Maxwell's Silver Hammer
“Joan was quizzical, studied pataphysical”
McCartney's vaudeville murder ballad on Abbey Road, lead vocal by McCartney. The recording was protracted enough to cause band tension; Lennon, recovering from a car accident, did not participate.
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon-McCartney
RecordedJuly 9–11, August 6, 1969
ReleasedSeptember 26, 1969
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Text290 tags
Word cloud
Recurring words
agreebehindcallsdeaddo-do-do-do-dogettingknockleavingpaintingpicturesscreamingsilverstandstellstimesturnswaitswishingwritinga dirtyas thebang bangbe sobut asbut whencaught agone awayhe washer backher onhis headmust goout tosaid weshe tellsshe turnsshe wassure thattake youthat shethe doorthe foolthe phonewhen thewords areback on thecan i takeon the phone
Lyric shape
[ADJ] one[ADJ] that[ADJ] with[NOUN] has[VERB] we[WORD] wasagain [WORD]an [ADJ]are [VERB]must [WORD]not [VERB]the [ADV]was [ADJ][ADJ] with a[ADV] in [NOUN][NOUN] are [VERB][NOUN] has [VERB][NOUN] in the[VERB] [ADJ] that[VERB] [WORD] to[VERB] and [WORD][VERB] from [WORD][VERB] her on[VERB] in [NOUN][VERB] on the[VERB] them [WORD][VERB] we [VERB][WORD] [VERB] in[WORD] was [ADJ]a [ADJ] oneand [WORD] [VERB]as the [NOUN]be so [WORD]can i [VERB]he was [ADJ]her [NOUN] [WORD]his [NOUN] [WORD]in the [ADV]she [VERB] [WORD]she [VERB] hershe's [VERB] [ADJ]so [WORD] [WORD]the [NOUN] arewas [ADJ] [WORD]we [VERB] awhen the [NOUN]with a [NOUN][ADV] on the [NOUN][VERB] [WORD] to [VERB][VERB] from the [NOUN][VERB] on the [NOUN][WORD] [VERB] the [NOUN][WORD] [WORD] [VERB] ina [NOUN] [VERB] onshe [VERB] [WORD] tothe [NOUN] has [VERB]to the [WORD] [WORD]when she [VERB] herwith a [NOUN] [WORD][WORD] [ADJ] with a [NOUN]she [VERB] [WORD] to [VERB]the [NOUN] has [VERB] [ADV]to [VERB] when the [NOUN]a [NOUN] [WORD] [WORD] [WORD] [WORD]
Cover-shared shape
[ADJ] to[ADV] in[NOUN] again[NOUN] are[NOUN] in[VERB] a[VERB] again[VERB] an[VERB] and[VERB] down[VERB] from[VERB] he[VERB] her[VERB] his[VERB] in[VERB] on[VERB] the[VERB] them[VERB] to[VERB] up[VERB] when[VERB] you[WORD] i[WORD] toa [ADJ]a [NOUN]and [WORD]from [WORD]has [VERB]he [VERB]her [ADV]her [NOUN]his [NOUN]i [VERB]in [NOUN]she [VERB]she's [VERB]so [WORD]the [NOUN]the [WORD]them [WORD]to [VERB]to [WORD]we [VERB][ADJ] to [WORD][VERB] [VERB] on[VERB] a [ADJ][VERB] her [ADV][VERB] his [NOUN][VERB] the [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB][WORD] [VERB] the[WORD] [WORD] i[WORD] to [VERB]a [NOUN] [VERB]a [NOUN] [WORD]and he [VERB]from the [NOUN]he [VERB] [WORD]i [VERB] youon the [NOUN]the [WORD] [WORD]to the [WORD]when she [VERB][VERB] and he [VERB][VERB] down upon hisa [NOUN] [WORD] [WORD]
Distinctive word
annoyedavoidclangclasscreepsedisongalleryhammerjoa-oa-oa-oanjoanmajoringmaxmaxwellmaxwell'smedicinenoisepataphysicalquizzicalrosesce-e-e-enescienceso-o-o-ostudiedtesttestimonialtubeunpleasantvaleriewhoa-oa
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Music213 tags
Chord shape
C → F → CC → F → DC → G → DC → G → D7C → F → C → FC → F → C → GC → DC → D7C → D → GC → F → GC → F → G7Am → C → FC7 → F7C → GmC/E → FAm → CC → EC → F → G → CAm → D → G → AC7 → FC → Fm → B♭Am → D → GC → AC → FmC7 → FmAm → DC → FC → GC → G7C → E → AmC → A → DmC → G → D7 → GC → Fm → B♭ → E♭C → Gm → C → FC → G → D → GC → A7C → D7 → G7C → Fm → A♭C → A → Dm → GC → A7 → DmC → F → C → G → CC → F → D → GmC → F → D7C → Gm → CC7 → GmAm → D → G → DC → G → C → AC9 → FC → F → C → F → DAm → C → F → CAm → D9C → Fm → B♭ → E♭ → B♭ → E♭C → E → Am → C → FC → F → D7 → GmC → D → G → DmC → F → Cm → FC7 → Gm → C
Chord literal
A → D → AA → D → BD → EA → D → EG → DD → GE → AE7 → AA → D → E7Em → AA → DD → AA → EA → EmB → EmA → D → A → EE7 → A7D → BEm → A → DD → E → AD → E7D → B7A → E7D → A → ED → A → E → ABm → DB7 → EmA → D → B7F♯ → BmD → A → E7D → A → E7 → AA → D → A → DB → Em → AA → D → A → E → AB → Em → A → DA → Em → A → DBm → D → GA → D → B7 → EmD → B → Em → AD → A → D → BA → D → E → AD → E7 → A7F♯ → Bm → DA → Em → AD → F♯
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Studio14 tags
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People17 tags
Line-up
George Martin
ProducerOrgan
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Info17 tags
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Sources & references
Tags on this page are original analysis, transcribed and cross-checked against the fine work of others: Alan W. Pollack's “Notes on…” series, the Beatles Complete Scores (Hal Leonard), Mark Lewisohn's session histories, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, Dave Rybaczewski's Beatles Music History and Andy Babiuk's Beatles Gear for the instruments and studio equipment, and others besides - then verified by ear against the recordings. Full bibliography: Sources & thanks.
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