Twenty-five years after In Too Deep became a pop-punk anthem, Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley is revealing the surprising story behind the hit in a new episode of Vevo Footnotes.
Whibley says he wrote the song in just 10 minutes—originally for Canadian artist Snow. After it ended up with another band and went unused, the track found its way back to Sum 41, where it would go on to become one of the defining songs of the 2000s, peaking at No. 10 on Billboard’s US Alternative Airplay chart.
The episode also dives into the making of the unforgettable In Too Deep video, which was inspired by Rodney Dangerfield’s Back to School and filmed at the same iconic pool featured in the comedy. Fans will remember drummer Steve Jocz’s hilarious recreation of the film’s legendary Triple Lindy dive.
Not everything went according to plan, though. Whibley admits he ignored repeated warnings to wear sunscreen, insisting, “I don’t burn,” before suffering what he calls “the worst sunburn of my life.”
Instead of casting professional extras, the band invited real fans to join the shoot, helping create the authentic, mini-movie vibe that made the video an instant classic. And when the band saw the first edit? “It looked great right away,” Whibley recalls. “Better than we expected.”
FULL TRANSCRIPTION:
:08 – Deryck Whibley, Lead Vocalist: Two summer days in 2001, big budget, tons of crew. We invited real fans instead of hiring extras, so everyone you see, besides the divers, are actual Sum 41 fans. It felt like a mini movie.
:25 – Deryck Whibley: I originally wrote “In Too Deep” for the artist Snow. We recorded a version together but it never came out. Then it went to another band. They recorded it, and that never came out either. Eventually it found its way back to us and became a Sum 41 song.
:45 – Whibley says he wrote the song in 10 minutes.
1:00 – Deryck Whibley: Everyone kept telling me to wear sunscreen. I said I don’t burn. By the end of day one, I had the worst sunburn of my life.
1:30 – Deryck Whibley: I’ve always liked how many parts are in it. There’s a counter harmony picking riff in the verse, a different riff in the second verse, the main heavy riff, and a separate outro riff. And I’m proud of writing and playing the guitar solo myself.
1:50 – Deryck Whibley: Even though I played the solo on the album, Dave played it in the video.
And I’m glad I didn’t, because he spent over two hours going in and out of the water to get that shot.
2:10 – The band’s only reference for the music video was the 1986 comedy “Back To School” starring Rodney Dangerfield
2:35 – Not only was the video filmed at the same location as “Back To School,” but drummer Steve Jocz performs the same dive as Dangerfield’s character. Spoiler Alert: both of them win.
3:00 – Whibley says the band did not try to get in shape before the shoot. “Our diet was basically Burger King and Jack Daniel’s,” he recalls.
3:20 – As for the band’s favorite moment of the shoot? “Seeing the first edit,” says Whibley. “It looked great right away. Better than we expected.”
