Si j'avais un marteau - Claude François - MP3 instrumental karaoke

Claude François released “Si j’avais un marteau” in autumn 1963, appearing both as an EP title track and a standalone single adapted from Pete Seeger and Lee Hays’s “If I Had a Hammer,” with French lyrics by Vline Buggy. The song was recorded in October 1963 and issued through Philips Records. Musically, “Si j’avais un marteau” features upbeat pop orchestration—bright guitar strums, marching percussion, and warm strings led by the orchestra of Christian Chevallier—backing Claude François’s enthusiastic, youthful vocals delivering optimistic themes of work, family, and idealism. Chartwise, “Si j’avais un marteau” climbed to number 2 in the French Salut les Copains hit parade before entering the winter season at Number 1 on French national charts. It also appeared on Philips EP compilations the same year. Claude François’s spirited performance and the song’s catchy melody helped cement “Si j’avais un marteau” as one of his early major successes and a beloved staple in Francophone pop of the 1960s.