A Tale on how the journey begins 🎶 DID THE BEATLES COPY THEMSELVES? 😱 “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” and “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” share a musical DNA that’s got fans buzzing! 🥁” his own genius in our latest! 👉

In a fascinating twist of musical creativity, The Beatles, one of history’s most innovative bands, have been humorously accused of “plagiarising” their own work, as explored in a July 5, 2025, article from Sunskynetsport The playful claim centers on the striking similarities between two Paul McCartney-penned tracks: “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” from The White Album (1968) and “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” from Abbey Road (1969). Despite their contrasting narratives—a cheerful ska-infused love story versus a darkly comedic tale of a serial killer—fans and music theorists have noted their near-identical piano rhythms, chord progressions, and bouncy, vaudevillian tempos, sparking an inside joke about the Fab Four recycling their own sound.
The similarities are no accident, reflecting McCartney’s penchant for catchy, music hall-inspired melodies that defined much of his songwriting. As the Sunskynetsport article notes, both songs share a lively, almost theatrical style rooted in early 20th-century British influences, with McCartney himself admitting in a 1980s Rolling Stone interview to drawing on familiar structures to craft memorable hooks. The C-G7-C chord progression and upbeat rhythm in “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” mirror the playful bounce of “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” creating a sonic kinship that feels like a nod to his creative habits. X users have chimed in, with one calling it “Paul winking at his own playbook—genius, not theft!”
This self-referential overlap highlights The Beatles’ frenetic creative pace during the late 1960s, a period marked by prolific output and internal tensions. Recording The White Album in 1968 was chaotic, with McCartney’s insistence on perfecting “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” causing friction—John Lennon famously called it “Paul’s granny music.” By 1969, Abbey Road saw the band on the brink of breakup, yet McCartney’s return to a similar musical blueprint for “Maxwell” suggests a deliberate comfort in familiar sounds amid personal turmoil. Posts on X praise this as “McCartney’s confidence in his craft,” noting how the songs’ distinct stories—everyday joy versus macabre humor—showcase his storytelling range
Far from a scandal, this “self-plagiarism” is a testament to The Beatles’ experimental yet cohesive artistry. McCartney’s music hall affinity, also evident in tracks like “When I’m Sixty-Four,” allowed him to repurpose successful elements while keeping each song unique. The article points out that fans embrace the overlap as a charming quirk, with one X user joking, “Paul copied Paul, and we’re all better for it!” The Beatles’ ability to reinvent within their own framework underscores their genius, as they balanced innovation with familiarity during a transformative era.