Maxwell's Silver Hammer. Any Meaning to the Song?
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Looking around the Net, I've read the thoughts of others, and the reported statements by Sir Paul, by John who is said to have hated it, and by others. But, appearing on Abbey Road, an album which also refers to the breakup, I was wondering about the character of Maxwell Edison. Does he refer to anyone? Living near the Hollywood area and being somewhat versed in the history of the origins of the town, founded by Thomas Edison for his studio location, I find myself wondering about it.
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i always thought it was about a cereal liller (murderer) that got caught and was in court and he didnt like his verdict so he decided to kill the judge etc. i could be wrong though
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And then, Edison as founding father of Hollywood wielded much power, so between that and the location of the main office of Capitol Records near Hollywood and Vine, and the matter of being a Silver hammer...I was wondering if there is a story to be determined from the business side of things?
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It's probably as meaningless as most of their crazy songs! (plus, Edison rhymed with medicine)
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Yeah, but In Name Only.
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Nancy R:
It's probably as meaningless as most of their crazy songs! (plus, Edison rhymed with medicine)
I recall watching some TV show years ago....tribute to the Beatles by various artists....and hearing the immortal Peggy Lee ("Is That All There Is?") sing that song. I sorta' had to suppress giggles! She did sort of give it a torchy, smoldering touch, however; took it all so seriously!
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I think it had to do with Paul reading about Pataphysics and he had started with the first line of lyrics and it turned into a twisted little nursery rhyme. Good use of synthesizer though!
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Love the song. It gives Abbey Road some lasting power because of its quirky, twisted lyrics & just being very distinctive from the other songs. I couldn't see Maxwell on any other Beatles' album. The song was a perfect fit for Abbey Road. I disagree with others who call the song lightweight or granny-music - have they listened to the lyrics?? The reason why the other Beatles disliked the song was Paul made them rehearse the song take after take, until they got sick of it. Not, because of the song itself - methinks anyway. Same could be said for Ob-bla-di, Ob-la-da as well.
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writing 50 times "i must not be so-o-o-o"... definitely my fave line
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Beatles4Ever&Ever:
Nancy R:
It's probably as meaningless as most of their crazy songs! (plus, Edison rhymed with medicine)
I recall watching some TV show years ago....tribute to the Beatles by various artists....and hearing the immortal Peggy Lee ("Is That All There Is?") sing that song. I sorta' had to suppress giggles! She did sort of give it a torchy, smoldering touch, however; took it all so seriously!
It was a 1970 episode of the Ed Sullivan Show, consisting of various singers doing Beatles songs, mostly badly. You can read a full review of the episode at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0724957/ Money quote: Weirdest of all is Peggy Lee's turn. She stands stock-still onstage, speak-singing "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". Onto the stage in sidelong gait come a pair of Peter Gennaro's dancers, covered in weird metallic canisters. When Miss Piggy ... I mean, Miss Peggy Lee gets to the chorus, these two dancers whack themselves in their respective heads with little ball-pean hammers to get the "clang, clang!" effect. Truly weird.
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I really love "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"...I've tried doing research on it myself as I have had questions about it, especially in regard to any relationship to a real life incident that could have inspired the writing of the song. I read this in Wikipedia just now... "On 9 August 1967 Kenneth Halliwell killed his lover Joe Orton with nine hammer blows to the head, and then overdosed on sleeping pills.[9] Their bodies were discovered late the following morning, when a chauffeur arrived at the door of their Noel Road flat in Islington to collect Orton for a meeting with The Beatles regarding a screenplay he had written for them." I have never heard this before so I don't know how accurate it is at all.
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Scarlett14:
I really love "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"...I've tried doing research on it myself as I have had questions about it, especially in regard to any relationship to a real life incident that could have inspired the writing of the song. I read this in Wikipedia just now... "On 9 August 1967 Kenneth Halliwell killed his lover Joe Orton with nine hammer blows to the head, and then overdosed on sleeping pills.[9] Their bodies were discovered late the following morning, when a chauffeur arrived at the door of their Noel Road flat in Islington to collect Orton for a meeting with The Beatles regarding a screenplay he had written for them." I have never heard this before so I don't know how accurate it is at all.
This is the first I've heard how he killed him, but the rest is true.
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Nancy R:
Scarlett14:
I really love "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"...I've tried doing research on it myself as I have had questions about it, especially in regard to any relationship to a real life incident that could have inspired the writing of the song. I read this in Wikipedia just now... "On 9 August 1967 Kenneth Halliwell killed his lover Joe Orton with nine hammer blows to the head, and then overdosed on sleeping pills.[9] Their bodies were discovered late the following morning, when a chauffeur arrived at the door of their Noel Road flat in Islington to collect Orton for a meeting with The Beatles regarding a screenplay he had written for them." I have never heard this before so I don't know how accurate it is at all.
