Paul McCartney has been accused, on several occasions, of being corny. He might be guilty, but is it a bad thing? As he famously said, Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs / And what’s wrong with that? In our opinion, nothing. Sometimes a song needs a little extra sentiment to be good. If you can let go of your corny-meter and enjoy what they have to offer, the three McCartney songs below are stunners.
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“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”
“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is one of McCartney’s cheesiest Beatles offerings. The instrumentation is silly to say the least, but the earnestness with which McCartney delivers his story makes it work. The former Beatle delightfully tells a macabre tale, reveling in the dark humor of it all. Bang! Bang! Maxwell’s silver hammer / Came down upon her head, McCartney sings with a marked grin.
The juxtaposition between the lyrics and the melody of this song is mounting. It’s part of what could make listeners consider this song corny, and his bandmates reject this idea at first listen. In the end, McCartney believed enough in this song to get it a spot on Abbey Road. Not just any artist could’ve pulled off something so outlandish and gotten away with it. It speaks to McCartney’s confidence as an artist.
“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”
All of the Beatles highlighted their affinity for nonsensical lyrics at one time or another. The band was so popular and beloved that they could release a song with no point and make it a hit. McCartney gave that approach a spin with “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.”
This is one of the songs that coined John Lennon’s phrase, “Paul’s granny sh**.” His bandmates chalked this song up to sentimental dribble. While some listeners might share that opinion, others appreciate the upper this song is.
“Ebony and Ivory”
“Ebony and Ivory” was made with good intentions. McCartney tried to incite change. Despite having the talents of Stevie Wonder on his side, McCartney slightly missed the mark with this song.
Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony / Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don’t we, McCartney asks in this ballad. The sentiment is simple, but it leans cheesy. Even in its day, this song was seen as slightly schmaltzy. It’s only gotten more corny as the years have gone on. But we have to commend this song for both artists’ stellar vocals and an earnest attempt at unification.
(Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)
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