Wear Sunscreen
Encyclopedia
Wear Sunscreen or Sunscreen are the common names of an essay titled "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young" written by Mary Schmich
and published in the Chicago Tribune
as a column in 1997, but often erroneously attributed to a commencement speech by author Kurt Vonnegut
. Both its subject and tone are similar to the 1927 poem "Desiderata
". The most popular and well-known form of the essay is the successful music single "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)", released in 1999, by Baz Luhrmann
.
's "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young" was published in the Chicago Tribune
as a column on June 1, 1997. In her introduction to the column, she described it as the commencement speech
she would give if she were asked to give one.
The column soon became the subject of an urban legend
, in which it was alleged to be an MIT
commencement speech
given by author Kurt Vonnegut
in that same year (in truth, MIT's commencement speaker that year was Kofi Annan
). Despite a follow-up article by Schmich on August 3, 1997, in which she referred to the "lawless swamp of cyberspace" that had made her and Kurt Vonnegut "one", by 1999 the falsely attributed story was widespread.
Schmich's column, in time, was well-received by Vonnegut. He told the New York Times, "What she wrote was funny, wise and charming, so I would have been proud had the words been mine."
Schmich published a short gift book adaption of the essay, Wear Sunscreen: A Primer for Real Life, in 1998. A tenth anniversary edition was published in 2008.
on his 1998 album Something for Everybody
, as "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)". The song sampled Luhrmann's remixed version of the song "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)
" by Rozalla
. The song opened "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Class of '97".
The song was subsequently released as a single (with the opening words changed to "Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '99").
Luhrmann explains that Anton Monsted, Josh Abrahams and he were working on the remix when Monsted received an email with the supposed Vonnegut speech. They decided to use it but were doubtful of getting through to Vonnegut for permission before their deadline, which was only one or two days away. While searching the internet for contact information they came upon the "Sunscreen Controversy" and discovered that Schmich was the actual author. They emailed her and, with her permission, recorded the song the next day.
The song features a spoken-word track set over a mellow backing track. The "Wear Sunscreen" speech is narrated by Australian voice actor Lee Perry. The backing is the choral version of "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)", a 1991 song by Rozalla
, used in the film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
. The chorus, also from "Everybody's Free", is sung by Quindon Tarver
.
The song was largely obscure until Aaron Scofield, a producer in Phoenix, Arizona, edited the original 12" version into a segment of a syndicated radio show called 'Modern Mix'. This show played many stations in the United States. In Portland, Oregon - where 'Modern Mix' played on KNRK -- listeners began requesting the track. KNRK Program Director Mark Hamilton edited the song for time and began playing it regularly. He distributed the song to other PDs that he networked with and the song exploded in the US.
The song was a worldwide hit, reaching number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100
in the United States, and number one in the United Kingdom and Ireland, partly due to a media campaign by Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles
. It was a part of the end credits in John Swanbeck's film The Big Kahuna
, starring Kevin Spacey
, Danny DeVito
and Peter Facinelli
.
There are four versions of the song: the original 7:09 minutes mix from the album Baz Luhrmann Presents: Something For Everybody; a 1999 single release which features an 5:05 minutes edit that lacks both choruses; "Geographic's Factor 15+ Mix" that runs for 4:42 minutes and a "2007 Mix" of the original 7:09 minutes version released on the 10th Anniversary Edition of the William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet soundtrack on which the opening words are changed to "Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2007".
There are two versions on video: one which uses the 1999 single edit of the song with 5:05 minutes, directed and animated by Bill Barminski
, which was aired on all major networks in the United States and was featured on The Tonight Show
, The Today Show and The View as well as VH1
and MTV
, and also appeared in the UK, Australia and Japan; and another one which using the 7:09 minutes song version with chorus in the middle and in the end, made by the Brazilian advertisement agency DM9DDB.
The song also appeared in Germany, and was soon followed by a German version with the title "Sonnencreme". The German translation is narrated by the German actor Dieter Brandecker. There is also a Brazilian version which is narrated in Portuguese by Pedro Bial
as well as a Swedish version, narrated by Rikard Wolff
. A Russian adaptation of the song, recorded live by Silver Rain Radio
, was performed by Alex Dubas and Yolka.
