If I Were a Carpenter

"If I Were a Carpenter" is a folk song written by Tim Hardin in the 1960s, and re-recorded with commercial success by various artists including Bobby Darin, The Four Tops and Johnny Cash. Hardin's own recording of the piece appeared on his 1967 album Tim Hardin 2. It was one of two songs from that release (the other being "Misty Roses") performed by Hardin at Woodstock in 1969. The song, believed by some to be about male romantic insecurity, is rumored to have been inspired by his love for actress Susan Morss, as well as the construction of Hardin's recording studio (in the home of Lenny Bruce). Bobby Darin version The first notable version of "If I Were a Carpenter" was released by Bobby Darin in September 1966. The song was produced by Charles Koppelman and Don Rubin at Darin's insistence. Darin played the acoustic guitar on the recording. Darin took some time to record the song in his recording session, and did not finish the recording until 7 o'clock in the morning. The song was released by Atlantic Records, whose executives were reluctant to release the song until it received enthusiastic response by radio audience on the West Coast when Koppelman manage to get the song played there. The song became the biggest hit for Darin since his 1963 song "You're the Reason I'm Living", reaching No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at No. 9 in the UK. Darin's recording received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Rock and Roll Solo Vocal Performance at the 9th Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to "Eleanor Rigby" by Paul McCartney.