Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, eventually settling with Pete Best in 1960, who played with them for two years before being replaced with then Rory Storm & The Hurricanes drummer Ringo Starr in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein molded them into a professional act and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes given the informal title of "fifth Beatle".
By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). From 1965 onwards, they produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed success as solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.
The Beatles are the best-selling music act of all time, with estimated sales of 600 million units worldwide. They hold the record for most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart, most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and most singles sold in the UK. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped Billboard's list of the all-time most successful artists on the Billboard Hot 100. The band received seven Grammy Awards, four Brit Awards, an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score for the 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. Time magazine named them among the 20th century's 100 most important people.
Former Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield compared the Beatles to Picasso, as "artists who broke through the constraints of their time period to come up with something that was unique and original "... In the form of popular music, no one will ever be more revolutionary, more creative and more distinctive ..." The British poet Philip Larkin described their work as "an enchanting and intoxicating hybrid of African-American rock-and-roll with their own adolescent romanticism", and "the first advance in popular music since the War".
They not only sparked the British Invasion of the US, they became a globally influential phenomenon as well. From the 1920s, the US had dominated popular entertainment culture throughout much of the world, via Hollywood films, jazz, the music of Broadway and Tin Pan Alley and, later, the rock and roll that first emerged in Memphis, Tennessee. The Beatles are regarded as British cultural icons, with young adults from abroad naming the band among a group of people that they most associated with UK culture.
Their musical innovations and commercial success inspired musicians worldwide. Many artists have acknowledged the Beatles' influence and enjoyed chart success with covers of their songs. On radio, their arrival marked the beginning of a new era; in 1968 the programme director of New York's WABC radio station forbade his DJs from playing any "pre-Beatles" music, marking the defining line of what would be considered oldies on American radio. They helped to redefine the album as something more than just a few hits padded out with "filler", and they were primary innovators of the modern music video. The Shea Stadium show with which they opened their 1965 North American tour attracted an estimated 55,600 people, then the largest audience in concert history; Spitz describes the event as a "major breakthrough ... a giant step toward reshaping the concert business". Emulation of their clothing and especially their hairstyles, which became a mark of rebellion, had a global impact on fashion.
According to Gould, the Beatles changed the way people listened to popular music and experienced its role in their lives. From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group's popularity grew into what was seen as an embodiment of socio-cultural movements of the decade. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, Gould continues, they became a catalyst for bohemianism and activism in various social and political arenas, fuelling movements such as women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. According to Peter Lavezzoli, after the "more popular than Jesus" controversy in 1966, the Beatles felt considerable pressure to say the right things and "began a concerted effort to spread a message of wisdom and higher consciousness".
Other commentators such as Mikal Gilmore and Todd Leopold have traced the inception of their socio-cultural impact earlier, interpreting even the Beatlemania period, particularly on their first visit to the US, as a key moment in the development of generational awareness. Referring to their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show Leopold states: "In many ways, the Sullivan appearance marked the beginning of a cultural revolution ... The Beatles were like aliens dropped into the United States of 1964.
In 1965, Queen Elizabeth II appointed Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Beatles won the 1971 Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film Let It Be (1970). The recipients of seven Grammy Awards and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards, the Beatles have six Diamond albums, as well as 20 Multi-Platinum albums, 16 Platinum albums and six Gold albums in the US. In the UK, the Beatles have four Multi-Platinum albums, four Platinum albums, eight Gold albums and one Silver album. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
The best-selling band in history, the Beatles have sold more than 800 million physical and digital albums as of 2013. They have had more number-one albums on the UK charts, fifteen, and sold more singles in the UK, 21.9 million, than any other act. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the Beatles as the most significant and influential rock music artists of the last 50 years. They ranked number one on Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful Hot 100 artists, released in 2008 to celebrate the US singles chart's 50th anniversary. As of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with twenty. The Recording Industry Association of America certifies that the Beatles have sold 178 million units in the US, more than any other artist. They were collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people. In 2014, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
There are two holidays celebrated for the Beatles: Global Beatles Day on 25 June each year. On that date in 1967, the band performed "All You Need Is Love" on television. In 2001, UNESCO created World Beatles Day on 16 January each year. This date has direct relation to the opening of The Cavern Club in 1957.
