Hammer Ring

DESCRIPTION: "Oh, my hammer, hammer ring (x2), Ringin' on de buildin, hammer ring (x2)." Doncha hear dat hammer... She ringin' like jedgment." "Oh, Lawd, dat hammer." There may be references to Black Betty, or mentions of Noah/Norah
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1934
KEYWORDS: chaingang work
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Lomax/Lomax-AmericanBalladsAndFolkSongs, pp. 61-62, "The Hammer Song" (1 text, tune referenced)
Jackson-WakeUpDeadMan, pp. 193-201, "Hammer Ring" (7 texts, 2 tunes, very diverse; some could perhaps be filed with "Black Betty" or other prison songs, and they often share verses with "Drop 'Em Down")
RECORDINGS:
Jesse Bradley and group of prisoners, "Hammer, Ring" (AFS 219 A2; on LC8)
Texas state farm prisoners, "Let Your Hammer Ring" (on NPCWork)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Take This Hammer"
cf. "Don't You Hear My Hammer Ringing"
NOTES [15 words]: Not to be confused, obviously, with the Modern Folk "Hammer Song" ("If I Had a Hammer"). - RBW
Last updated in version 2.4
File: LxA061

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