Partway through the song, Lennon introduces McCartney as lounge singer "Denis O'Bell", a reference to Denis O'Dell, associate producer on the A Hard Day's Night film, whom Lennon had also worked with on How I Won the War.

Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Came down upon her head
Bang! Bang! Maxwell's silver hammer
Made sure that she was dead

Rose and Valerie, screaming from the gallery
Say he must go free
(Maxwell must go free)
The judge does not agree and he tells them
So, o, o, o

Mean Mister Mustard sleeps in the park
Shaves in the dark trying to save paper
Sleeps in a hole in the road
Saving up to buy some clothes
Keeps a ten-bob note up his nose
Such a mean old man

It's a thousand pages, give or take a few.

If you're down he'll pick you up
Doctor Robert
Take a drink from his special cup
Doctor Robert

The track is distinguished by its French horn solo, performed by Alan Civil and used as counterpoint in the final verse. Civil was also part of the orchestra crescendo in "A Day in the Life".