Maxwell's Silver Hammer

Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Template other "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road. Written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership,Template:Sfn it tells the tale of Maxwell Edison, a student who murders people with a hammer. The dark lyrics are disguised by an upbeat sound.Template:Sfn McCartney described the song as symbolic of the downfalls of life, being "my analogy for when something goes wrong out of the blue, as it so often does."Template:Sfn

The murder ballad was initially rehearsed during the Get Back sessions in January 1969. During the recording of Abbey Road in July and August, the band devoted four recording sessions to completing the track. These sessions were a bitter time for the Beatles, as McCartney pressured the group to work at length on the song. His bandmates were all vocal in their dislike of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". In a 2008 interview, Ringo Starr remembered it as "the worst session ever" and "the worst track we ever had to record."

Background

While in Rishikesh, India, in early 1968, McCartney began to write the first verse of the song.Template:Sfn Having completed most of it by October that year, he intended for its inclusion on the album The Beatles, but it was never properly recorded during those sessions due to 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.Template:Sfn

McCartney's wife Linda said that he had become interested in avant-garde theatre and had immersed himself in the writings of the French symbolist writer Alfred Jarry. This influence is reflected in the story and tone of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", and also explains how McCartney came across Jarry's word "pataphysical", which occurs in the lyrics. In 1994, McCartney said that the song 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."Template:Sfn

Recording

Template:Template other The Beatles began recording the song at EMI Studios (later Abbey Road Studios) in London 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 in Scotland, arrived to work on the song, accompanied by his wife, Yoko Ono. She was more badly hurt in the accident than Lennon, and lay on a large double-bed in the studio.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Sixteen takes of the rhythm track were made, followed by a series of guitar overdubs.Template:Sfn The unused fifth take can be heard on Anthology 3 (1996). Over the following two days the group overdubbed vocals, piano, Hammond organ, anvil and guitar.Template:Sfn The song was completed on 6 August, when McCartney recorded a solo on a Moog synthesiser.Template:Sfn

The recording process subsequently drew unfavourable comments from Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. 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: "all I remember is the track — he made us do it a hundred million times. He did everything to make it into a single, and it never was and it never could’ve been. … We spent more money on that song than any of them in the whole album." In the recollection of engineer Geoff Emerick, Lennon dismissed it as "more of Paul's granny music."Template:Sfn Harrison recalled: "Sometimes Paul would make us do these really fruity songs. I mean, my God, 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' was so fruity. After a while we did a good job on it, but when Paul got an idea or an arrangement in his head …" Starr told Rolling Stone in 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.'"Template:Better source needed

Contemporary reviews

In his 1969 review of Abbey Road for Rolling Stone, John Mendelsohn wrote: "Paul McCartney and Ray Davies are the only two writers in rock and roll who could have written 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer', a jaunty vaudevillian/music-hallish celebration wherein Paul, in a rare naughty mood, celebrates the joys of being able to bash in the heads of anyone threatening to bring you down. Paul puts it across perfectly with the coyest imaginable choir-boy innocence." Writing in Oz magazine, Barry Miles described the song as "a complex little piece" and said that, aside from McCartney's casual interest in Jarry's work, "The only British pop group holding any pataphysical honours are The Soft Machine." Miles also said it was "a perfect example of Paul's combination of American Rock with British brass band music." Derek Jewell of The Sunday Times found the album "refreshingly terse and unpretentious", but lamented the inclusion of "cod-1920s jokes (Maxwell's Silver Hammer)." Mike Jahn of The New York Times called it a "light singalong" akin to songs like "When I'm Sixty-Four" and "Yellow Submarine".

Retrospective assessments and legacy

Among Beatles biographers, Ian MacDonald said that "If any single recording shows why The Beatles broke up, it's 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer'." He continued: Template:Quote Author Jonathan Gould cites "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" as an example of the selfishness inherent in the Beatles' creative partnership, whereby a composition by McCartney or Lennon would be given preference over a more substantial song by Harrison.Template:Sfn He also rues McCartney's penchant for a light entertainment style that the Beatles had sought to render obsolete, and concludes: Template:Quote

In 2009, PopMatters editor John Bergstrom concluded his list "the worst of the Beatles" with the song. He said that while McCartney had previously created "some borderline-schmaltzy, music hall-inspired songs", "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" was "where even the secret admirer of 'Rocky Raccoon' must draw the line". Bergstrom described it as "Unnervingly 'cute', unrelentingly obnoxious, too literal-minded by half" and "the single Beatles song out of nearly 200 that is basically unlistenable". Rolling Stone includes it in its 2025 list of 50 "terrible songs on great albums", calling its concept and storyline "crazy" and the time the Beatles spent to finish it "even crazier." Richie Unterberger of AllMusic considers it "about the quirkiest" McCartney song he wrote while a Beatle.

Cover versions

• In 1969, George Fenton (as George Howe) released a cover of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" as his debut single, produced by Mike Leander.Template:Sfn His rendition became a hit in Sweden, where it reached number six on Kvällstoppen and number one on Tio i Topp for two weeks in January 1970.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
• In 1972, the Canadian band the Bells covered "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". Their version reached number 83 on the Pop chart and number two on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart.

Personnel

According to Kevin Howlett,Template:Sfn except where noted:

The Beatles

• Paul McCartneyTemplate:Snd lead and harmony vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, Moog synthesiser
• George HarrisonTemplate:Snd harmony vocal, bass, electric guitarsTemplate:Sfn
• Ringo StarrTemplate:Snd harmony vocal, drums, anvilTemplate:Refn

Additional musician

• George MartinTemplate:Snd Hammond organ

External links

• Alan W. Pollack's Notes on "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
• The Beatles Bible entry on "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
• Take 5 of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" on Anthology 3