Five asteroids, 4147 Lennon, 4148 McCartney, 4149 Harrison, 4150 Starr and 8749 Beatles are named after the Beatles.
Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da
The Beatles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
Desmond takes a trolley to the jeweler's 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
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)
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 marketplace
Desmond lets the children lend a hand
Molly stays at home and does her pretty face
And in the evening she still sings it with the band, yes
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
La-la, how their life goes on (hey)
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
La-la, how their life goes on
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
Hey, happy ever after in the marketplace
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, yeah
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
La-la, how their life goes on (hey)
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
La-la, how their life goes on
And if you want some fun
Take ob-la-di, bla-da
Ah, thank you
The Beatles' classic "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" tells the story of Desmond and Molly, two people who meet, fall in love, get married, have children, and lead happy, fulfilling lives. The song is about the ups and downs of love and life and the importance of keeping a positive attitude throughout it all.
In the first verse, Desmond and Molly are introduced, with Desmond owning a barrow in the marketplace and Molly being a singer in a band. They like each other and begin a romance, with Molly taking Desmond's hand as they walk away together. The chorus, "Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah" emphasizes the idea that life goes on no matter what happens.
In the second verse, Desmond buys a golden ring for Molly, and she sings as he gives it to her. The third verse skips ahead a few years and describes their life together with their children in their own home. The final verse repeats the chorus, and adds the line, "And if you want some fun, take ob-la-di, bla-da," suggesting that even in hard times, it's possible to find joy by taking life as it comes and making the most of it.
Overall, "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" is a feel-good song about love, life, and the power of optimism.
Line by Line Meaning
Desmond has a barrow in the marketplace
Desmond has a small cart in the public area used for selling goods
Molly is the singer in a band
Molly performs singing as a member of a musical group
Desmond says to Molly, "Girl, I like your face"
Desmond compliments Molly about her physical appearance
And Molly says this as she takes him by the hand
Molly reciprocates Desmond's affection and holds hands with him
Ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, brah
Life moves forward, flowing steadily and effortlessly
La-la, how their life goes on
Expressing joy and contentment in a playful manner
Desmond takes a trolley to the jeweler's store
Desmond rides an electric-powered passenger vehicle to buy jewelry
Buys a twenty carat golden ring
Desmond purchases a valuable ring made out of 20 karat gold
Takes it back to Molly waiting at the door
Desmond gifts the ring to Molly who was eagerly waiting for him to arrive
And as he gives it to her she begins to sing
Molly expresses her excitement by singing upon receiving the ring
In a couple of years they have built a home sweet home
Desmond and Molly construct a pleasant place to live in within two years
With a couple of kids running in the yard
Desmond and Molly have two children who enjoy playing in the yard
Happy ever after in the marketplace
Desmond and Molly lead a pleasant life in the open public space
Desmond lets the children lend a hand
Desmond allows his children to help him with work
Molly stays at home and does her pretty face
Molly takes care of her beauty by staying at home and grooming herself
And in the evening she still sings it with the band, yes
Molly continues to perform with her band at night
And if you want some fun
If you are looking for entertainment
Take ob-la-di, bla-da
Listen to Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da song to have a good time
Ah, thank you
A thankful expression for suggesting the song
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Mother Nature's Son
A really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on The Night Before
A really splendid Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on P.S. I Love You
Now this is a really great Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on There's a Place
A seriously underrated Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Do You Want to Know a Secret
A fantastic song by The Beatles.
Philip Kassabian
on When I'm Sixty-Four
A very tuneful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
An excellent Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on I'm Looking Through You
A beautiful Beatles song.
Philip Kassabian
on Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
Honestly The Beatles can't stop producing good songs.
Philip Kassabian
on Michelle
A fantastic Beatles song and absolutely beautiful.