Hello blogosphere. I’ve been away for a rather extended period of time. In fact, a quick look at the articles I’ve posted would reveal that my last entry was late last year— a little more than eight months ago. I suppose I owe it to my readership to explain my prolonged absence. Not that I […]
Category: Renzie on Living Solo
Living Solo: Moving Into Your Very Own Place
Share This Post: more tips on independent living, with Renzie Baluyut. A friend of mine sought my advice the other day and was asking what she needed to get ready for, now that she was dead set on moving out of the house. Personally, I think making a move from the comfy confines of the […]
Baz Luhrmann’s “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)”
Share This Post: listening once more to the Mary Schmich-Baz Luhrmann collaboration, with Renzie Baluyut.
About ten years ago, I remembered pushing for this song to get more airplay at the radio station I was working for then.
The song was “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” by Baz Luhrmann. It came out in one of those international samplers the station subscribed to, and I loved it the first time I heard it.
It was inspirational, it was different, it had a positive message to it, and it made for great listening. At the time, the prevailing rumor was that it was taken word-for-word from a Kurt Vonnegut commencement speech he gave for the graduating class of MIT.
Much later, it turns out that Kurt Vonnegut had nothing to do with the song. The original piece of work was by Mary Schmich, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.
From Wikipedia:
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.
However, “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” wasn’t radio-friendly- the single ran for more than 7 minutes (you can play 2 songs in 7 minutes), and it wasn’t backed up by any significant marketing effort from the local recording companies.
I managed to sneak the song in several times within some of my special programs, but Baz Luhrmann’s “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)” unfortunately, never saw the heavy radio rotation I felt it deserved.
Nevertheless, the song remains very inspiring even to this day. So here it is, along with the spoken-word lyrics to it. I hope it inspires you too.
Continue reading “Baz Luhrmann’s “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)””
Traveling On a Budget: Get Airfare For Less
notes on cost-friendly travel, with Renzie Baluyut. Traveling is great. In fact, almost everyone wants to go around the world, do some sightseeing, and soak up on some culture just by doing so. Jetting all over the world, however, is a rather costly endeavor. Most of us do have to worry about staying within a […]
Living Solo: The Importance of Manscaping
practical solutions to life’s biggest challenges with Andy Botwin and Renzie Baluyut. Whether you’re living solo, or happily married with a wife and kids, there simply is no excuse for a terrible sense of personal hygeine. There’s a reason why grooming is so important, particularly for singles and bachelors: you want to get into the […]
Renzie Baluyut Online 