Peter, Paul and Mary changed the original lyrics to 'If I Had a Hammer'
Folk singers Paul Stookey, left, Mary Travers, center, and Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary, pose in Hollywood Ca., July 6, 1965.
AP Photo
Today's Morning Edition music is from the folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary singing "If I Had a Hammer," which they released 55 years ago.
The song was originally composed by Pete Seeger and Lee Hayes, who wrote the first draft by passing a slip of paper back and forth between themselves during a meeting.
When Peter, Paul, and Mary sang it, they included "sisters" as well as "brothers" in the chorus. The original lyrics just mentioned "brothers."
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