This is the first I've heard how he killed him, but the rest is true.
Thanks, Nancy, that's interesting. So it seems like the song is referring back to the incident which the Beatles obviously had heard about. I never know whether to believe what I read in Wikipedia about anything or anybody...what's written there can even be changed by the general public, is that correct do you know?
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JoeySmith:
Love the song. It gives Abbey Road some lasting power because of its quirky, twisted lyrics & just being very distinctive from the other songs. I couldn't see Maxwell on any other Beatles' album. The song was a perfect fit for Abbey Road. I disagree with others who call the song lightweight or granny-music - have they listened to the lyrics?? The reason why the other Beatles disliked the song was Paul made them rehearse the song take after take, until they got sick of it. Not, because of the song itself - methinks anyway. Same could be said for Ob-bla-di, Ob-la-da as well.
Oh, it's been said about that song too!!! Many times. (I love both of them, and don't get why some "critics" think Ob-La'Di, Ob- La-Da" is not a good song. When I first heard songs from the White Album on the radio before it was in the stores....that is the one I liked best!!! )
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Because Lennon often thought his songs were so much better and in reality most weren't. He was also lazy and only did enough takes of his songs to get them to sound reasonable--never spending the time in the studio to perfect them like Paul did.
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Bruce M.:
Beatles4Ever&Ever:
Nancy R:
It's probably as meaningless as most of their crazy songs! (plus, Edison rhymed with medicine)
I recall watching some TV show years ago....tribute to the Beatles by various artists....and hearing the immortal Peggy Lee ("Is That All There Is?") sing that song. I sorta' had to suppress giggles! She did sort of give it a torchy, smoldering touch, however; took it all so seriously!
It was a 1970 episode of the Ed Sullivan Show, consisting of various singers doing Beatles songs, mostly badly. You can read a full review of the episode at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0724957/ Money quote: Weirdest of all is Peggy Lee's turn. She stands stock-still onstage, speak-singing "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". Onto the stage in sidelong gait come a pair of Peter Gennaro's dancers, covered in weird metallic canisters. When Miss Piggy ... I mean, Miss Peggy Lee gets to the chorus, these two dancers whack themselves in their respective heads with little ball-pean hammers to get the "clang, clang!" effect. Truly weird.
Yes, that's the one. They had "older" artists, such as Miss Lee, singing Beatles' songs...it was all funny and embarrassing...especially Peggy Lee singing "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". Not sure why anyone thought that was a good idea.
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The Peggy Lee spot sounds weird, and I think I did watch it back then, but I don't remember it as being embarrassing so much. But this was the era of The Monkees' "33 1/3", y'know. Heh. What embarrassed me was the, forgive my foggy memory, the covers of other Beatles songs by, was it(?), William Shattner and separately, by Leonard Nimoy. Though I'm not sure now which of those were television-only appearances, and which were hard pressed to vinyl. I remember being put off by a dance number on the, I think, the "James Paul McCartney" special on ABC in the early 70's. I don't remember the song at all, but I remember chorus dancers on their backs with their leggy legs flipped upward and Sir Paul walking between them. It was very provocative. Looking at the IMDB, was the song maybe, "Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance"?
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Audley's Piano:
The Peggy Lee spot sounds weird, and I think I did watch it back then, but I don't remember it as being embarrassing so much. But this was the era of The Monkees' "33 1/3", y'know. Heh. What embarrassed me was the, forgive my foggy memory, the covers of other Beatles songs by, was it(?), William Shattner and separately, by Leonard Nimoy. Though I'm not sure now which of those were television-only appearances, and which were hard pressed to vinyl. I remember being put off by a dance number on the, I think, the "James Paul McCartney" special on ABC in the early 70's. I don't remember the song at all, but I remember chorus dancers on their backs with their leggy legs flipped upward and Sir Paul walking between them. It was very provocative. Looking at the IMDB, was the song maybe, "Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance"?
Gotta Sing Gotta Dance
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I think Shattner did an album back in the late 60s and I believe some videos. One of the covers was "Lucy in the Sky" and he still makes fun of himself for it!
I also remember him doing Rocket Man. Both were done in his Captain Kirk style elocution and are hilariously funny in retrospect. -
Well that's my foggy memory. There were no dancers on their backs, and it's not as strange as I remember it. Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance is unusual. It must have been the drinking water.
