Maxwell's Silver Hammer
"Maxwell's Silver Hammer" | |
---|---|
Song by the Beatles | |
from the album Abbey Road | |
Released | 26 September 1969 |
Recorded | 9–11 July, 6 August 1969 |
Studio | EMI, London |
Genre | |
Length | 3:27 |
Label | Apple |
Songwriter(s) | Lennon–McCartney |
Producer(s) | George Martin |
"Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership.[4] The song is about a student named Maxwell Edison who commits murders with a hammer, with the dark lyrics disguised by an upbeat sound.[1] 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".[5]
The song was initially rehearsed during the
Background
While
McCartney's wife Linda said that he had become interested in avant-garde theatre and had immersed himself in the writings of the experimental French author 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.[10] 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."[5]
Recording
The Beatles began recording the song at EMI Studios (later
The recording process subsequently drew unfavourable comments from Lennon,
Commentary by band members
In a taped recording of a band meeting conducted in September 1969 (Starr was not present), Lennon raised the possibility of individual songwriting responsibilities being split equally among Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison in the future. In this arrangement, each of the writers would contribute four songs to an album, and Starr would have the opportunity to contribute two. Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn comments on the exchange that proceeded among the three bandmates:
Paul ... responds to the news that George now has equal standing as a composer with John and himself by muttering something mildly provocative. "I thought until this album that George's songs weren't that good," he says, which is a pretty double-edged compliment since the earlier compositions he's implicitly disparaging include Taxman and While My Guitar Gently Weeps. There's a nettled rejoinder from George: "That's a matter of taste. All down the line, people have liked my songs." John reacts by telling Paul that nobody else in the group "dug" his Maxwell's Silver Hammer ... and that it might be a good idea if he gave songs of that kind – which, John suggests, he probably didn't even dig himself – to outside artists in whom he had an interest ... "I recorded it," a drowsy Paul says, "because I liked it."[19]
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."[20] 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".[21]
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)" and "Ringo's obligatory nursery arias (Octopus's Garden)".[22] In 1974, Robert Christgau referred to "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" as "a McCartney crotchet".[23]
Retrospective assessments and legacy
Among Beatles biographers,
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".[27]
In 2020, author John Tait paired the song with "
Cover versions
- In 1972, the Canadian band the Bells covered "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". Their version became a hit in Canada. It reached number 83 on the Pop chart and number two on the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart.[29]
- In the 1978 film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the song is performed by comedian Steve Martin, who portrays the character Maxwell Edison. Frankie Laine also covered the song as part of the musical documentary All This and World War II, which featured stock and newsreel footage of the Second World War set to performances of music by the Beatles.
- The MonaLisa Twins covered "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" with a 2015 video published on YouTube Music in 2015.[citation needed]
Personnel
According to Kevin Howlett,[30] except where noted:
The Beatles
- Paul McCartney – lead and harmony vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, Moog synthesizer
- George Harrison – harmony vocal, bass, electric guitars[31]
- Ringo Starr – harmony vocal, drums, anvil[nb 1]
Additional musician
Notes
- Get Back sessions in January 1969,[32] but most sources state Starr played it during the sessions for Abbey Road, including Howlett, Walter Everett, Mark Lewisohn, John C. Winn and Kenneth Womack.[33] Ian MacDonald instead says it was played by Evans,[24] as does Emerick in his autobiography.[34] Authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon are noncommittal, citing either Evans or Starr as the performer.[35]
References
- ^ a b Mulligan 2010, p. 127.
- ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer - The Beatles | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Gould 2007, p. 278. "the song is a preternaturally catchy music-hall number ..."
- ^ Sheff 2000, p. 202.
- ^ a b Miles 1997, p. 554.
- ^ a b "Interview with Ringo Starr". Rolling Stone. January 2008.
- ^ Schaal, Eric (19 July 2019). "The Paul McCartney Song the Other Beatles Hated With a Passion". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ Howlett 2018, p. 21.
- ^ a b c d Lewisohn 1988, p. 179.
- ^ McCartney, Linda (1992). Linda McCartney's Sixties: Portrait of an Era. Bullfinch Press. p. 153.
- ^ "The day John Lennon crashed his car in the Highlands". Press and Journal. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ Dick, Sandra (25 March 2019). "How the North Coast 500 led a Beatle to near-fatal car crash". The Herald. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
- ^ Miles and Badman 2003, p. [page needed].
- ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 185.
- ISBN 978-0-87223-705-6.
- ^ Emerick & Massey 2006, p. 281.
- ^ "George Harrison Interview". Crawdaddy Magazine. February 1977. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
- ^ "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". The Beatles Bible. 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
- ^ Williams, Richard (11 September 2019). "This tape rewrites everything we knew about the Beatles". The Guardian.
- ^ Mendelsohn, John (15 November 1969). "The Beatles Abbey Road". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
- ^ Miles (November 1969). "Abbey Road: The Beatles Come Together". Oz. Available at Rock's Backpages (subscription required).
- ^ Fricke, David (2003). "Abbey Road: Road to Nowhere". Mojo Special Limited Edition: 1000 Days of Revolution (The Beatles' Final Years – Jan 1, 1968 to Sept 27, 1970). London: Emap. p. 112.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1974). "Rock Theater". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ a b MacDonald 2007, p. 357.
- ^ Gould 2007, pp. 534–36.
- ^ Gould 2007, pp. 578–79.
- ^ Bergstrom, John (12 November 2009). "The 'Worst' of The Beatles: A Contradiction in Terms?". PopMatters. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
- ISBN 978-1925556896.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 21 October 1972. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
- ^ Howlett 2019, pp. 30–31.
- ^ Everett 1999, p. 252.
- ^ Winn 2009, p. 305.
- ^ Everett 1999, p. 252; Howlett 2019, p. 30; Lewisohn 1988, p. 179; Winn 2009, p. 305; Womack 2019, p. 121.
- ^ Emerick & Massey 2006, p. 283.
- ^ Guesdon & Margotin 2013, p. 564.
- ^ Everett 1999, p. 252; Winn 2009, p. 305.
Sources
- Babiuk, Andy (2002). Beatles' Gear: All The Fab Four's Instruments, from Stage to Studio (Second Revised ed.). London: BackBeat Books (Outline Press). ISBN 0-87930-731-5.
- ISBN 978-1-59240-179-6.
- ISBN 978-0-19-512941-0.
- Gould, Jonathan (2007). Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain and America. London: Piatkus. ISBN 978-0-7499-2988-6.
- Guesdon, Jean-Michel; Margotin, Philippe (2013). All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Beatles Release. New York, NY: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. ISBN 978-1-57912-952-1.
- Howlett, Kevin (2018). The Beatles (White Album) Super Deluxe Edition.
- Howlett, Kevin (2019). Abbey Road (50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Version) (book). The Beatles. Apple Records.
- ISBN 978-0-600-63561-1.
- Lewisohn, Mark (1992). The Complete Beatles Chronicle: The Only Definitive Guide to the Beatles' Entire Career. London: ISBN 0-600-60033-5.
- ISBN 978-1-55652-733-3.
- ISBN 978-0-7493-8658-0.
- Miles, Barry; Badman, Keith (2001). The Beatles Diary: The Beatles Years. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-7119-8308-3.
- Mulligan, Kate Siobhan (1 July 2010). The Beatles: A Musical Biography. ISBN 978-0-313-37686-3.
- ISBN 0-312-25464-4.
- Winn, John C. (2009). That Magic Feelings: The Beatles' Recorded Legacy, Volume One, 1966–1970. New York: ISBN 978-0-307-45239-9.
- ISBN 978-1-5017-4685-7.