Maxwell's Silver Hammer

"Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road. Written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership, it tells the tale of Maxwell Edison, a student who murders people with a hammer. The dark lyrics are disguised by an upbeat sound. 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."

The murder ballad was initially rehearsed during the Get Back sessions in January 1969. During the recording of Abbey Road in July and August, the band devoted four recording sessions to completing the track. These sessions were a bitter time for the Beatles, as McCartney pressured the group to work at length on the song. His bandmates were all vocal in their dislike of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". In a 2008 interview, Ringo Starr remembered it as "the worst session ever" and "the worst track we ever had to record."