Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

• Performances
• History
• Jam Chart
• Artist
  • Phish
  • Fish
  • Mike
  • Page
  • Trey
  • All

Originally Performed By	The Beatles
Original Album	The Beatles (a.k.a. The White Album) (1968)
Appears On
Music/Lyrics	Lennon/McCartney
Vocals	Page (lead), All (backing)
Historian	Phillip Zerbo (pzerbo)

History

Despite receiving a co-writing credit, John Lennon notoriously hated this McCartney-sung Beatles classic, named after a Reggae outfit called the Obla Di Obla Da Band. Stewart Copeland once referred to this song as "one of the first examples of white reggae."

Teases of "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" appeared several times on the Phish stage leading up to 10/31/94: 3/25/93 in both "Antelope" and "Weekapaug;" 4/17/93 in "My Friend;" and 5/20/94 in "YEM." A far more substantive rendering took place on 5/6/93 at Albany's Palace Theatre, unexpectedly emerging out of a powerful "Mike's Song."

The first complete "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" would wait until 10/31/94, the forth song in their classic Halloween White Album performance. A competent offering considering the sheer volume of songs the band had to learn for that night, this deceptively difficult song was generally well-received if not nearly perfectly played. Unfortunately for fans of this song this was the only complete appearance and the last hint of the song from Phish to date. Oh well, "life goes on, bra."

Phish, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" – 10/31/94, Glens Falls, NY

Submit notes/corrections