No Doubt's live act began to attract regional interest, and Interscope Records signed them in 1991. The band's debut a year later, an odd fusion of '80s and ska, sank without a trace in the wake of the grunge movement. As a result, Interscope refused to support No Doubt's tour or further recordings. The band responded by recording on their own during 1993-94; the result was the self-released The Beacon Street Collection, much rawer and more punk-inspired than the debut. Eric Stefani left just after its release, later working as an animator for The Simpsons. By late 1994, Interscope allowed recordings to resume, and Tragic Kingdom was released in October 1995. The album's third single, Don't Speak, which although originally written by Eric was later altered by Gwen to document her breakup with bassist Tony Kanal. Tragic Kingdom went platinum and has sold over 15 million copies to date. As Tragic Kingdom obtained success, the band toured furiously until late '97.
After a long break, the band had prepared a more mellow, and powerfully dramatic album entitled Return of Saturn. It emphasized Gwen's encounters with men, her biological clock, and miscellaneous topics. Although the album had a completely different approach to it, the band was making rock music with less of a punk/ska flare. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts in early April of 2000, and then declined to a flop. The public never did justice to the album, and it serves as a favorite for many die-hard fans.
While touring in Jamaica for Return of Saturn, the band wanted to try adding Reggae to their music, and making more of a dance rock record. 20 months after Return of Saturn debuted, the band was quick to jump on the creation of Rock Steady, released in December of '01. The singles Underneath It All and Hey Baby became international dance club symbols as top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. This album proved that No Doubt had not lost their potential with the public, and that they could appeal to various groups of people.
In 2004, No Doubt announced they would be going on hiatus after the release of the singles compilation The Singles 1992–2003, which contained one new song, a cover of experimental rock band Talk Talk's "It's My Life". Tony Kanal did several projects with Gwen and other artists. Adrian Young married and had a child; Tom Dumont formed a new band, Invincible Overlord, often plays with Matt Costa's band. Gwen embarked on a sucessful solo career which consisted of two albums - "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." and "The Sweet Escape". The first of these albums contains the single "Hollaback Girl", a song which was inescapable for most of 2005 and hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won her a Billboard Award for first track to reach 1 Million legal downloads ever. The self titled track off "The Sweet Escape" went on to become her most notorious calling card.
With the hiatus officially over in late 2008 No Doubt announced tour plans for 2009, kicking it off in Atlantic City. The tour concluded with four dates in Irvine, CA. In May, 2009, the band was featured as a fictional 80's band, "Snowed Out", on CW Network's "Gossip Girl" The band performed their cover of Adam and the Ants 'Stand and Deliver.'
The group entered the studio in May 2010 to start recording on their sixth studio album: Push and Shove which will be release on September 25, 2012 and its first single will be "Settle Down". Their first music video for the new album will also be for "Settle Down" and it will be directed by Sophie Muller (who previously has done numerous music videos for No Doubt). The whole album has been recorded with producer Mark "Spike" Stent (who worked on their previous album Rock Steady) but they have also collaborated with Major Lazer (now Diplo's solo project). No Doubt previously revealed they are taking influence from ska, 80s new wave and Jamaican reggae music for the new record.
Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da
No Doubt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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.
Obladi oblada life goes on bra
Lala how the life goes on
Lala how the life goes on.
Desmond takes a trolly to the jewellers 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
Molly lets the children lend a hand
Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face
And in the evening she's a singer with the band.
And if you want some fun-take Obladi Oblada.
The lyrics to No Doubt's rendition of Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da, originally by The Beatles, tell a story of two people, Desmond and Molly, who fall in love and start a family. The first verse describes how they meet at a market place where Desmond has a barrow, and Molly is a singer. Desmond compliments Molly, and she takes him by the hand. The chorus, "Obladi Oblada life goes on bra, Lala how the life goes on" suggests that life goes on regardless of what happens, be it happy or sad moments.
The second verse talks about how Desmond buys a twenty-carat golden ring and gifts it to Molly. The chorus repeats, indicating that life goes on regardless of what happens, and things change with time. The third verse explains that after a few years, Desmond and Molly have built a home together and have children playing in the yard. The chorus reappears to emphasize that life continues to happen, and nothing is permanent.
The final verse describes how Molly sings with a band in the evening, and Desmond stays at home and does his "pretty face." The lyrics suggest that they are happy with who they are and how they live. The final line, "And if you want some fun-take Obladi Oblada," encourages listeners to have fun and enjoy life as it comes.
Line by Line Meaning
Desmond has a barrow in the market place
Desmond has a pushcart in the marketplace where he sells goods.
Molly is the singer in a band
Molly performs as a vocalist in a musical group.
Desmond says to Molly-girl I like your face
Desmond expresses his attraction to Molly and compliments her appearance.
And Molly says this as she takes him by the hand.
Molly reciprocates Desmond's affection and takes his hand.
Obladi oblada life goes on bra
Life moves forward with its ups and downs.
Lala how the life goes on
Life keeps progressing, and we must continue to move forward.
Desmond takes a trolly to the jewellers store
Desmond rides a cart to the jewelry store to buy a ring.
Buys a twenty carat golden ring
Desmond purchases a valuable golden ring.
Takes it back to Molly waiting at the door
Desmond returns home to Molly and gives her the ring.
And as he gives it to her she begins to sing.
Molly is thrilled with the gift and sings in response.
In a couple of years they have built
After a few years, Desmond and Molly create and establish
A home sweet home
A comfortable and welcoming abode.
With a couple of kids running in the yard
Their children happily play in the backyard.
Of Desmond and Molly Jones.
Desmond and Molly share this lovely home and family together.
Happy ever after in the market place
Desmond and Molly have an enduring relationship surrounded by familiarity.
Molly lets the children lend a hand
Molly allows her kids to assist in daily chores.
Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face
Desmond is a homemaker and takes care of his appearance.
And in the evening she's a singer with the band.
Molly performs with her band in the evenings.
And if you want some fun-take Obladi Oblada.
If you want to enjoy yourself, embrace the unpredictable nature of life.
Writer(s): Paul Mccartney, John Lennon Copyright: Sony/ATV Tunes LLC
Contributed by Aaron T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Xychk
Out of all the people who covered this song, I think Gwen had the most fun
@fullmetalkunai67
that looked like a super fun concert....damn the fact that i was a too young at the time
@candycanefaery
Eric Stefani! Man I wish I had been old enough to see No Doubt back in the day like my cousins! Boo!
@mrsboxerpaw
She gets the words mixed up and still sounds great, was lucky enough to see them in Dublin 🤩
@ouscholta
love her voice so much!!
@itsglen9646
Never thought of the Beatles writing a ska tune... great!
@stephgonzal1
this is so epic i wish i was there my favorite band in the world NO DOUBT all day !!!!!! best cover ever
@themaddportagee76
Ah-Ma-Zing (!!) I love how they took an old school Beatles track ( which I grew up on and love till I die ) and turned it around to a whole new vibe! Gotta love Ska!
@esaumonroy5033
She’s a queen. 😍😘😍😘😍😘
@BasqueNYC
They closed with this at a Roseland,NYC show in summer 96 or 97 and they had Goldfinger and Dog Eat Dog dancing on stage with them