"Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free without indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood."
Brings back great memories!
Published on June 2, 2004 By Sally jacobs In Home & Family
I recently read an article about songs they played when you left school, and I remember my last day of school, and they played a song and I cried like a baby. When I read this article it brought back memories of this, and the amount I loved the song, but I couldn't remember the songs name. I felt awful on my last day of school, so scared and so empty, and my headteacher gave a speech about how he went home on his last day of school, and sat and wondered what the hell he was going to do, everyone else had things to do, and he'd just finished a huge part of his life. I googled and found the song, now I remember why I cried, I thought I'd share it!

Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen)
Baz luhrmann

Ladies and gentleman of the Class of '97.

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

*backing music begins*

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but in your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.


Quindon Tarver -
Brother and sister together will make it through,
Someday a spirit will take you and guide you there.
I know you've been hurting but I've been waiting to be there for you,
And I'll be there just helping you our whenever I can.


Lee Perry -
Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasise that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.


Quindon Tarver -
Brother and sister together will make it through,
Someday a spirit will take you and guide you there.
I know you've been hurting but I've been waiting to be there for you,
And I'll be there just helping you our whenever I can.

Everybody's free,
Everybody's free to feel good.

Should be the class of '99! Brings back great memories, hope you liked!

Comments
on Jun 02, 2004
Heya!

I SO remember this song. Loved it. Someone did a spoof of it in Australia which was really funny as well - I might try to find the lyrics to that to give you a laugh!
i'm so sorry if you think that I thought (oh the confusion) that you disapproved of me in anyway. When I was responding to Miki was thinking that you probably wouldn't condone my actions because of the effect it was having on me. Which is different entirely to disapproving. I'm sorry! I am so thankful for your advice.
Those articles have now been made private as I have caught wind of the possibility of 'someone' searching for my blog following him overhearing a conversation about me writng one (which I was actually trying very hard for him not to hear). That's why I'm replying to you here - taking up all your lovely reply space with my drivel!
Hope you're having a good week!
Suz xxx
on Jun 02, 2004
OOo I remember this song, it''s pretty cool, I think it's good advice but then again "Be careful whose advice you buy". And "Leave New York before you get hard, leave North California before it makes you soft"? Hon, I've lived in both, and I don't feel one or the other. I think its ur experience that determines how u are, not where u live..lol, My last day of highschool sucked, I had algebra and English- yuk! Would leave ya a longer comment, but I gots to go, too much too do (I'm gonna see that Liberace museum if it kills me)!!

Anyways, hope your doing good sweetie, Has Kermit left? Hope ur not missing him too much!!keep me posted I check this as often as poss. but don't always have time to write an article. Write soon, promise.

Love DYl xxxx
on Jun 02, 2004
Thanks for the comments guys!

Suz, I responded on your blog, but I think that guy is so out of order, you shouldn't have to hide them! Grrr...anyway please find the lyrics for me, I need a giggle! Don't be sorrt, it was more of what Miki said, i just didn't want you thinking I was judging you or whatever, it was just you was so upset over it, I was trying to help, and I know you know that, so all is good!

Dyl! No article, I'm so upset that's why I'm leaving you a comment here! You had lessons on your last day of school? That sucks big time! Mine was so emotional I cried for most of it, but I am just a big wimp so that'll be it I guess! The words of the song are excellent and most of it is so true, very wise! Kermit doesn't go till Tuesday, so he's being as lovely as ever at the moment, I'm sure I'll miss him loads, but I'll probably go into super blog mode and waffle to much, so be warned! Haha! Hows Holden, I did ask you some questions on my last comment, nosey as ever, haha! Take care talk soon sweety xxx
on Jun 03, 2004
Hey, I remember that song! It gave out some good advice but I don't think I actually took any of it. Sucks, I don't have a last day of school song. As far as I remember I just left one day after...god..what class was it...its unimportant, point is, I just left and never went back one day. I wonder if at the ripe old age of 24 they can come get me and haul my ass back in to finish off those years i didn't do? I hope not....jeez, now im kinda worried.....
Anyways, thanks for writing out those lyrics, they were cool!

