Paul McCartney’s lyric sheet for The Beatles’ ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ for $450,000
‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ is one of the most divisive songs that The Beatles ever recorded. Appearing as the third track on the band’s final recording effort, 1969’s Abbey Road, the song had a long and difficult history dating back to the band’s Indian retreat in 1968. McCartney attempted to get the song off the ground during the Get Back sessions, but there was little interest in the song.
Finally, McCartney got his bandmates to put a significant amount of time and energy into the track during the Abbey Road sessions. Their assessments were unkind: from John Lennon labelling the song “more of Paul’s granny shit” to George Harrison calling it a “really fruity song” to Ringo Starr crowning the song “the worst track we ever had to record”, ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ quickly garnered a nasty reputation both within the group and outside it as well.
Now, the original lyric sheet for the infamous track is up for sale through Moments in Time, an online store for autographs and memorabilia. The handwritten lyric sheet, written on a memo slip from The Beatles’ Apple Corps in Saville Row, is a rough copy featuring the song’s first two verses along with the repeated chorus.
The lyric sheet shows McCartney making edits to the song’s contents, including revealing different words to the second verse that would eventually be changed to “Back in school again / Maxwell plays the fool again.” According to the lyric sheet, McCartney experimented with both “Back in school again / Maxwell is a tool again” and “Back in class again / Maxwell is an ass again.”
The sheet abruptly cuts off in the middle of the second verse, with nearly the entire second half of the lyrics not present. Despite missing some important contents, the lyric sheet is fetching a hefty price at the online sale, with the starting number topping out at $425,000.
If you happen to be in the market for some authentic memorabilia and don’t mind it being a half-complete lyric sheet for one of The Beatles’ least-loved songs, then maybe you’ll consider dropping half a million dollars on the ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’ lyric sheet. John Lennon’s handwritten lyric sheet for ‘All You Need Is Love’ sold for $1.2 million back in 2005, so there’s a pretty high ceiling to reach.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.