Song choice for music video...

Our chosen song for the music video project is 'Everyone's at it' by Lily Allen. Before we came to that particular final song choice we chose a specific genre we all liked, we chose 'indie' and thought about some artists we could choose, for example; Friendly Fires, Kings Of Leon and The Killers. But it was hard to find a song that we liked without an existing music video. We also decided against using male artists, as choosing a female artist meant that we could use a member of our group to star in the video and we decided that this would be a better idea to ensure reliability. We are all Lily Allen fans and thought of a few songs from her latest album, but decided to choose 'Everyones at it' as it a very catchy and upbeat track with clever lyrics that tackle the subject of drugs and being teenagers ourselves we know of the peer pressure and affects that drugs have on the nation and we thought it would be a really good idea to communicate the message of the lyrics through our music video.

The lyrics to 'Everyone's at it' :
I don’t know much but I know this for curtain

And that is the sun poking its head round the curtain

Now please can we leave?

I’d like to go to bed now

It’s not just the sun that is hurting my head now

I’m not trying to say that I’m smelling of roses

But when will we tire of putting shit up our noses

I don’t like staying up, staying up past the sunlight

It’s meant to be fun and it just doesn’t feel right

(Chorus)Why can’t we all, all just be honest?

Admit to ourselves that everyone’s on it

From grown politicians to young adolescence

Prescribing themselves anti depressants

Now how can we start to tackle the problem?

If you don’t put your hands up and admit that your on it

Now the kids are in danger, they’re all getting hammered

From what I can see everyone’s at it

Everyone’s at it

Everyone’s at it

Everyone’s at it



I get involved but I’m not advocating

got an opinion, yea your well off the slating

so you’ve got a prescription, yea that makes it legal

finding excuses, is well over whelming with people

you go to the doctor and you need pills for sleeping

if you can convince him then I guess that’s not cheating

see you’re daughters depressed, so get her straight on the Prozac

but little do you know that she already takes crack



(Chorus X2)

Why can’t we all, all just be honest?

Admit to ourselves that everyone’s on it

From grown politicians to young adolescence

Prescribing themselves anti depressants

Now how can we start to tackle the problem?

If you don’t put your hands up and admit that you’re on it

Now the kids are in danger, they’re all getting hammered

From what I can see everyone’s at it

Everyone’s at it

Everyone’s at it

Everyone’s at it


As a group, we discussed our reactions in response to the lyrics, this started to get us thinking about imagery and plot ideas for the music video. We created a brain storm of ideas, which can be seen below...

Lily Allen is part of the EMI record label, we felt that is would be appropriate to ask for copywright permission to use the song for our music video. This is the letter that I sent to head of EMI...

To whom it may concern,

My name is Jade Townsend and I am a student at Sussex Downs College in Lewes, East Sussex. As part of my coursework project for media studies, we are creating a music video. Due to copyright laws, we have to choose a song without an exsisting music video. My group and I have chosen the song 'Everyones At It' By Lily Allen and I am writing to you today to request for your permission to use this song for educational purposes.

It would be greatly appreciated if you could let me know as soon as possible, my contact details are listed below.

Many thanks,
Look forward to hearing from you,

Jade Townsend.

247a Arundel Road
Peacehaven
East Sussex
BN10 7JX
jade-townsend@hotmail.co.uk