Nine Pound Hammer was written and recorded by country artist Merle Travis (1946) as “”Nine Pound Hammer is Too Heavy”. It is an adaptation of “Take This Hammer”, a prison, logging and railroad worksong. I know it best from John Prine’s 1973 version. I believe the acoustic guitar solo on it is by Steve Goodman.
Here are versions of “Take This Hammer”
Sad! 