Released: November 22, 1968

Songwriter: Paul McCartney Lennon-McCartney

Producer: George Martin

[Verse 1]
Desmond has a barrow in the market place
Molly is the singer in a band
Desmond says to Molly, "Girl, I like your face"
And Molly says this as she takes him by the hand

[Chorus]
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
La-la, how their life goes on
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
La-la, how their life goes on

[Verse 2]
Desmond takes a trolley to the jeweler's store (Chu chu chu)
Buys a twenty carat golden ring (Ring)
Takes it back to Molly waiting at the door
And as he gives it to her, she begins to sing (Sing)

[Chorus]
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
La-la, how their life goes on
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
La-la, how their life goes on
Yeah

[Bridge]
In a couple of years, they have built a home sweet home
With a couple of kids running in the yard
Of Desmond and Molly Jones (Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha)

[Verse 3]
Happy ever after in the market place
Desmond lets the children lend a hand (Arm, leg)
Molly stays at home and does her pretty face
And in the evening, she still sings it with the band
Yes!

[Chorus]
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
La-la, how their life goes on (Heh-heh)
Yeah, ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
La-la, how their life goes on

[Bridge]
In a couple of years, they have built a home sweet home
With a couple of kids running in the yard
Of Desmond and Molly Jones (Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha)
Yeah!

[Verse 4]
Happy ever after in the market place
Molly lets the children lend a hand (Foot)
Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face
And in the evening, she's a singer with the band (Yeah)

[Chorus]
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
La-la, how their life goes on
Yeah, ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
La-la, how their life goes on

[Outro]
And if you want some fun
Take Ob-la-di-bla-da
Ahh, thank you

The Beatles

The Beatles are arguably the most famous, critically-acclaimed, and successful rock band of all time—certainly the preeminent group of the 20th century. They started out as four teenagers playing grimy basement clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg, but they progressed to become world-beating rock stars who are still influential to this day.

John Lennon first formed a skiffle group called The Quarrymen in March 1957. A fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney joined shortly thereafter, eventually inviting his friend George Harrison to audition for the band. After finally impressing John with his guitar skills, George was asked to join—but this juncture would be short-lived as John’s departure to college signaled the other quarrymen to go their separate ways.

By 1960, Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison had re-branded from ‘Johnny & the Moondogs’ to ‘The Silver Beetles’ at the behest of their new bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe. The name would eventually evolve into ‘The Silver Beatles’ by July of that year, before settling on ‘The Beatles’ come August—just in time for their trip to Hamburg with new drummer, Pete Best. Though club residencies in Germany would prove fundamental to the group’s progress as a whole, the tour turned out to be a blessing and a curse, following the deportation of a then-seventeen-year-old George Harrison, and the eventual tragic death of Stuart Sutcliffe.

more tracks from the album

The Beatles (The Original Studio Recordings) Boxset