On August 10, 2008, the song re-entered the UK Singles Chart
at number 72.
The Baz Luhrmann song version inspired numerous parodies. John Safran
released a song entitled "Not the Sunscreen Song". The musician and comedian Chris Rock
enjoyed great success with his spoken word song "No Sex (In the Champagne Room)
." The song was also parodied in an episode of Disney's House of Mouse
where Jiminy Cricket
performed it. The comedy group Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie
also made a parody entitled "The Sunscreen Marketing Board". Jegsy Dodd
and the Original Sinners' version, "Grumpy Old Men" was voted favourite track of 2005 by BBC Radio 1 listeners in their annual Festive 50 poll.
The song was also parodied by DJ Chris Tarrant
on the London Capital Radio Breakfast Show with a song called "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Class of '97 - wear slippers"
Hawaiian comedian and observational humourist Frank de Lima recorded Eat Rice which includes island-style advice.
The fictional character Johnson or "Jay" Keane, brother of Irish soccer player Roy
, on the radio program Gift Grub
on Irish
radio station Today FM
has also recorded a version. In this version Jay tells us to "Support Munster
" — more specifically the Munster rugby team, participants in the 2009 Heineken Cup
.
Another parody by comedian Simmi Areff was played on South African radio station East Coast Radio
at the conclusion of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
Mary Schmich
Mary Theresa Schmich is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.Born in Savannah, Georgia, the oldest of eight children, Schmich grew up in Georgia, attended high school in Phoenix, Arizona, and earned a B.A...
and published in the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
as a column in 1997, but often erroneously attributed to a commencement speech by author Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
. Both its subject and tone are similar to the 1927 poem "Desiderata
Desiderata
Desiderata is a 1927 prose poem by American writer Max Ehrmann...
". The most popular and well-known form of the essay is the successful music single "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)", released in 1999, by Baz Luhrmann
Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
.
Chicago Tribune column
Mary SchmichMary Schmich
Mary Theresa Schmich is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.Born in Savannah, Georgia, the oldest of eight children, Schmich grew up in Georgia, attended high school in Phoenix, Arizona, and earned a B.A...
's "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young" was published in the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
as a column on June 1, 1997. In her introduction to the column, she described it as the commencement speech
Commencement speech
A commencement speech or commencement address is a speech given to graduating students, generally at a university, although the term is also used for secondary education institutions. The "commencement" is a ceremony in which degrees or diplomas are conferred upon graduating students...
she would give if she were asked to give one.
The column soon became the subject of an urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
, in which it was alleged to be an MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
commencement speech
Commencement speech
A commencement speech or commencement address is a speech given to graduating students, generally at a university, although the term is also used for secondary education institutions. The "commencement" is a ceremony in which degrees or diplomas are conferred upon graduating students...
given by author Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
in that same year (in truth, MIT's commencement speaker that year was Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
). Despite a follow-up article by Schmich on August 3, 1997, in which she referred to the "lawless swamp of cyberspace" that had made her and Kurt Vonnegut "one", by 1999 the falsely attributed story was widespread.
Schmich's column, in time, was well-received by Vonnegut. He told the New York Times, "What she wrote was funny, wise and charming, so I would have been proud had the words been mine."
Schmich published a short gift book adaption of the essay, Wear Sunscreen: A Primer for Real Life, in 1998. A tenth anniversary edition was published in 2008.
Baz Luhrmann version
The essay was used in its entirety by Australian film director Baz LuhrmannBaz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
on his 1998 album Something for Everybody
Something for Everybody (Baz Luhrmann album)
Something for Everybody, is an album released by Baz Luhrmann in 1998. It contains new ambient versions of music from his films and plays....
, as "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)". The song sampled Luhrmann's remixed version of the song "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)
Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)
"Everybody's Free " is the second single by Zambian-born Zimbabwean singer Rozalla. It is her only hit to date.-Chart performances:...
" by Rozalla
Rozalla
Rozalla is a dance music performer, born to a Zambian mother and a Zimbabwean father...
. The song opened "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Class of '97".
The song was subsequently released as a single (with the opening words changed to "Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '99").
