Vox on the 3 on Joan
| D | D/C# | B7 |
| Joan was | quizzical, | studied pataphysical |
| Em |
| Science in the home |
| A7 |
| Late nights all alone with a test tube |
| D | A |
| Oh, oh, oh, | oh |
| D | D/C# | B7 |
| Maxwell E | dison, | majoring in medicine |
| Em |
| Calls her on the phone |
| A7 | D | A |
| Can I take you out to the pictures, J | o, oa, oa, a | n |
Vox stays on what is now the 1 of the chord on “as”
| E7 | |
| But | as she’s getting ready to go |
| A7 | |
| A | knock comes on the door |
Vox on 3 5 1 on “bang bang Max”
| D |
| Bang bang Maxwell’s silver hammer |
| E7 | |
| Came | down upon her head |
| A7 |
| Clang clang Maxwell’s silver hammer |
| Em7 | A7 | D | |
| Made | sure that | she was | dead |
| D | F#/C# | Bm | D7/A | G | G | D | D |
| D | D/C# | B7 |
| Back in | school again | Maxwell plays the fool again |
| Em |
| Teacher gets annoyed |
| A7 | D | A |
| Wishing to avoid an unpleasant | sce-e-e- | ene |
| D | D/C# | B7 |
| She tells | Max to stay | when the class has gone away |
| Em |
| So he waits behind |
| A7 | D | A |
| Writing fifty times I must not be | so, o, o, | o |
| E7 | |
| But | when she turns her back on the boy |
| A7 | |
| He | creeps up from behind |
| D |
| Bang bang Maxwell’s silver hammer |
| E7 | |
| Came | down upon her head |
| A7 |
| Clang clang Maxwell’s silver hammer |
Note different ending to this line
| Em7 | A7 | |
| Made | sure that she was | dead |
Solo on chorus chords
| D | E7 | A7 | Em7 | A7 | D |
| → | → |
| D | F#/C# | Bm | D7/A | G | G | D | D |
| D | D/C# | B7 |
| P.C. | thirty-one s | aid we caught a dirty one |
| Em |
| Maxwell stands alone |
| A7 |
| Painting testimonial pictures |
| D | A |
| Oh, oh, oh, | oh |
| D | D/C# | B7 |
| Rose and | Valerie, | screaming from the gallery |
| Em |
| Say he must go free |
| A7 | D | A | |
| The | judge does not agree and he tells them | so, o, o, | o |
| E7 | |
| But | as the words are leaving his lips |
| A7 | |
| A | noise comes from behind |
| D |
| Bang bang Maxwell’s silver hammer |
| E7 | |
| Came | down upon his head |
| A7 |
| Clang clang Maxwell’s silver hammer |
| Em7 | A7 | |
| Made | sure that he was de | ad, whow whoa whoa |
| D | E7 | A7 | Em7 | A7 | D |
| → | → |
| D | F#/C# | Bm | D7/A | G | D | A | D |
| Sil | ver | ham | mer | man | → | → |