Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da
Arthur Conley Lyrics
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In the marketplace
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
Life goes on, yeah
La la, how the life goes on
Life goes on, yeah
La la, how the life goes on
Desmond take a trolley
To the jewelery store
Buys a twenty carat golden ring
Takes it back to Molly
Waiting at the door
And as he gives it to her
She begins to sing
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
Happy ever after
In the market place
Desmond lets the
Children lend a hand
Molly stays at home
And does her pretty face
And in the evening
She's still singing with the band
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
Happy ever after
In the market place
Molly lets the
Children lend a hand
Desmond stays at home
And does his pretty face
And in the evening
She's still singing with the band
Everybody
in this song is living their own version of the good life. Desmond has a barrow in the marketplace where he likely sells fruit or other items and Molly is a singer in a band. Desmond is immediately drawn to Molly and compliments her on her face. She takes him by the hand and "life goes on" as they begin a life together. Desmond takes a trolley to the jewelry store and buys her a twenty carat golden ring. When he gives it to her, she begins to sing. They build a home together, have children, and live out their happy ever after in the marketplace. Molly keeps singing with the band, while Desmond lets the children lend a hand and stays at home to do his "pretty face."
The lyrics of this song are all about living in the moment and enjoying life as it comes, doing what makes you happy and finding love along the way. Despite the fact that the song was released in 1968, it still carries relevance today. People are still living in the marketplace, pursuing their dreams, finding love and building families.
Contributed by Jack L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bennyjazzful
WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a mad keen 73yo Aussie fan.
@alfching2499
John Benn Very good Benn,Don't have Cardiac listening to it.
@sauquoit13456
On this day in 1969 {March 1st} Arthur Conley performed the Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" on the Dick Clark ABC-TV Saturday-afternoon program, 'American Bandstand'...
Three months earlier on December 29th, 1968 the song entered Billboard's Top 100 chart at position #88, two weeks later it would peak at #51 {for 2 weeks} and it spent six weeks on the Top 100...
It reached #41 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart...
The week that Arthur Conley's version was entering the Top 100 chart, in the United Kingdom, Marmalade's covered version of the song was in it's first of three non-consecutive weeks at #1...
And in 1976, six years after the Beatles broke-up, Capitol Records released their original version of the song, it entered the Top 100 in November, peaked at #49, and stayed on the Top 100 for six weeks...
Arthur Lee Conley passed away at the young age of 57 on November 17th, 2003...
May he, and John & George, R.I.P.
@nashburnette7247
The Beatles' 1976 single had
a 7-week chart run on The Hot-100,
not six.
@kennygopal7951
Great version
@ccandbb1
Excellente reprise !!!
@abnjohnny
The session lead guitar parts are a young Duane Allman at Rick's Hall of Fame Studio's.
@stevepettit2064
best version of this song for me lol.
@Fool3SufferingFools
Paul McCartney's reaction to first hearing this record was recorded during the "Get Back" sessions (13 January 1969). After 0:14 he says, "ON a band?!?" Then during the first chorus he says, "What's wrong with them? They don't sing the words!" He's talking about the word "bra" in "life goes on, bra." Then Ringo Starr points out that other people's cover versions don't include that word either.
@tomthalon8956
Um, I'm hearing "life goes on, YEAH." Where can I see this clip of Paul? Have a link?