Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
“Desmond has a barrow in the marketplace”
McCartney's ska-tinged White Album singalong: a storybook narrative about Desmond and Molly Jones whose title phrase 'ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on' was contributed by Nigerian conga player Jimmy Scott-Emuakpor. The off-beat piano hook and West Indian feel anticipate reggae a year before it broke worldwide.
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15 Beatles recordings open on a single instrument playing alone, before any other player or voice comes in: 1 on bass, 6 on drums, 3 on guitar, 5 on keyboards. This song is one of them.
Songwriter(s)McCartneyCredited as Lennon–McCartney
RecordedJuly 3 – 15, 1968
ReleasedNovember 22, 1968
Song familyCharacter song, Written in India, Referenced in songby Savoy Truffle, Granny song
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Text268 tags
Word cloud
Recurring words
beginsbuyschildreneveningfacefootgivesgoesgoldenha-ha-ha-ha-haheh-hehjoneslendob-la-di-bla-darunningsingtakestheiryearsa handa singerand ifas heback tobegins togoes onhas ahow theit withshe stillshe takesshe's atakes himthank youthe bandthe childrenthe doorthe eveningthe lifetheir lifeto herto singyour faceand if youha ha hain the eveningha ha ha ha ha ha
Lyric shape
[NOUN] she[VERB] at[VERB] him[VERB] this[WORD] has[WORD] howa [ADV]her [ADJ]his [ADJ]the [VERB]their [NOUN][ADV] [NOUN] i[ADV] [VERB] the[NOUN] [VERB] on[NOUN] in a[NOUN] of [NOUN][NOUN] of [WORD][NOUN] with the[VERB] in the[VERB] it [ADV][VERB] it to[VERB] it with[VERB] the [VERB][WORD] [VERB] at[WORD] [VERB] in[WORD] to thea [NOUN] [NOUN]a [NOUN] witha [WORD] [VERB]a [WORD] toas he [VERB]at the [NOUN]have [VERB] ahe [VERB] itin a [NOUN]is the [NOUN]of [WORD] [VERB]she [VERB] toshe's a [NOUN]the [NOUN] inthe [NOUN] shethe [VERB] [VERB]to [VERB] [VERB]with a [NOUN]with the [NOUN]you [VERB] [WORD][NOUN] [VERB] on [WORD][NOUN] in a [NOUN][NOUN] with the [NOUN][VERB] a [ADV] [ADJ][VERB] a [NOUN] [NOUN][VERB] a [WORD] [VERB][VERB] at the [NOUN][VERB] in the [NOUN][VERB] to [VERB] [VERB][WORD] [VERB] a [WORD][WORD] [VERB] in the[WORD] to the [WORD]a [NOUN] of [WORD]and [ADV] [WORD] [WORD]and if you [VERB]i [VERB] your [NOUN]in the [NOUN] sheshe [VERB] to [VERB]she still [VERB] itthe [NOUN] [VERB] onthe [NOUN] in athe [WORD] [NOUN] [WORD]with a [NOUN] ofyou [VERB] [WORD] [WORD][WORD] [VERB] in the [NOUN]
Cover-shared shape
[ADV] and[ADV] is[ADV] to[NOUN] i[NOUN] in[NOUN] of[NOUN] she's[NOUN] they[NOUN] with[VERB] a[VERB] in[VERB] it[VERB] on[VERB] the[VERB] to[VERB] you[VERB] your[WORD] and[WORD] in[WORD] no[WORD] toa [NOUN]a [WORD]and [ADV]have [VERB]he [VERB]i [VERB]of [NOUN]of [WORD]on [WORD]she [VERB]still [VERB]the [NOUN]the [WORD]to [VERB]you [VERB]your [NOUN][NOUN] i [VERB][VERB] a [NOUN][VERB] a [WORD][VERB] on [WORD][VERB] to [VERB][VERB] your [NOUN][WORD] [VERB] a[WORD] [VERB] the[WORD] [VERB] to[WORD] [VERB] you[WORD] in thea [NOUN] ofas she [VERB]at [ADV] andby the [NOUN]i [VERB] yourif you [VERB]in the [NOUN]in the [WORD]the [NOUN] [VERB]the [WORD] [NOUN]they have [VERB]to the [WORD][VERB] [VERB] a [NOUN]a [NOUN] of [NOUN]and in the [NOUN]to the [WORD] [NOUN]
Distinctive word
armbarrowbrahchoo-choo-choocoupledesmondha-ha-ha-hajeweler'skidsla-la-la-la-lala-la-la-la-la-la-la-lalegletsmarketplacemollyob-la-daob-la-disingsstaysstoretrolleytwenty-karatyard
Music149 tags
Chord shape
C → G → DC → F → B♭ → FC → F → C → GC → G7C → G → AmAm → CC → DmC → G → G7 → C → FC → GC → CC → C7C → FC7 → FC → C → FC → F → B♭C7 → F → B♭C → F → CAm → C → GC → Dm → FC → G → D → GC → C7 → FC → G → GC → C → F → C → GC7 → F → B♭ → FC → C → F → B♭C → G → G7C7 → F → CAm → C → G → CC → F → C → DmC7 → F → B♭ → F → CC → C → F → B♭ → FC → C7 → F → B♭C → C → F → B♭ → F → C → FAm → C → G7 → C
Studio16 tags
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People14 tags
Info21 tags
Sources & references
Tags on this page are original analysis, transcribed and cross-checked against the fine work of others: Alan W. Pollack's “Notes on…” series, the Beatles Complete Scores (Hal Leonard), Mark Lewisohn's session histories, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, Dave Rybaczewski's Beatles Music History and Andy Babiuk's Beatles Gear for the instruments and studio equipment, and others besides – then verified by ear against the recordings. Full bibliography: Sources & thanks.
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