[Tab - Riff 1]

    P.m
E|--------------|
B|--------------|
G|--------------|
D|--------------|
A|--0--0--2--4--|
E|--------------|

[Tab - Riff 2]

E|-------------------------------|
B|-------------------------------|
G|-------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------|
A|--------2--4--5h7--4--5-----5--|
E|--3--5-------------------5-----|

[Tab - Riff 3]

                        D
E|----------------------2--|
B|----------------------3--|
G|----------------------2--|
D|----------------------0--|
A|--------2--4--5h7--4-----|
E|--3--5-------------------|

[Primera Parte]

 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 Edison, majoring in medicine
 Em
Calls her on the phone
  A
"Can I take you out to the pictures
 D        A
Joa-oa-oa-oan?"

[Pré-Refrão 1]

    E
But as she's getting ready to go
    A7                     (Riff 1)
A knock comes on the door

[Estribillo 1]

 D
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
      E7
Came down upon her head
  A7
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer
      Em         A7     D    A  D
Made sure that she was dead

[Interlúdio 1] D  F#/C#  Bm  D7/A (Riff 2)

[Segunda Parte]

 D         D/C#        B7
Back in school again, Maxwell plays the fool again
 Em
Teacher gets annoyed
 A7
Wishing to avoid
                D     A
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
Writing fifty times, "I must not be so"
        A
Oh, oh, oh

[Pré-Refrão 2]

      E
But when she turns her back on the boy
     A7                   (Riff 1)
He creeps up from behind

[Estribillo 2]

 D
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
      E7
Came down upon her head (Do-do-do-do-do)
  A7
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer
      Em                A7
Made sure that she was dead

(  D  E7  A7  )
(  Em  A7  D  A  D  )

[Interlúdio 2] D  F#/C#  Bm  D7/A (Riff 2)

[Tercera Parte]

D      D/C#      B7
P.c. thirty-one said, "We've 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 (Maxwell must go free)
     A7
The judge does not agree and he tells them
 D          A
So, oh, oh, oh

[Pré-Refrão 3]

    E
But as the words are leaving his lips
   A7                     (Riff 1)
A noise came from behind

[Refrão 3]

 D
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
      E7
Came down upon his head (Do-do-do-do-do)
  A7
Clang! Clang! Maxwell's silver hammer
      Em               A7
Made sure that he was dead, whoa, whoa, whoa-oa!

(  D  E7  A7  )
(  Em  A7  D  A  D  )

[Final] D  F#/C#  Bm  D7/A (Riff 3)