Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da

1. Do you like this song? Can you sing a bit of it?

2. Read this Paul McCartneys quote about the strange song title:

I had a friend called Jimmy Scott who was a Nigerian conga player, who I used to meet
in the clubs in London. He had a few expressions, one of which was, 'Ob la di ob la da, life
goes on, bra'. I used to love this expression... He sounded like a philosopher to me. He was
a great guy anyway and I said to him, 'I really like that expression and I'm thinking of using
it,' and I sent him a cheque in recognition of that fact later because even though I had
written the whole song and he didn't help me, it was his expression.

3. What tenses are the words in bold in? What are the infinitive forms?

Had: Sent:
Was: Had written:
Sounded: Didnt help:
Said:

4. Whats the meaning of used to? What do we use it for?

5. Ok, now listen to the song and try to complete the gaps.

Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da
(J. Lennon, P. McCartney)

Desmond has a barrow in the market place.

Molly is a ____________ in a band.
Desmond says to Molly girl I like your face
And Molly says this as she takes him by the _____________.

Obladi oblada life goes on bra

Lala how the life goes on.
Obladi oblada life goes on bra
Lala how the life goes on.

Desmond takes a trolley to the jeweller's store,

Buys a twenty carat golden ___________.
Takes it back to Molly waiting at the door
And as he ____________ it to her she begins to sing.

Obladi oblada life goes on bra

Lala how the life goes on.
Obladi oblada life goes on bra
Lala how the life goes on.
In a couple of ___________ they have built
A home sweet home
With a couple of _____________ running in the yard
Of Desmond and Molly Jones.

Happy ever after in the market place

Desmond lets the ____________ lend a hand.
Molly stays at home and does her pretty face
And in the evening she still sings it with the __________.

Obladi oblada life goes on bra

Lala how the life goes on.
Obladi oblada life goes on bra
Lala how the life goes on.

In a couple of ___________ they have built

A home sweet home
With a couple of _____________ running in the yard
Of Desmond and Molly Jones.

Happy ever after in the market place

Molly lets the ____________ lend a hand.
Desmond stays at home and does his pretty face
And in the evening she's a singer with the ______________.

Obladi oblada life goes on bra

Lala how the life goes on.
Obladi oblada life goes on bra
Lala how the life goes on.

And if you want some fun -

Take obladi oblada.

6. Answer these questions about the song.

A. Whats Desmond job? And Mollys?
_____________________________________________________________________________
B. What does Desmond says to Molly?
_____________________________________________________________________________
C. What does Molly do as she answers?
_____________________________________________________________________________
7. Frame the questions for this answers.
A. __________________________________________________________________________?
To the jewellers store.
B. __________________________________________________________________________?
A 20 carat golden ring.
C. __________________________________________________________________________?
Shes waiting at the door.

8. Pick any 5 verbs in the song and use them in an original sentence. Use a different personal
pronoun in each case.
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________________

9. Change these 4 sentences from the present simple to the present continuous tense.

1. Desmond says to Molly girl I like your face.

_____________________________________________________________________________
2. Desmond takes a trolley to the jeweller's store.
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Molly stays at home and does her pretty face.
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. And in the evening she still sings it with the band.
_____________________________________________________________________________

10. Now, take the original 4 sentences from the previous exercise and turn them into the
negative form (you dont need to change the verbal tense).
1. ___________________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________________