Maxwell's Silver Hammer

The Beatles

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, Joan?"

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
Clang! Clang! 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 an unpleasant scene

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 (doo doo, doo doo, do)
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Made sure that she was dead

P.C. 31 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 (doo doo, doo doo, do)
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Made sure that he was dead, wow, wow, oh
(Doo doo, doo doo, do)

Silver hammer man


Lyrics submitted by Ice, edited by gavinruckart01, Mellow_Harsher

Maxwell's Silver Hammer Lyrics as written by Paul Mccartney John Lennon

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Maxwell's Silver Hammer song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

124 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +7
    General CommentThis song was most likely inspired by the tragic incident involving talented English playright Joe Orton and his lover companion Kenneth Halliwell(Maxwell is a wordplay on Haliwell). Halliwell bludgeoned 34 year old Joe Orton to death with a hammer to his head (9 blows) on August 1967. Halliwell then took an overdose of 22 Nembutal and committed suicide. Joe Orton and Halliwell were known to play the fools and had been arrested fined L262 and jailed for 6 months for damaging library books. They would return library books with new sleeve covers and new blurbs. Orton felt that the punishment was excessive due to them being queers. Joe Orton later started having success with his plays (dark satirical comedies).Joe Orton was in touch with the Beatles and was writing a play (Up Against It) for them. He was supposed to meet with them or their representatives the day they found him murdered. A chaufeur that had been sent to take him to the meeting discovered the bodies. Halliwell had been depressed and was seeing a psychiatrist. Joe Orton had found a new boyfriend and was planning to break up with the already stressed out depressed and troubled Halliwell. The play Up Against It was eventually produced in 1989 with music by Tod Rundgren. Paul McCartney took the incident changed the players and some circustances somewhat but kept the tragic situation the same and put it to rhyme and unreason......and now you know the rest of the story.....
    joeo78501on May 29, 2009   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top