein", reissued on the Bear Family CD Drafi Deutscher: Die Decca Jahre Teil 3
• The Felice Brothers on Tonight at the Arizona (2007)
• Foggy Mountain Boys (Flatt and Scruggs) on Folk Songs of our Land (1962)
• Frederic & The Rangers, German Beat Band (1966), reissued on the Bear Family CD Ruhrgebeat
• The Greenbriar Boys on Ragged But Right! (1964)
• Harry Manx on Road Ragas (2004) and Harry Manx & Friends Live at the Glenn Gould Studio (2008)
• Hickory Flat on Long Dry Spell (2003)
• Jesse Fuller
• Jimmy Witherspoon on Live in London (recorded 1966)
• Johnny Cash on Blood, Sweat and Tears (1963) under the title "Tell Him I'm Gone"
• John Fahey on The Voice of The Turtle (1968) under the title "Nine-Pound Hammer"
• Junco Partners on a single in 1965 (re-released on Pebbles, Volume 6 (LP) (1980)
• Lead Belly (on a single recorded in 1942)
• John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney, Stevie Wonder on A Toot and a Snore in '74 1974 - bootleg recording: These are bootlegs (see Day by Day)
• Long Chris & Les Cowden, 1964 French version "Le Train Qui Part Ce Soir" (Philips EP)
• Lonnie Donegan on Lonnie Rides Again (1959)
• Nitty Gritty Dirt Band feat. Merle Travis as "Nine Pound Hammer" from their 3-LP set Will the Circle Be Unbroken
• Notting Hillbillies on Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time (1990) under the title "Railroad Worksong"
• The New Christy Minstrels on Presenting and In Person (2003)
• Mississippi John Hurt
• MV&EE "Hammer" on LP Gettin Gone (2007)
• Monroe Brothers as "Nine Pound Hammer is Too Heavy" (1936), also on Feast Here Tonight (1975)
• Odetta on Odetta at the Gate of Horn (1957)
• Osborne Brothers on Voices in Bluegrass (c 1970)
• Our Gang (The Rattles and friends), reissued on the Bear Family CD Die Hamburg Szene
• Ragged Men, German Beat Band, 1965 Single on PATRIA 8, reissued on the Gee-Dee CD Rare & Raw Beat From The Sixties Vol. 5
• Sanford Clark, 1956 recording as "Nine Pound Hammer" (Dot 15534)
• Seven Souldiers (Side-Project of Herbert Hildebrandt from The Rattles, LP Traditional Soul on FASS 1486 WY
• The Shadows as "This Hammer": B-side of single "Theme For Young Lovers" (1964)
• Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee on their LP Blues & Shouts (America records 6075)
• Sooner or Later, Swedish Garage-Band, as "This Hammer" (re-released on Pebbles, Volume 26)
• Spencer Davis Group as "This Hammer" on their second LP The Second Album (Feb '66)
• Mark Selby as "Nine Pound Hammer" on his LP Nine Pound Hammer
• Ton Steine Scherben as "Nimm den Hammer" on Wenn die Nacht am tiefsten... (1975)
• Merle Travis
• Townes Van Zandt

Trivia

• The lyrics to the first verse are visible in the liner notes of Brand New's The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me album.
• There is a movie Take This Hammer, released September 2008. The film is a documentary about the building of dry stack stone walls, and the soundtrack also features the traditional "Nine Pound Hammer song" (which is public domain). [1]

External references

• Columbia State University
• Bluegrass Messengers
• Tune and lyrics
• Old Town School of Music