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Lot Essay
Released on the Beatles' album Abbey Road, 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' was recorded on 9-11 July and 6 August 1968. The song apparently caused considerable arguments amongst the band. McCartney insisted it was a possible single but Lennon disagreed. In fact, Lennon recalled later ...he did everything to make it into a single, and it never was and it never could have been... Lennon also remarked in 1969 It's a typical McCartney single, or whatever. He did quite a lot of work on it. I wasn't on Maxwell. I was ill after the accident while they did most of that track and I believe he really ground George and Ringo into the ground recording it. We spent more money on that song than any of them on the whole album, I think...
The song has a vaudevillian nature despite its depressing subject matter, being a story about medical student Maxwell Edison, who uses his silver hammer to murder his girlfriend, then his teacher, and finally the judge during his murder trial. Paul McCartney commented on the song in 1994: 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' is 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. It was needed for scanning. We still use that expression now when something unexpected happens.
Lyrics for Beatles compositions hand-written in Paul McCartney's hand rarely surface on the auction market. Another set of lyrics for 'Maxwell’s Silver Hammer' was sold at Christie's in 2006, accompanied by two further sheets handwritten by Mal Evans. The lyrics offered here appear to post-date the lyrics sold in 2006 as they include the further additions by McCartney not seen on the previous versions. Before the proliferation of photocopying machines, lyrics would have been written out by hand for use by all those present in the recording studio. After beginning life with the Beatles as their road manager, Mal Evans would later assist the band in the studio and would often be given the job of writing out the lyrics.
Christie's would like to thank noted Beatles handwriting expert Frank Caiazzo for his assistance in authenticating this lot.
The song has a vaudevillian nature despite its depressing subject matter, being a story about medical student Maxwell Edison, who uses his silver hammer to murder his girlfriend, then his teacher, and finally the judge during his murder trial. Paul McCartney commented on the song in 1994: 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' is 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. It was needed for scanning. We still use that expression now when something unexpected happens.
Lyrics for Beatles compositions hand-written in Paul McCartney's hand rarely surface on the auction market. Another set of lyrics for 'Maxwell’s Silver Hammer' was sold at Christie's in 2006, accompanied by two further sheets handwritten by Mal Evans. The lyrics offered here appear to post-date the lyrics sold in 2006 as they include the further additions by McCartney not seen on the previous versions. Before the proliferation of photocopying machines, lyrics would have been written out by hand for use by all those present in the recording studio. After beginning life with the Beatles as their road manager, Mal Evans would later assist the band in the studio and would often be given the job of writing out the lyrics.
Christie's would like to thank noted Beatles handwriting expert Frank Caiazzo for his assistance in authenticating this lot.