-Scarlett
on Jun 03, 2004
I Loved That SONG and the "not the sunscreen song" too by um... oh his name is gone but he had blonde hair and hosted race around the world...Arh - John Saffron - i knew it'd come back eventually

anyway -- our leaving school song was Graduation Song by Vitamin C because it was class of 2000. ALthough the school as such didn't have a leaving song - we had leaving speeches no song - no the graduation song was played in my last IFC class - there only about 7 students left in that class by the end of the year out of the 20 or so who started in the beginning of yr11.

I wish we had Time of your life -- that was my husband's leaving song too.
on Jun 03, 2004
Ladies and gentleman of the class of `98
people often ask me if I have any advice to offer
and when they do, I tell them this:

If you're unsure about what you're going to do with your life
try to remember some of the most interesting people didn't know what they
wanted to do at age 22 or even at 40, when nearly all of them are
unemployed drug addicts forced to live on cat food.
Also understand that friends will come and go - this is because of your
irritating personality - nobody likes you. So if the only thing getting you
through the day is the misconception that people like you - end it now.
Learn how to smoke Winnie blues. If you're underage, get an older kid to
buy them for you. Get to really know your parents - they're good for money.
Milk them, then put them in an old peoples home. Travel as often as you
can. Live in New York City once. Live in northern California once. Never
live in Adelaide - it's a hole.

Maybe you'll marry. Maybe you won't.
Maybe you'll have children. Maybe you won't. If you do have children, lock
them under the stairs.
Do one thing each day that scares you. Sing. Dance. Jump in front of a car.
Do not trust anyone that tries to update Shakespeare for the kids. And if
you see Quindon Tarver in the street - punch him in the face for me...

Brother and sister, we can be free.

If you're worried about the way you look, try to remember you're probably
fatter than you think. Maybe you should consider an eating disorder. Don't
worry too much about the future. If you're nervous about an exam, ring up
the school at the scheduled time and make a bomb threat. If you're a girl,
lie about period pain just to get out of anything that you don't want to
do. Cheat if you think you can get away with it. Remember, someone with
richer parents is getting private tuition.

Shoplift as often as you can. Shopping centres factor shop lifting into
their prices so if you don't do it, it's like they're getting money for
free. When you're on work experience, steal a cabcharge and take a taxi to
Perth. Wear sunscreen, but only if its that coconut oil that gives you
cancer. Keep your old love letters. If you see an old lover in the street,
try to run them over in your car. Don't mess too much with your hair,
otherwise by the time you're 35, you'll look like Greg Matthews. Remember
you can wear your underwear 4 times without washing: forwards, backwards,
inside out forwards, inside out backwards.

Brother and sister...

Congregate in gangs around train stations and shopping centres. It's a free
country. It's public space. Skateboard on war memorials. Smoke in your
school uniform. Set off car alarms. Plant drugs on a teacher. Join a cult.
Spike drinks. Don't flush public toilets. Remember, only you will only
truly take care of you - so carry a concealed weapon. Don't wear your P
plates. Walk around with your eyelids rolled back. Touch you tongue on the
tips of batteries. Be open to new love. Remember, you can't get pregnant
the first time you have sex. Expect others to support you. It's easy to get
the dole - and still do cash in hand work. Respect your elders. When your
grandmother dies have her stuffed. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them
when you're kneecapped by a loan shark. Get revenge. Don't forgive anyone
for anything. But most of all, don't aim too high - You're probably only
suited to an office or factory job.

And trust me on the Winnie blues.
on Jun 03, 2004
i was so sure it was martin-molloy which did the class of 98 version... actually now that i think about it really really hard, it couldn't have been them, but they did something very similar which i heard in about 95 or 96... it was the four ways to wear your undies which triggered the memory. can anyone help me out on that one?
on Jun 03, 2004
Haha thanks Scarlett, yeah it does offer some great advice, things we already know, but we're just not sensible enough to follow, hehe! I don't think they can send you back, but how hilarious if they could, just a knock on your door one day, saying you've got to spend the next three years back in high school, that could actually be fun, knowing what we do now, hmmm!

Trina, thanks for them lyrics, they sooooo funny haha! I think that versions actually better! Time of your life always makes me think of dirty dancing, hmmmm! I wouldn't of wanted to do a speech, i cried enough just at the song, hehe!