Language   

Take This Hammer

Lead Belly
Language: English


Lead Belly

List of versions


Related Songs

Midnight Special
(Lead Belly)
Old Riley (Hey Rattler)
(Lead Belly)
Bourgeois Blues
(Lead Belly)


Una "prison song" registrata da John e Alan Lomax.

Da leggersi sia in chiave di evasione che antirazzista.

La prima incisione significativa fu quella di Leadbelly nel 1942, ma indimenticabile rimane quella della compianta Odetta in "Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues" del 1956.



"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."
Take dis hammer, carry it to the captain
Take dis hammer, carry it to the captain
Take dis hammer, carry it to the captain
Tell him I'm gone
Tell him I'm gone

If he asks you was I runnin'
If he asks you was I runnin'
If he asks you was I runnin'
Tell him I was flyin'
Tell him I was flyin'

If he asks you was I laughin'
If he asks you was I laughin'
If he asks you was I laughin'
Tell him I was cryin'
Tell him I was cryin'

They wanna feed me cornbread and molasses
They wanna feed me cornbread and molasses
They wanna feed me cornbread and molasses
But I got my pride,
Well, I got my pride.

Contributed by Alessandro - 2008/12/3 - 22:45




Language: English

La versione dei The Felice Brothers da "Tonight At the Arizona" (2007)
Take this hammer (whoa)
And carry it to the captain (whoa)
Take this hammer (whoa)
And carry it to the captain (whoa)
Take this hammer (whoa)
And carry it to the captain (whoa)
Tell him I'm gone, tell him I'm gone

I don't want no, corn bread and molasses
I don't want no goddamn corn bread and molasses
I don't want no corn bread and molasses
It hurts my pride, it hurts my pride

I don't want no congratulations
I don't want no congratulations
I don't want no congratulations
It hurts my pride, it hurts my pride

Take it Jimmy!

Take this hammer (whoa)
And carry it to the captain (whoa)
Take my goddamn hammer (whoa)
And carry it to the captain (whoa)
Take this hammer (whoa)
And carry it to the captain (wh0a)
Tell him I'm gone, tell him I'm gone

I don't want no cornbread and molasses
I don't want no goddamn cornbread and molasses
i don't want no cornbread and molasses
It hurts my pride, it hurts my pride.

Contributed by Alessandro - 2008/12/3 - 22:51




Language: English

In realtà, come spesso accade per gli antichi brani folk e blues, anche questa “Take This Hammer” ‎che ho attribuito a Leadbelly si fonda su una o più canzoni precedenti come “Nine Pound Hammer” ‎‎(nota fina dal 1915) o quella che ora vado a contribuire, ‎‎“Spike Driver Blues” registrata da Mississippi John Hurt nel 1928. Vi si fa riferimento ‎al protagonista dell’“hammer song” per antonomasia, John Henry.‎
SPIKE DRIVER BLUES

Take this hammer and carry it to my captain. Tell him I'm gone.
Tell him I'm gone. Tell him I'm gone.
Take this hammer and carry it to my captain. Tell him I'm gone.
Just tell him I'm gone. I'm sure is gone.

This is the hammer that killed John Henry, but it won't kill me.
But it won't kill me. But it won't kill me.
This is the hammer that killed John Henry, but it won't kill me.
But it won't kill me. Ain't gonna kill me.

It's a long ways from east Colorado, honey, to my home.
Honey, to my home. Honey, to my home.
It's a long ways to east Colorado, honey, to my home.
Honey, to my home. That's where I'm gone.

John Henry he left his hammer layin' side the road.
Layin' side the road. Layin' side the road.
John Henry he left his hammer all over in rain.
All over in rain. That's why I'm gone.

