Chorus
Won't you ring, old hammer?
Hammer Ring.
Won't you ring, old hammer?
Hammer Ring.
Broke the handle on my hammer, Hammer ring. Broke the handle on my hammer, Hammer ring.
Got to hammerin' in the Bible.
Gotta talk about Norah.
Well, God told Norah.
You is a-goin' in the timber.
You argue some Bible.
Well, Norah got worried.
What you want with the timber?
Won't you build me a ark, sir?
Well, Norah asked God, sir.
How high do you want it?
Build it forty-two cubits.
Every cubit have a window.
Well, it started in to ranin'.
Old Norah got worried.
He called his children.
Well, Norah told God, sir.
This is a very fine hammer.
Got the same old hammer.
Got to hammerin' in the timber...
Voice
The chief music-making instruments for slaves were their own voices. Singing together, alone, or in call-response patterns, slaves improvised, altered, and embellished, creating sounds rich in tone and texture.
Hands and Feet
As slaves sang and played, they used hand-clapping and foot-stamping to create rhythmic beats in the tradition of African music.
