ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jill Sobule - Singer/songwriter
Jill Sobule isn't just another singer-songwriter with catchy tunes and smart lyrics, she's one of the more insightful satirists of our age. Each of her fanciful songs captures an issue or irony, an emotion or epiphany that helps us understand what it's like to live now.

Why you should listen

Jill Sobule first found her place in music history with the controversial 1995 hit "I Kissed a Girl." The song's silly sweetness masked its significance: It broke new ground as the first Top 40 hit to deal with overtly gay themes.

This approach -- packaging hard-hitting social commentary in a wrapper of whimsy -- has defined Sobule's career. Her endearing story-songs veer from fanciful storytelling to forceful satire and back again, covering a wide range of political and social issues from climate change to prostitution; anorexia to anti-semitism. Her winning combination of memorable characters, clever lyrics and catchy tunes has inspired comparisons that range from Burt Bacharach to Gertrude Stein. It also makes her performances and recordings a delight.

Sobule's candy-coated commentary can be found on her Huffington Post blog, as well as in her steady stream of stand-out albums, including Jill Sobule (1995), Happy Town (1997), Pink Pearl (2000) and Underdog Victorious (2004). Lately, Sobule has performed regularly with comedian Julia Sweeney (the two met at TED2006). They put on the "Jill and Julia Show," an utterly endearing evening of stories and songs. She's also recording an album with the string quartet Ethel (another TED2006 match).

More profile about the speaker
Jill Sobule | Speaker | TED.com
TED2006

Jill Sobule: Global warming's theme song, "Manhattan in January"

Filmed:
718,541 views

A happy song about global warming, from Jill Sobule.
- Singer/songwriter
Jill Sobule isn't just another singer-songwriter with catchy tunes and smart lyrics, she's one of the more insightful satirists of our age. Each of her fanciful songs captures an issue or irony, an emotion or epiphany that helps us understand what it's like to live now. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:26
Okay.
0
1000
2000
00:30
♫ Strolling along in Central Park ♫
1
5000
4000
00:34
♫ Everyone's out today ♫
2
9000
5000
00:39
♫ The daisies and dogwoods are all in bloom ♫
3
14000
4000
00:43
♫ Oh, what a glorious day ♫
4
18000
4000
00:47
♫ For picnics and Frisbees and roller skaters, ♫
5
22000
5000
00:52
♫ Friends and lovers and lonely sunbathers ♫
6
27000
5000
00:57
♫ Everyone's out in merry Manhattan in January ♫
7
32000
8000
01:05
(Laughter) (Applause)
8
40000
5000
01:13
♫ I brought the iced tea; ♫
9
48000
2000
01:15
♫ Did you bring the bug spray? ♫
10
50000
2000
01:17
♫ The flies are the size of your head ♫
11
52000
4000
01:21
♫ Next to the palm tree, ♫
12
56000
3000
01:24
♫ Did you see the 'gators ♫
13
59000
2000
01:26
♫ Looking happy and well fed? ♫
14
61000
4000
01:30
♫ Everyone's out in merry Manhattan in January ♫
15
65000
9000
01:41
(Whistling)
16
76000
4000
01:47
Everyone!
17
82000
2000
01:49
(Whistling) (Laughter)
18
84000
9000
02:00
♫ My preacher said, ♫
19
95000
3000
02:03
♫ Don't you worry ♫
20
98000
2000
02:05
♫ The scientists have it all wrong ♫
21
100000
4000
02:09
♫ And so, who cares it's winter here? ♫
22
104000
4000
02:13
♫ And I have my halter-top on ♫
23
108000
4000
02:17
♫ I have my halter-top on ♫
24
112000
4000
02:22
♫ Everyone's out in merry Manhattan in January. ♫
25
117000
11000
02:33
(Applause)
26
128000
4000
02:37
Chris Anderson: Jill Sobule!
27
132000
2000

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jill Sobule - Singer/songwriter
Jill Sobule isn't just another singer-songwriter with catchy tunes and smart lyrics, she's one of the more insightful satirists of our age. Each of her fanciful songs captures an issue or irony, an emotion or epiphany that helps us understand what it's like to live now.

Why you should listen

Jill Sobule first found her place in music history with the controversial 1995 hit "I Kissed a Girl." The song's silly sweetness masked its significance: It broke new ground as the first Top 40 hit to deal with overtly gay themes.

This approach -- packaging hard-hitting social commentary in a wrapper of whimsy -- has defined Sobule's career. Her endearing story-songs veer from fanciful storytelling to forceful satire and back again, covering a wide range of political and social issues from climate change to prostitution; anorexia to anti-semitism. Her winning combination of memorable characters, clever lyrics and catchy tunes has inspired comparisons that range from Burt Bacharach to Gertrude Stein. It also makes her performances and recordings a delight.

Sobule's candy-coated commentary can be found on her Huffington Post blog, as well as in her steady stream of stand-out albums, including Jill Sobule (1995), Happy Town (1997), Pink Pearl (2000) and Underdog Victorious (2004). Lately, Sobule has performed regularly with comedian Julia Sweeney (the two met at TED2006). They put on the "Jill and Julia Show," an utterly endearing evening of stories and songs. She's also recording an album with the string quartet Ethel (another TED2006 match).

More profile about the speaker
Jill Sobule | Speaker | TED.com