Maxwells Silver Hammer is a song by the Beatles, primarily written by Paul McCartney but credited to Lennon-McCartney. The song narrates the story of a student named Maxwell Edison who commits murders with a hammer, featuring a darkly comic tone. McCartney saw the song as a metaphorical satire on the unexpected setbacks of life, but John Lennon described it as more of Pauls granny music shit. Recording the song was notoriously lengthy and tedious ... See more [+] for the other band members.
Key: D
D
B7
Joan was quizzical; studied pataphysical
Em
Science in the home
A7
Late nights all alone with a test tube
D
A
Oh, oh, oh, oh
D
B7
Maxwell Edison, majoring in medicine
Em
Calls her on the phone
A7
D
A
"Can I take you out to the pictures, Jo, oa, oa, an?"
E7
But as she's getting ready to go
A7
A knock comes on the door
D
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
E7
Came down upon her head.
A7
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Em
A7
D
Made sure that she was dead.
D
F#
Bm
D7
G
D
D
B7
Back in school again Maxwell plays the fool again
Em
Teacher gets annoyed
A7
D
A
Wishing to avoid an unpleasant sce-e-e-ene
D
B7
She tells Max to stay when the class has gone away
Em
So he waits behind
A7
D
A
Writing fifty times "I must not be so, o, o, o."
E7
But when she turns her back on the boy
A7
He creeps up from behind
D
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
E7
Came down upon her head
A7
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Em
A7
D
Made sure that she was dead
D
F#
Bm
D7
G
D
D
B7
P. C. Thirty-one said, "We caught a dirty one."
Em
Maxwell stands alone
A7
Painting testimonial pictures
D
A
Oh, oh, oh, oh
D
B7
Rose and Valerie, screaming from the gallery
Em
Say he must go free
A7
D
A
The judge does not agree and he tells them so, o, o, o