| "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" | |
|---|---|
 Picture sleeve for the song's 1976 US single release | |
| Single by the Beatles | |
| from the album The Beatles | |
| B-side | "Julia" |
| Released | 22 November 1968 |
| Recorded | 8, 9, 11 and 15 July 1968[1] |
| Studio | EMI, London |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:07 |
| Label | Apple |
| Songwriter(s) | Lennon–McCartney |
| Producer(s) | George Martin |
| Audio sample | |
"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" | |
| Audio | |
| "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" on YouTube | |
"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by Paul McCartney[4][5][6] and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Following the album's release, the song was issued as a single in many countries, although not in the United Kingdom or the United States, and topped singles charts in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland and West Germany. When belatedly issued as a single in the United States in 1976, it peaked at number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100.
McCartney wrote "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" in a cod Jamaican ska style and appropriated a phrase popularised by Jimmy Scott, a London-based Nigerian musician, for the song's title and chorus. Following its release, Scott attempted, unsuccessfully, to receive a composing credit. The recording sessions for the track were marked by disharmony as McCartney's perfectionism tested his bandmates and their recording staff. The song was especially disliked by John Lennon, and a heated argument during one of the sessions led to Geoff Emerick quitting his job as the Beatles' recording engineer. A discarded early version of the track, featuring Scott on congas, was included on the band's 1996 compilation Anthology 3.
The Beatles' decision not to release the single in the UK or the US led to several cover recordings by other artists, who sought to achieve a chart hit with the song. Of these, Marmalade became the first Scottish group to have a number 1 hit in the UK when their version topped the UK Singles Chart in late 1968. Despite the song's popularity, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" has been ridiculed by some commentators for its plain lightheartedness, and appeared in some lists of worst songs ever. Since 2009, McCartney has regularly performed the song in concert.
- ^ Lewisohn 2005, pp. 141–43.
- ^ Carlin 2009, p. 172.
- ^ Quantick 2002, p. 183.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Fontenot/Aboutwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Smith, Alan (February 1972). "Lennon/McCartney Singalong: Who Wrote What". Hit Parader. Text available at Internet Archive; retrieved 3 February 2020.
- ^ Turner 2012, p. 174.