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Talking Atom Lyrics by Pete Seeger

If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope & Struggle

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Well, I'm gonna preach you a sermon 'bout Old Man Atom
I don't mean the Adam in the Bible datum
I don't mean the Adam that Mother Eve mated
I mean that thing that science liberated
Einstein says he's scared
And when Einstein's scared, I'm scared
Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Alamogordo, Bikini...

Here's my moral, plain as day
Old Man Atom is here to stay
He's gonna hang around, it's plain to see
But, ah, my dearly beloved, are we?
We hold these truths to be self-evident
All men may be cremated equal

Hiroshima, Nagasaki -- here's my text
Hiroshima, Nagasaki -- Lordy, who'll be next

The science guys, from every clime
They all pitched in with overtime
Before they knew it, the job was done;
They'd hitched up the power of the gosh-darn sun
They put a harness on Old Sol
Splittin' atoms, while the diplomats was splittin' hairs . .

Hiroshima, Nagasaki -- what'll we do?
Hiroshima, Nagasaki -- they both went up the blue

Then the cartel crowd put on a show
To turn back the clock on the UNO
To get a corner on atoms and maybe extinguish
Every darned atom that can't speak English
Down with foreign-born atoms!
Yes, Sir!

Hiroshima, Nagasaki...

But the atom's international, in spite of hysteria
Flourishes in Utah, also Siberia
And whether you're white, black, red or brown
The question is this, when you boil it down:
To be or not to be!
That is the question. .
Atoms to atoms, and dust to dust
If the world makes A-bombs, something's bound to bust

Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Alamogordo, Bikini...

No, the answer to it all isn't milit

About “Talking Atom” by Pete Seeger

Read the complete lyrics to "Talking Atom" by Pete Seeger from the album "If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope & Struggle". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Talking Atom" is performed by Pete Seeger. from the album "If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope & Struggle" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Talking Atom", explore more songs by Pete Seeger using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Pete Seeger · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Talking Atom" is credited to Pete Seeger. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Talking Atom" appears on "If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope & Struggle".

Visit the Pete Seeger artist page at /artist/pete-seeger for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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