In the rich tapestry of The Beatles’ discography—over 200 songs strong—lies a fascinating tale of accidental self-plagiarism, a musical déjà vu that only the most discerning ears could catch. Yes, The Beatles, the most influential rock band of all time, once borrowed from themselves. But how did that happen? Was it intentional? Was it laziness, genius, or just the strange nature of creativity? Let’s dive into this story of melody recycling, hidden repetition, and the fine line between inspiration and imitation.The Case of “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” and “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?”
The prime example of The Beatles plagiarizing themselves stems from two very different songs from the White Album—“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” and “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” Released in 1968, the White Album was a double LP that captured the band at both their creative zenith and their interpersonal breaking point.
On the surface, these two songs couldn’t be more different. “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” is a reggae-inspired, cheerful pop tune composed mainly by Paul McCartney. “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?”, also a McCartney composition, is raw, bluesy, and full of sexual tension. But when placed side by side, something curious happens: the rhythmic and melodic patterns of the vocal lines in the verses are strikingly similar.
Both songs use a syncopated rhythmic bounce, relying heavily on offbeat vocal emphasis and almost identical phrasing structures. Critics and musicians alike have pointed out that the melody of “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” is a slowed-down, more primal take on the hook from “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.” It’s almost as if McCartney repurposed his own work, stripped it down emotionally, and re-dressed it in a different mood.
Accidental or Intentional?To understand whether The Beatles plagiarized themselves intentionally, we have to consider the nature of their songwriting at the time. During the White Album sessions, the band had splintered into factions. McCartney was writing and recording songs largely on his own, as were John Lennon and George Harrison. Ringo Starr even temporarily quit the band during these sessions. With such creative chaos, overlaps were bound to happen.
Paul McCartney has never publicly admitted that “Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” was directly derived from “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” but given that both songs were recorded just days apart, and given Paul’s known habit of reworking his own melodies (as he did later with “Yesterday” and parts of his solo catalog), it’s likely that the similarity was intentional, or at least subconscious.
In many ways, it was McCartney reacting to his own pop sensibilities. He had created something sugary and light in “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” and perhaps needed to vent that energy in a darker, more visceral way. The result? A raw version of the same musical idea.