Luhrmann explains that Anton Monsted, Josh Abrahams and he were working on the remix when Monsted received an email with the supposed Vonnegut speech. They decided to use it but were doubtful of getting through to Vonnegut for permission before their deadline, which was only one or two days away. While searching the internet for contact information they came upon the "Sunscreen Controversy" and discovered that Schmich was the actual author. They emailed her and, with her permission, recorded the song the next day.
The song features a spoken-word track set over a mellow backing track. The "Wear Sunscreen" speech is narrated by Australian voice actor Lee Perry. The backing is the choral version of "Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)", a 1991 song by Rozalla
Rozalla
Rozalla is a dance music performer, born to a Zambian mother and a Zimbabwean father...
, used in the film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet is a 1996 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy of the same name. It was directed by Australian Baz Luhrmann and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the leading roles....
. The chorus, also from "Everybody's Free", is sung by Quindon Tarver
Quindon Tarver
- Life and career :Tarver studied at the Collin College in his home town of Plano, Texas. After finishing the Quad C Theatre program, he worked with Chris Stokes, who is responsible for acts such as IMx, B2K, Gyrl, Monteco, Sec N Sol and MQ3....
.
The song was largely obscure until Aaron Scofield, a producer in Phoenix, Arizona, edited the original 12" version into a segment of a syndicated radio show called 'Modern Mix'. This show played many stations in the United States. In Portland, Oregon - where 'Modern Mix' played on KNRK -- listeners began requesting the track. KNRK Program Director Mark Hamilton edited the song for time and began playing it regularly. He distributed the song to other PDs that he networked with and the song exploded in the US.
The song was a worldwide hit, reaching number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the United States, and number one in the United Kingdom and Ireland, partly due to a media campaign by Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles
Chris Moyles
Christopher David Moyles is an English radio and television presenter and author, who currently presents The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 and Chris Moyles' Quiz Night on Channel 4....
. It was a part of the end credits in John Swanbeck's film The Big Kahuna
The Big Kahuna (film)
The Big Kahuna is a 1999 American comedy-drama film adapted from a play entitled Hospitality Suite, written by Roger Rueff, who also wrote the screenplay...
, starring Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...
, Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
and Peter Facinelli
Peter Facinelli
Peter Facinelli is an American actor. He became known as the star of Fox's 2002 television series Fastlane. He plays Carlisle Cullen in the film adaptations of the Twilight series. He is also well known for his role as Mike Dexter in the film Can't Hardly Wait...
.
There are four versions of the song: the original 7:09 minutes mix from the album Baz Luhrmann Presents: Something For Everybody; a 1999 single release which features an 5:05 minutes edit that lacks both choruses; "Geographic's Factor 15+ Mix" that runs for 4:42 minutes and a "2007 Mix" of the original 7:09 minutes version released on the 10th Anniversary Edition of the William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet soundtrack on which the opening words are changed to "Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2007".
There are two versions on video: one which uses the 1999 single edit of the song with 5:05 minutes, directed and animated by Bill Barminski
Bill Barminski
Bill Barminski is an American artist and filmmaker born in Chicago, Illinois.- Life and art :Barminski moved with his family to Fort Worth, Texas, while still very young and it was there that he spent most of his formative years....
, which was aired on all major networks in the United States and was featured on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
, The Today Show and The View as well as VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, and also appeared in the UK, Australia and Japan; and another one which using the 7:09 minutes song version with chorus in the middle and in the end, made by the Brazilian advertisement agency DM9DDB.
The song also appeared in Germany, and was soon followed by a German version with the title "Sonnencreme". The German translation is narrated by the German actor Dieter Brandecker. There is also a Brazilian version which is narrated in Portuguese by Pedro Bial
Pedro Bial
Pedro Bial is a Brazilian producer, director, writer, journalist and a celebrity TV presenter, best known for hosting the Variety Show Fantástico, and the Reality Show Big Brother Brasil, -Career:Bial graduated in journalism from PUC-RJ. His career, as a reporter, began at Rede Globo in 1981...
as well as a Swedish version, narrated by Rikard Wolff
Rikard Wolff
Rikard Wolff is a Swedish stage and screen actor and singer.He voiced Scar in the Swedish dub of The Lion King.He starred in the movie Änglagård, and its sequel, among other films....
