Take This Hammer is one of the fifteen songs featured in Americana, 15 Easy Folk Tunes for the Ukulele. In the book, I share a brief bio or background for each of the songs. Here’s what I included for Take This Hammer:

Music can provide an emotional way to connect us with our complicated American history. Work songs like Take This Hammer come to us from the Black Americans who were imprisoned and leased out as laborers after the Civil War. The lyrics envision an escape from a brutal reality, as this song was sung by men working on the railroad line under the watchful eyes of prison guards. Singing gave the men a beat that they could swing their hammers to, so even if they experienced some emotional relief in singing, it’s important to note that they were only allowed to sing rebellious songs like Take This Hammer because doing so made them more efficient workers. Take This Hammer is a brilliant protest song that conveys an intense yearning with its concise, haunting lyrics, and I hope you find it as moving as I do.

Play along with me, won’t you?