I stumbled across Everbody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) for the first time last week and was struck by its profound wise message. Certain sections of the sage advice caused me to cry up at my youth, and others had me laughing at how the world never changes! How could anyone sum up life in just a few minutes but they did!

Here are just a few snippets:

‘The older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.’

‘Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.’

‘Know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.’

‘Do one thing everyday that scares you.’

‘Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.’ (Exactly what I did last summer when sorting boxes in the loft!)

If you’ve heard the song before I hope you enjoy listening to it again. If you’re hearing Everbody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) for the first time, prepare to feel as if your emotions have gone through the tumble dryer, coming out uplifted, seeing the world with new clarity and peace! And don’t forget to slap on the sun cream! I always do!

The song is based on a hypothetical commencement speech by newspaper columnist Mary Schmidt for the Chicago Tribune which was published in June 1997. Like so many others, musician Baz Luhrmann thought the essay was one given at a graduation ceremony at MIT by Kurt Vonnegut but as Baz Luhrmann tried to gain permission to use it for his song he discovered its true origins. Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen), also known as The Sunscreen Song, reached number one in Ireland and the United Kingdom.