. A Russian adaptation of the song, recorded live by Silver Rain Radio
Silver Rain Radio
Silver Rain Radio is a Russian FM radio station since July 4, 1995. Radio frequency in Russia - 100,1 FM. Initiator of the Silver Galosh Award for the most dubious achievements in show business every year. This prise awarded at the congress-hall of Radisson-Slavyanskaya hotel. Is known to be the...
, was performed by Alex Dubas and Yolka.
On August 10, 2008, the song re-entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 72.
The Baz Luhrmann song version inspired numerous parodies. John Safran
John Safran
John Safran is an Australian documentary maker and radio broadcaster, known for combining humour with explorations into religion and other issues...
released a song entitled "Not the Sunscreen Song". The musician and comedian Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
enjoyed great success with his spoken word song "No Sex (In the Champagne Room)
No Sex (In the Champagne Room)
"No Sex " is a comedic spoken word track released by Chris Rock on his 1999 album, Bigger & Blacker, with a background chorus sung by Gerald Levert...
." The song was also parodied in an episode of Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse
Disney's House of Mouse is an American animated television series, produced by Walt Disney Television, that originally aired from 2001 to 2003-Premise:...
where Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket is the Walt Disney version of "The Talking Cricket" , a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi for his children's book Pinocchio, which was adapted into an animated film by Disney in 1940...
performed it. The comedy group Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie
Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie
Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie are a Canadian comedy group from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Childhood friends Wes Borg and Joe Bird met actress Cathleen Rootsaert at a weekly Theatre Sports comedy jam to form the initial group. Later, Neil Grahn was recruited...
also made a parody entitled "The Sunscreen Marketing Board". Jegsy Dodd
Jegsy Dodd
Jegsy Dodd is an English performance poet from Wirral. He first came to prominence in the 1980s with his backing group, The Sons of Harry Cross.The sons of harry cross where,Paul Spencer-Drums,Ian Jackson-Bass,Ken Hancock-Guitar...
and the Original Sinners' version, "Grumpy Old Men" was voted favourite track of 2005 by BBC Radio 1 listeners in their annual Festive 50 poll.
The song was also parodied by DJ Chris Tarrant
Chris Tarrant
Christopher John "Chris" Tarrant, OBE is an English radio and television broadcaster, now best known for hosting the first version of the television game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the United Kingdom and later Ireland, as the two national versions of the show merged in 2002.Chris...
on the London Capital Radio Breakfast Show with a song called "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Class of '97 - wear slippers"
Hawaiian comedian and observational humourist Frank de Lima recorded Eat Rice which includes island-style advice.
The fictional character Johnson or "Jay" Keane, brother of Irish soccer player Roy
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish former footballer and manager. In his 18-year playing career, he played for Cobh Ramblers in the League of Ireland, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United, before ending his career at Celtic in Scotland....
, on the radio program Gift Grub
Gift Grub
Gift Grub is a series of short comic pieces broadcast on weekdays on the breakfast show of Irish commercial radio station Today FM since 8 May 1999...
on Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
radio station Today FM
Today FM
Radio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station which is available nationally. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk...
has also recorded a version. In this version Jay tells us to "Support Munster
Munster Rugby
Munster Rugby is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Munster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup.The team represents the Irish Rugby Football Union Munster Branch which is one of four primary branches of the IRFU, and is responsible for rugby union in the Irish...
" — more specifically the Munster rugby team, participants in the 2009 Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
.
Another parody by comedian Simmi Areff was played on South African radio station East Coast Radio
East Coast Radio (South Africa)
East Coast Radio, also known as ECR, is a KwaZulu-Natal commercial radio station with an audience of just under 2 million. It is the second largest regional radio station in South Africa....
at the conclusion of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
External links
- WEAR SUNSCREEN Original video clip with English subtitles and full lyrics.
- Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young The column that inspired the song
- Lyrics to the song
- Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen! Brazilian's DM9DDB version video with both English & Portuguese subtitles and complete song lyrics.
- Mary Schmich's columns in the Chicago Tribune includes archive, biography and story collections
- Everybody's Free (to Wear Sunscreen) Kahuna's version video on downloadable .mov format at Barminski.com