Today I'm listening to "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da". Wikipedia says that
Paul McCartney wrote the song around the time that highlife and reggae were beginning to become popular in Britain. The tag line "ob-la-di, ob-la-da, life goes on, bra" was an expression that Nigerian conga player Jimmy Scott-Emuakpor, an acquaintance of McCartney, used.
(I'd never thought I'd hear The Beatles use the word "brah", a word more common to a frat house these days, but there it is.) John Lennon reportedly hated this song, labeling it "Paul's granny shit." The guys had some trouble recording it, and John actually stormed out, only to come back later, high, and "played the opening chords much louder and faster than before. He claimed that was how the song should be played, and that is the version they ended up using". Also, during the last verse, Paul mistakenly switches Molly and Desmond, saying that "Molly lets the children lend a hand / Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face". They guys liked it so much that they left it that way.
This song definitely puts me in mind of reggae. However, because of the names Molly and Desmond, my very first thought was that this song is some kind of story about an Irish couple. Anyone familiar with Dublin will probably understand; Molly Malone, the "tart with the cart", is a famous Irish character and even has her own statue downtown. Overall, I like this song, and while it's not my favorite, it's certainly catchy. :)
That's it for now... see you tomorrow.
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Heard It Tally: 34
Songs Completed: 142
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