John Henry was a steel drivin' boy but he went down.
But he went down. But he went down.
John Henry was a steel drivin' boy but he went down.
But he went down. That's why I'm gone.‎

Contributed by Dead End - 2012/9/27 - 11:54




Language: Italian

La versione di Odetta
Album : Odetta Sings Ballads And Blues - 1956
TAKE THIS HAMMER

Ah you can take this hammer, carry it to the captain
Ah you can take this hammer, carry it to the captain
Ah you can take this hammer, carry it to the captain
Tell him I'm gone, boys
Tell him I'm gone

If he ask you, was I running
If he ask you, was I running
If he ask you, was I running
Tell him I'm flyin', boys
Tell him I'm flyin'

I don't want these your cold iron shackles
I don't want these your cold iron shackles
I don't want these your cold iron shackles
Around my leg, boys
Around my leg

If he ask you, was I laughing
If he ask you, was I laughing
If he ask you, was I laughing
Tell him I'm cryin', boys
Tell him I'm cryin'

I don't want your corn bread and molasses
I don't want your corn bread and molasses
I don't want your corn bread and molasses
It's my pride, boys
It's my pride

Ah you can take this hammer, carry it to the captain
Ah you can take this hammer, carry it to the captain
Ah you can take this hammer, carry it to the captain
Tell him I'm gone, boys
Tell him I'm gone

Contributed by Pluck - 2024/2/25 - 09:44




Language: Italian

Prison Worksongs.
Recorded by Dr. Harry Oster at the Louisiana State Penitentiary , Angola, La. and other locations, mostly in 1959.

Take This Hammer,
Guitar Welch, lead; Hagman Maxey, and Andy Mosely.



In his usually eloquent and colorful way, Roosevelt Charles described the sort of situation which must have originally goaded a prisoner into making up this song: "This was when the train was rollin' down the track of Angola. They had a railroad runnin' around about. They had a railroad gang there and they had quite a few hammers on the line. There was a boy he had been roll and roll, sometime he'd be up through the night through the day. The sun was shinin' hot in the month of August you know that it's a very hot month. An' the sweat was beginnin' to roll along and he call the water boy and the water boy he refuse. He call for the boss and the boss turned his back. So the boy he laid his hammer on the spike and he begin to strike on the spike and these are the words he said:

Take This Hammer

This old hammer, most too heavy
Light weight man, Lawdy, light weight man.

Take this hammer, take it to the sergeant;
Tell him I'm, gone, Lawdy, tell him I'm gone.

If he asks you what got the matter,
Had too long, Lawdy, had too long.

I'm gonna roll on few days longer,
I'm gonna roll on few days longer, (
I'm goin' home, Lawdy, I'm goin' home.
I'm goin' home.

Oh Berta, Berta gal, oh Berta, Berta gal,
Early in the mornin' 'bout the break of day,
Felt for my pillow where you used to lay,
Felt my pillow where you used to lay.

Oh Roxie, Roxie gal,
Rock, me, in a rocking chair,
If the chair turn over I don't bit mo' care.
Bit mo' care, babe, bit mo' care.

Alberta, let yo' bang grow long
Alberta, let yo' bang grow long
If you cry 'bout a nickel Alberta, yo'll die 'bout a dime.

All I want is my regular rights,
Three hard meals and my right at night.
Right at night, baby, three hard meals
And my rights at night.

Oh Rosie, Alabama Rosie, oh Rosie, Alabama Rosie,
Rosie, Rosie, don't you hear my name,
Same old Rosie, down in Texas town.

Texas, Texas, Texas town,
Oh Berta, hello gal, Berta, Berta,
If you was mine, baby,
Wouldn't do nothin' but the scotch and iron
Scotch and iron, wouldn't do nothin' but
Few days time.
Note e testo da :
Prison Worksong
Smithsonian Institution
https://folkways-media.si.edu › docs › ARH00448

Contributed by Pluck - 2024/3/16 - 22:10




Main Page

Please report any error in lyrics or commentaries to antiwarsongs@gmail.com

Note for non-Italian users: Sorry, though the interface of this website is translated into English, most commentaries and biographies are in Italian and/or in other languages like French, German, Spanish, Russian etc.




hosted by inventati.org