- Album This song officially appears on the Abbey Road Official album.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Recording "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
Jul 09, 1969
Recording and mixing "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
Jul 10, 1969
Editing "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", "The End"
Aug 25, 1969
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Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is a song by the Beatles, sung by Paul McCartney on their album Abbey Road. It was written by McCartney, though credited to Lennon–McCartney. “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is a rock song with dark, eccentric lyrics about a person named Maxwell who commits murders with a hammer, although the lyrics are disguised by the upbeat, catchy, and rather “childlike” sound of the song.
Background
The song was written in October 1968, intended for the album The Beatles, but left off because of time constraints. It was rehearsed again three months later, in January 1969, at Twickenham film studios during the Get Back sessions but would not be recorded for another six months. The film features two brief rehearsal takes compiled together showing the band’s progress on the song up to that point in time. John Lennon is shown to be participating on electric guitar despite not featuring on the recording for Abbey Road at all. Road manager and Beatles associate Mal Evans participates by providing the anvil hits.
Linda McCartney said that Paul had become interested in avant-garde theatre and had immersed himself in the writings of Alfred Jarry. This influence is reflected in the story and tone of the song, and also explains how Paul came across Jarry’s word “pataphysical“, which occurs in the lyrics.
Beatles guitarist George Harrison described the song in 1969 as “one of those instant whistle-along tunes which some people hate, and other people really like. It’s a fun song, but it’s kind of a drag because Maxwell keeps on destroying everyone like his girlfriend then the school teacher, and then, finally, the judge.” Lennon described it as “more of Paul’s granny music“. In 1994, McCartney said that the song merely epitomises the downfalls of life, being “my analogy for when something goes wrong out of the blue, as it so often does, as I was beginning to find out at that time in my life. I wanted something symbolic of that, so to me it was some fictitious character called Maxwell with a silver hammer. I don’t know why it was silver, it just sounded better than Maxwell’s hammer. It was needed for scanning. We still use that expression now when something unexpected happens.”
Recording
Recording began at Abbey Road Studios on 9 July 1969. John Lennon, who had been absent from recording sessions for the previous eight days after being injured in a car crash, arrived to work on the song, accompanied by his wife, Yoko Ono, who, more badly hurt in the accident than Lennon, lay on a large double-bed in the studio. Sixteen takes of the rhythm track were made, followed by a series of guitar overdubs. The unused fifth take can be heard on Anthology 3. Over the following two days the group overdubbed vocals, piano, Hammond organ, anvil, and guitar. The song was completed on 6 August, when McCartney recorded a solo on a Moog synthesiser.
The recording subsequently drew comment from the entire band; other than the composer (McCartney), none appear to have fond memories of their work on the song: Lennon said “I was ill after the accident when they did most of that track, and it really ground George and Ringo into the ground recording it“, adding later “I hate it, ‘cos all I remember is the track … [Paul] did everything to make it into a single, and it never was and it never could have been.” Harrison characterised the song as “fruity” and commented “we spent a hell of a lot of time on it“, and later “after a while, we did a good job on it“. Starr added retrospective input on the finished result in a Rolling Stone article from 2008: “The worst session ever was ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.’ It was the worst track we ever had to record. It went on for fucking weeks. I thought it was mad.” McCartney recalled: “The only arguments were about things like me spending three days on Maxwell’s Silver Hammer. I remember George saying, ‘You’ve taken three days, it’s only a song.’ – ‘Yeah, but I want to get it right. I’ve got some thoughts on this one.’ It was early-days Moog work and it did take a bit of time“.
Reception
In his 1969 review of Abbey Road, John Mendelsohn of Rolling Stone magazine observed that in “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer“, McCartney “celebrates the joys of being able to bash in the heads of anyone threatening to bring you down. [He] puts it across perfectly with the coyest imaginable choir-boy innocence“. Robert Christgau referred to the song as “a McCartney crotchet“.
Paul McCartney in "Many Years From Now", by Barry Miles:
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer was my analogy for when something goes wrong out of the blue, as it so often does, as I was beginning to find out at that time in my life. I wanted something symbolic of that, so to me it was some fictitious character called Maxwell with a silver hammer. I don’t know why it was silver, it just sounded better than Maxwell’s hammer. It was needed for scanning. We still use that expression even now when something unexpected happens.
From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:
- [a] stereo 12,14 Aug 1969. edited.
UK: Apple PCS 7088 Abbey Road 1969.
US: Apple SO-383 Abbey Road 1969.
CD: EMI CDP 7 46446 2 Abbey Road 1987.The edit added an edit piece, Aug 14, to the stereo master. A few seconds were edited out of the album master on Aug 25, so the master tape of the song differs from the album– check any future reissues.
Last updated on November 30, 2016
Lyrics
Joan was quizzical; studied pataphysical
Science in the home.
Late nights all alone with a test tube.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Maxwell Edison, majoring in medicine,
Calls her on the phone.
"Can I take you out to the pictures,
Joa, oa, oa, oan?"
But as she's getting ready to go,
A knock comes on the door.
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Came down upon her head.
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Made sure that she was dead.
Back in school again Maxwell plays the fool again.
Teacher gets annoyed.
Wishing to avoid and unpleasant
Sce, e, e, ene,
She tells Max to stay when the class has gone away,
So he waits behind
Writing fifty times "I must not be
So, o, o, o"
But when she turns her back on the boy,
He creeps up from behind.
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Came down upon her head.
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Made sure that she was dead.
P. C. Thirty-one said, "We caught a dirty one."
Maxwell stands alone
Painting testimonial pictures.
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
Rose and Valerie, screaming from the gallery
Say he must go free
(Maxwell must go free)
The judge does not agree and he tells them
So, o, o, o.
But as the words are leaving his lips,
A noise comes from behind.
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Came down upon his head.
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Made sure that he was dead.
Whoa, oh, oh, oh.
Silver hammer man
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1969
3:28 • Studio version • A • Stereo
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Guitar, Moog synthesiser, Piano, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Anvil, Backing vocals, Drums
- George Harrison :
- Backing vocals, Bass, Lead guitar
- George Martin :
- Hammond organ, Producer
- Phil McDonald :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Jul 09, 1969
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Overdubs:
- 9, 10, 11 Jul, 6 Aug 1969
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Aug 12, 1969
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Aug 14, 1969
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 1996
3:50 • Outtake • B • Stereo • Take 5 - Presented here is the previously unreleased Take 5, lacking the many overdubbed elements - the anvil for one - that would feature in the master.
- George Martin :
- Producer
- Phil McDonald :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Jul 09, 1969
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2019
3:28 • Studio version • A2019 • Stereo • 2019 Stereo Mix
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Guitar, Moog synthesiser, Piano, Vocals
- Ringo Starr :
- Anvil, Backing vocals, Drums
- George Harrison :
- Backing vocals, Bass, Lead guitar
- George Martin :
- Hammond organ, Producer
- Giles Martin :
- Producer
- Phil McDonald :
- Recording engineer
- Sam Okell :
- Mix engineer
- Session Recording:
- Jul 09, 1969
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Overdubs:
- 9, 10, 11 Jul, 6 Aug 1969
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Aug 12, 1969
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Aug 14, 1969
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2019
4:44 • Alternate take • Take 12
- Giles Martin :
- Producer
- Sam Okell :
- Mix engineer
Bootlegs
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
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