Ob La Di Ob La Da
The Marmalade Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ob-La-Di, ob-La-Da
Life goes on, whoa
La, la how their life goes on

Desmond has a barrow 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

Ob-La-Di, ob-La-Da
Life goes on, whoa
La, la how their life goes on

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Life goes on, whoa
La, la how their life goes on

Desmond takes the trolley to the jewellers store
Buys a twenty carat golden ring
Takes it back to Molly waiting at the door
And as she gives it to him she begins to sing

Ob-La-Di, ob-La-Da
Life goes on, whoa
La, la how their life goes on

Ob-La-Di, ob-La-Da
Life goes on, whoa
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

Happy ever after in the marketplace
Desmond lets the children lend a hand
Molly stays at home and does his pretty face
And in the evening he still sings it with the band

Ob-La-Di, ob-La-Da
Life goes on, whoa
La, la how their life goes on

Ob-La-Di, ob-La-Da
Life goes on, whoa
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 (Desmond and Molly)

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 he's the singer with the band

Ob-La-Di, ob-La-Da
Life goes on, whoa
La, la how their life goes on

Ob-La-Di, ob-La-Da
Life goes on, whoa
La, la how their life goes on





And if you want some jam
Sing Ob-La-Di, bla-da, hey

Overall Meaning

The Marmalade's "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" is a cheerful and upbeat song that tells a story about a young couple falling in love, getting married, and building a family. The song starts by introducing us to Desmond, who has a barrow in the marketplace, and Molly, who is the singer in a band. Desmond is attracted to Molly and tells her that he likes her face, to which she responds by taking him by the hand. The song then jumps to their wedding day, where Desmond buys a twenty-carat golden ring for Molly and she begins to sing. In a couple of years, Desmond and Molly have built a sweet home with children running in the yard, and they live happily ever after in the marketplace. Desmond lets the children lend a hand in his business, while Molly stays at home and takes care of their kids. In the evening, Desmond still takes time to sing with the band.


The title of the song, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," is a phrase of African origin that means "life goes on." The song emphasizes the idea that no matter what happens in life, we must keep moving forward, and things will eventually work out. The song's catchy melody and simple lyrics have made it an enduring classic that is still loved and enjoyed by people of all ages today. The song's positive message and infectious melody make it a cheerful tune that can brighten up anyone's day.


Line by Line Meaning

Ob-La-Di, ob-La-Da
Life goes on, even if things may not go as planned


Life goes on, whoa
No matter what happens, time keeps moving forward


La, la how their life goes on
Despite ups and downs, people continue to live their lives


Desmond has a barrow in the marketplace
Desmond is a man who owns a cart that he uses to sell goods


Molly is the singer in a band
Molly is a woman who performs as a vocalist in a musical group


Desmond says to Molly girl I like your face
Desmond tells Molly that he thinks she is attractive


And Molly says this as she takes him by the hand
Molly responds positively to Desmond's compliment and takes his hand


Desmond takes the trolley to the jewellers store
Desmond goes to a store that sells jewelry using a wheeled cart called a trolley


Buys a twenty carat golden ring
Desmond purchases a valuable piece of jewelry made of gold


Takes it back to Molly waiting at the door
Desmond returns to where Molly is waiting and gives her the ring


And as she gives it to him she begins to sing
Molly responds joyfully to the gift and breaks into song


In a couple of years they have built a home sweet home
After some time has passed, Desmond and Molly have created a comfortable living space


With a couple of kids running in the yard
Desmond and Molly now have children who play in the outdoor space around their home


Of Desmond and Molly Jones
This phrase simply refers to Desmond and Molly as a couple, without additional meaning


Happy ever after in the marketplace
Despite being in a commercial and public space, Desmond and Molly are still content and happy


Desmond lets the children lend a hand
Desmond allows his kids to help him with his work


Molly stays at home and does his pretty face
Molly takes care of herself and her appearance while remaining at home


And in the evening he still sings it with the band
Desmond continues to perform with his musical group in the evenings


And if you want some jam
This is a sudden change in topic, unrelated to the previous lines


Sing Ob-La-Di, bla-da, hey
This is a suggestion to sing the chorus of the song Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da to obtain some jam




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@FlowerPowerRockGirl

This was real music💪💯✌️☮️

@2CoolForYall

0:47 is my favorite part

@FlowerPowerRockGirl

@Nora Salu 👍👍my fafourite ist from 2.05 Till 2.35😄😂✌️🎶

@maluaisalu5287

@FlowerPowerRockGirl 3333 my favorite part is 0:47

@satcher2001

Loved these guys. But reflections was my all time favorite. To this day it’s so hauntingly beautiful to me.

@KathleenMaryK

My favourite too, I've been listening to Reflections a lot recently and it still gives me goosebumps, such a beautiful song 🙂

@tonialander57

Just love Marmalade, Happy memories of my youth .

@oughtonoughton2634

These guys were so special , What utter talent i have always adored the fun they gave us xx long live the 60s era i was their lol Jane x

@carolynclark-tn7cx

My husband sang this to me we added some fun to it❤

@Yourmumsfav.

Ahhh my great uncle, was the lead guitarist!!! X

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