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The Sunscreen Song Baz Luhrmann (Must Watch - Motivational Song)

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Uploaded by on Dec 14, 2009

Short film based on the hit song by Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen.

The words of the Sunscreen Song are taken from a column that appeared in the Chicago Tribune on June 1, 1997 entitled "ADVICE, LIKE YOUTH, PROBABLY JUST WASTED ON THE YOUNG" by staff writer Mary Schmich.

Sometime around Thursday, July 31, 1997, Mary's article found it's way onto the internet in the form of an email hoax, claiming to be the 1997 commencement address of Kurt Vonnegut to MIT grads. The real address that year was actually delivered by U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on June 5. You can find it posted on MIT's website.

A year later, the email re-circulated claiming to be Kurt's commencement address to the Class of 1998!

The email caught the attention of Australian film director Baz Luhrmann, who is best known for two films — "Strictly Ballroom," about competitive dancing, and a 1996 remake of "Romeo and Juliet," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.

Luhrmann eventually tracked the source of the speech to Schmich, and contacted Chicago Tribune management to buy the rights to the words to turn it into a song. He took Quindon Tarver's "Everybody's Free (to Feel Good)" song, remixed it, and hired Sydney actor Lee Perry to read Schmich's "speech". The end result became the seven-minute long "Sunscreen Song".

The song received heavy airplay from American radio stations nationwide after KNRK in Portland aired an edited (about 4 1/2 minute) version in the spring of 1999 -- about the time of graduation that year. According to Luhrmann's label, Capitol Records, it became the most requested song on radio morning shows in Atlanta and Philadelphia.

Please visit sunscreenmovie.com for more information and to support the film.

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Uploader Comments (YTSavedMyLife)

  • Nice job on this video,

  • @7732nick . Thanks for feedback. its a really good song this one. Gets people thinking. I actually have used it as the opening video in a new online book I am writing about the power of youtube videos.

    Its one of thos songs everybody should listen to every few weeks for a bit of perspective. its a great leveller.

    all the best...

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All Comments (33)

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  • Great video!

  • i was thinking about killing myself this saved my life.

  • PAUSE 3:00 LMAO HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAA

  • LOL HAHAHAHAHAAH PAUSE AT 3:00

  • love it

  • this was the psychic song that came to me today

  • @kmodi86 kind of agree with you hey, though i don't think it's the worst vid ever, but it did take away the warm 'n fuzzy feeling that you get, like when you just hear the audio without any visual at all :/

  • the worst video i have ever seen, you have ruined the song, with ridiculous american stereotypes

  • Fantastic video. Really great job.

  • Good job on the video!

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