Maxwell's Silver Hammer

It was never a single, so wouldn't have been played much on the radio, but I wonder if Maxwell's Silver Hammer was banned on radio stations in Yorkshire at the height of the Yorkshire Ripper murders.
Never liked it as a song, as it was one of those Beatles trying to be too clever songs and sounding rubbish. I am a fan. but there were a few songs that are too weird.

I think the song is actually quite jolly.
There are lots of jolly songs about murder, death and destruction.
Surely that's the point.

​Tom Lehrer springs to mind - "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" and "I Hold Your Hand in Mine"...

Or Weile Weile Waile - and other folk songs - some from way before any of us were born.

petra

^who on earth at the bbc etc^
Most of them putting this stuff together weren’t born when the beetles were at their peak.

Beetles? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I was a beatles fan, in the 60s. never liked the song ,but wasnt aware of the lyrics til i just googled them.
When i was in the Girl Guides our patrol(Swallows) took part in a little show with rest of our Girl Guide Group.
I remember it like it was yesterday, we danced like the Go Jos ( before Pans People on Top of the Pops.)
The Song we danced too was Maxwells Silver Hammer, im quite horrified tbh.
Im sure our Leader at the time wasnt aware of the Lyrics.

Casdon

There are tens of pop songs about murder, and they are played every day on the radio. Unfortunately, murder is a fact of life, and although she was well known, so it strikes home to us more, Ann Widdecombe is one of an average of 12 a week in England and Wales alone.

Yes but no but…it’s the hammer bit that’s a nono just at the minute.
A well known old lady just been hit on the head very many times and murdered. ‘bang bang Maxwell’s silver hammer came down upon her head, bang bang Maxwell’s silver hammer made sure that she was dead’ those are some of the lyrics.☹️

It was a one minute feature on Today at 2 hours 9 minutes into the programme:

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002z668

They were three tiny clips, just a few notes each of the Beatles’ Here Comes The Sun, Something and Maxwell’s Silver Hammer in the background to reporter Colin Paterson saying Here Comes the Sun over a film of a giant eye; Something featuring a psychedelic dancing girl and Maxwell’s Silver Hammer has a very basic animation. Thinking about that last, maybe he chose his words carefully.

Unless someone is familiar with the Abbey Road album and that particular song (and more and more I hear young people saying they've never heard of the Beatles) you wouldn’t know what it was about. I don’t mean to be flippant but hearing just the title and a few notes one could think it was about an auctioneer or someone doing metalwork.

The animations are part of tomorrow’s Missing Believed Wiped event at the BFI which shows previously unseen or thought to be lost footage and which the BBC were publicising.

The timing may seem unfortunate but I'm with Casdon. Radio broadcasters aren’t going to cancel popular oldies such as Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Bobby Darin’s Mack the Knife, Tom Jones Delilah because there’s a shooting or a stabbing in the news. Nor will TV broadcasters stop showing murder dramas or reporting on similar crimes which feature guns, knives and blunt-force trauma.

There are tens of pop songs about murder, and they are played every day on the radio. Unfortunately, murder is a fact of life, and although she was well known, so it strikes home to us more, Ann Widdecombe is one of an average of 12 a week in England and Wales alone.

who on earth at the bbc etc
Most of them putting this stuff together weren’t born when the beetles were at their peak.

This has now become a sad topic between myself and family and friends. Apparently Paul McCartney wrote the song after reading about a medical student who murdered his girl friend with a hammer. McCartney has since excused his reason for writing on such a grisly theme as being symbolic of how life can suddenly and unexpectedly bring bad luck. Erm . . . if you say so, Paul. Still think it's crass. The Today programme should have investigated the matter more thoroughly.

When would it be appropriate?

…and yes, very unthinking of the Beeb!

I’ve always thought it was a very strange song and unlike anything else that The Beatles produced.Unpleasant and unsettling tbh.