Take This Hammer

From Wikipedia:

“Take This Hammer” (Roud 4299, AFS 745B1) is a prison, logging, and railroad work song, which has the same Roud number as another song, “Nine Pound Hammer”, with which it shares verses. “Swannanoa Tunnel” and “Ashville Junction” are similar. Together, this group of songs are referred to as “hammer songs” or “roll songs” (after a group of wheelbarrow-hauling songs with much the same structure, though not mentioning hammers). Numerous bluegrass bands and singers like Scott McGill and Mississippi John Hurt also recorded commercial versions of this song, nearly all of them containing verses about the legendary spike driver, John Henry; and even when they do not, writes folklorist Kip Lornell, “one feels his strong and valorous presence in the song”. […]

Skiffle player Lonnie Donegan recorded a version of “Take This Hammer” in 1959. John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr likely had this version in mind, when they played “Take This Hammer” on January 14 and January 31, 1969, during the “Get Back” sessions.

After The Beatles’ breakup, John Lennon and Paul McCartney played the song when they met in March 1974, in Los Angeles. The informal recording was surfaced on the bootleg “A Toot and a Snore in ’74.”

Years later, in 1987, Paul McCartney recorded a version of “Take This Hammer” during the session for the “CHOBA B CCCP” album, but this version remains unreleased.

Lyrics

Bootlegs

Cover versions played during the "Get Back" sessions

"Take This Hammer" was covered during The Beatles' "Get Back" sessions in January 1969. Here is the complete list of covers recorded by Paul McCartney, either alone or with other Beatles, during these sessions:

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