Adam Levine, Kendrick Lamar, and The Lonely Island released the official YOLO music video during last week’s SNL episode. YOLO is an acronym for “you only live once”. Similar to carpe diem, it implies that one should enjoy life, even if that entails taking risks. Continue reading to see more.
The phrase “you only live once” is commonly attributed to Mae West, but variations of the phrase have been in use for over 100 years, including as far back as (the German equivalent of) “one lives but once in the world” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his 1774 play Clavigo and as the title of a waltz, “Man lebt nur einmal!” (“You Only Live Once!”) by Johann Strauss II in 1855. A restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida has held the trademark to the phrase “YOLO” since 2010.
