Paul McCartney – “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” Live

If You Want Some Fun!

“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” was written by Paul McCartney. It was released on November 22, 1968 for The Beatles’ ninth studio album. McCartney heard this phrase from Jimmy Scott, a Nigerian friend and conga player. He penned this track at a time when reggae started earning popularity in Britain.

“It’s a very me song, in as much as it’s a fantasy about a couple of people who don’t really exist, Desmond and Molly. I’m keen on names too. Desmond is a very Caribbean name.” — Paul McCartney

John Lennon didn’t like working on the song. It took the band 42 hours to complete the song. Scott attempted to claim credit for the catchphrase but eventually dropped the case. It topped the singles charts in Australia, Japan, and Switzerland.

When singing the vocals for the song, specifically the last verse of the song when sung the second time, McCartney 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.

Even though there was a bit of a tension during the recording, they sure sounded like they were having so much fun!