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Ob-La-Di?


Carolyn Marie

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I've often wondered about this, but now I'm curious what you all think.

In the Beatles song "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," the lyrics at the end of the song say, "Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face, and in the evening she's a singer with the band."

Various on-line sources say it was a mistake that the band left in to confuse people and have a little fun, with a song that all of them except Paul hated.

I wonder whether there were any other reasons they left it in? I realize that TS issues were barely mentioned in the media in the early sixties, but still,

it would be fun to think there was just a little TG meaning to the lyrics.

Am I off my nut?

Carolyn Marie

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Guest Donna Jean

Am I off my nut?

Carolyn Marie

Well, wait a minute.....

Do you mean in general.....or just about this song?

Now, I remember when this song came out (yes, I'm THAT old!)

And I instantly thought "It's a secret message to me from the Beatles!"

But, honestly, over the years I've heard so many theories about it, I really don't know what to think!

I'd like to think that it was intentional and has some meaning...but, knowing how the Beatles were, it was probably just some off the cuff nonsense!

Donna Jean

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There is more in Beatles lyrics, listen to "Get Back" - Sweet Loretta thought she was a sister but she was another man - nothing hidden there!

Love ya,

Sally

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Guest ChloëC

And here is verse 2 of the Beatles 'Get Back'

Sweet Loretta Martin thought she was a woman

But she was another man

All the girls around her say she's got it coming

But she gets it while she can

And here's the repeated chorus for that verse

Get back, get back.

Get back to where you once belonged

(Get back Loretta!)

Of course The Kinks had 'Lola' which the writer at Wikipedia says is about an encounter with a transvestite. Hmmmm, methinks the writer doesn't know much about the different kinds of gender dysphoria.

Anyway, about Ob-La-Di, most writers say that it was just a mistake in singing the lyrics during a recording (according to a quote by Paul). Um, yeah, sure, I'm sure the Beatles did about 10 or 15 takes, never noticed one was 'wrong' and somehow, them, George Martin (their producer) and others, said, Ok, we'll go with that version, never ever knowing until years later when someone actually listened to the lyrics while not stoned, and said, uh, is this about transgender?

Just like Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds is not about LSD, nope, not at all, silly you should think that.

So, we have two Beatles songs that strongly suggest some kind of transgender situation. I could almost see one as an innocent mistake. Well, actually, no, because very few bands ever went in to a recording studio and did a song in one take. Being 'ARTISTE'S' I would guess they would tweek the song six ways from Sunday before finally settling on one version (or actually snips from different takes!!!). So, a slip of the tongue? I highly doubt it.

Hugs

Chloë

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Guest vertigo

From the "does his pretty face" part, I could say that it's not just a mistake. The meaning is either pretty clear, or... I'm just crazy.

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  • 1 month later...
Guest Ashley fl

im sure someone in one of their close or imediate families is tg, you mentioned ts issues being barely mentioned in the media in the 60's, though true, i dont see anything holding the beatles back if they had a thought or oppinion on something.

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  • 1 month later...
  • Forum Moderator

It was not a mistake, these lyrics were simply progressive for their time. The Beatles had fun with it, and full knowledge of the content.

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I was raised in such a sheltered life that when the song Lola came out, it never dawned on me that Lola was a man. But I was talking with someone just a few years ago about the song and she hadn't ever realized it just then. I also didn't realize how many songs related to drugs either. So I think that unless or until your life is affected by a topic, most references just go over our heads.

Another example was a company where my mother worked for that the religious owners would only allow a 70's radio station to be play because all the others played music that related to sex and drugs. I told her that the music was filled with all that and had to actually recite some lyrics for her to understand.

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