Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" is a song by The Beatles originally released on the double-disc album The Beatles (also known as The White Album), and later released as a single. It is mostly written by Paul McCartney, though credited to Lennon/McCartney.
Musical composition
The song was written around the time that reggae was beginning to become popular in Britain. The tag line "ob la di ob la da, life goes on, bra" was an expression that Nigerian conga player Jimmy Scott, an acquaintance of McCartney, often used.
According to studio engineer Geoff Emerick, John Lennon openly hated the song, calling it "Paul's granny shit". After leaving the studio during recording of the song, (after several days and literally dozens of takes of the song, trying different tempos and styles) Lennon returned a few hours later, heavily drugged, declaring loudly that he was stoned. He then went to the piano and banged out the unique piano introduction to the song, claiming that it was what the song needed. The chords that he played are the ones used in the final mix of the song.
When singing the vocals for the song, specifically the last verse of the song when sang the second time, Paul made a slip and said "Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face", rather than Molly, and had Molly letting "the children lend a hand". Reportedly, this mistake was kept in because the other Beatles liked it.
You hear George Harrison and John Lennon yell "arm" and "leg" during a break in the song; between the lines "..Desmond lets the children lend a hand" and "Molly stays at home..."
Lawsuit
Jimmy Scott later sued McCartney for compensation for using the phrase in the lyrics and as the title of the song. According to McCartney, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" was merely a common saying of the Yoruba tribe, and Scott had simply taught the saying to McCartney. It reportedly means "Life goes on", words which are also heard in the song.
