The Beatles, widely regarded as one of the most innovative bands in music history, were no strangers to experimenting with sounds, melodies, and lyrical themes. But in a quirky twist of creative recycling, the band once found themselves accused—not by others, but humorously by fans and scholars—of “plagiarising” their own song. This playful accusation refers to striking similarities between two of their well-known tracks: “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” and “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.”
At first glance, the songs are very different in theme—“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” is a lighthearted ska-inspired tune about everyday love, while “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is a darkly comic tale of a murderous student. However, music theorists and Beatles enthusiasts have pointed out that both songs share an almost identical piano rhythm, chord progression, and bounce-like tempo that make them sound like musical cousins. The upbeat, almost vaudevillian style of both tracks gave rise to the inside joke that The Beatles had “copied themselves.”
Interestingly, this self-repetition wasn’t accidental. Paul McCartney, the writer of both songs, often revisited musical ideas that had worked in the past. In interviews, McCartney has admitted to being drawn to catchy, sing-song melodies and quirky characters. His love for music hall influences—an early 20th-century British style—shaped many of his compositions, making it likely that the resemblance between songs was intentional rather than unconscious borrowing.
What makes this “plagiarising themselves” moment amusing rather than scandalous is how it reflects the band’s evolving but occasionally overlapping creative process. The Beatles were writing and recording at an astonishing pace in the late 1960s, often juggling multiple ideas at once. It’s not surprising that certain musical elements would reappear, especially when one songwriter (in this case, McCartney) had a clear preference for specific tones and rhythms.
While fans may joke about this musical overlap, it’s worth noting that the songs also represent different phases in The Beatles’ journey. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” was released in 1968 on the White Album, during a time of both musical freedom and personal tension. “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” followed a year later on Abbey Road, at a time when the group was nearing its breakup. Despite their sonic similarities, the songs’ contrasting narratives show the depth and range of McCartney’s storytelling.
