This song is about people who don't think the way most people do. If you listen to Alannis at all, you notice that her songs are completely nonconformist, this song being one of the prime examples.
I think this song is about a friend of hers, who is obviously one of these people that think differently. Because thinking outside of mainstream "groupthink" tends to make you the subject of ridicule, rejection and accusations of insanity, he is obviously experiencing difficulties relating to others (specifically his mother, who has left this panicked message on Alannis' machine). Often the only response left to these different thinkers is (at least the threat of) suicide to fend off these attacks, especially when dealing with people who are "close" to them, but clearly can't relate to them.
The message causes Alannis to reflect on how unique he has always been, and how he has been an inspiration to her to think outside the mainstream thought patterns. She obviously remembers specific instances where his different mindset made a difference to her, and how this truly endeared him to her.
In the chorus(es) she takes some examples of the facts or portions of peoples lives the mainstream holds most important (i.e. projections, bodies, successes, incomes, obsessions), and turns them around for him. She is reminding him that he doesn't need to equate his personal worth to these hollow values. In fact, she states that if people (in particular "we" = she and her friend) were actually the sum total of these values, she would probably join him/her in committing suicide. It is affirmation that because he doesn't think this way, that these values are truly not what makes you a worthwhile human being, he is okay, he's not the one who's crazy.
Finally, she is telling her friend that they are not alone. Telling him that they need better memories, etc, is telling him to go back in his mind to the things she is recalling, so that he can hold on to those times when the two of them connected on that deeper level. At the end, she is telling him that she'd like to get back to that kind of relationship. She probably has the same frustrations as him.
I use "him" arbitrarily, although in my mind (warped as it may be) I see the friend as a guy. It could very well be a girl as well. But you get the point.
Absolutely one of my favorite songs of hers, if that means anything... LOL
tapmusiconly really understands this song and interprets it extremely well here. I totally agree with the interpretation and feel like I couldn't have written it better.
tapmusiconly really understands this song and interprets it extremely well here. I totally agree with the interpretation and feel like I couldn't have written it better.
"This song is about people who don't think the way most people do. If you listen to Alannis at all, you notice that her songs are completely nonconformist, this song being one of the prime examples.
"This song is about people who don't think the way most people do. If you listen to Alannis at all, you notice that her songs are completely nonconformist, this song being one of the prime examples.
I think this song is about a friend of hers, who is obviously one of these people that think differently. Because thinking outside of mainstream "groupthink" tends to make you the subject of ridicule, rejection and accusations of insanity, he is obviously experiencing difficulties relating to others (specifically his mother, who has left this panicked message on Alannis' machine). Often the only response left to these different thinkers is (at least the threat of) suicide to fend off these attacks, especially when dealing with people who are "close" to them, but clearly can't relate to them.
The message causes Alannis to reflect on how unique he has always been, and how he has been an inspiration to her to think outside the mainstream thought patterns. She obviously remembers specific instances where his different mindset made a difference to her, and how this truly endeared him to her.
In the chorus(es) she takes some examples of the facts or portions of peoples lives the mainstream holds most important (i.e. projections, bodies, successes, incomes, obsessions), and turns them around for him. She is reminding him that he doesn't need to equate his personal worth to these hollow values. In fact, she states that if people (in particular "we" = she and her friend) were actually the sum total of these values, she would probably join him/her in committing suicide. It is affirmation that because he doesn't think this way, that these values are truly not what makes you a worthwhile human being, he is okay, he's not the one who's crazy.
Finally, she is telling her friend that they are not alone. Telling him that they need better memories, etc, is telling him to go back in his mind to the things she is recalling, so that he can hold on to those times when the two of them connected on that deeper level. At the end, she is telling him that she'd like to get back to that kind of relationship. She probably has the same frustrations as him.
I use "him" arbitrarily, although in my mind (warped as it may be) I see the friend as a guy. It could very well be a girl as well. But you get the point."
Alanis is highly intelligent and she clearly has a gift to be able to articulate her brilliance into words in songs. This is my favorite part of the song as I can so relate to what she is saying here:
"You and I we're like 4 year olds
we want to know why and how come about everything
we want to reveal ourselves at will and speak our minds
and never talk small and be intuictive
and question mightily and find God my tortured beacon
we need to find like-minded companions"
This song is about people who don't think the way most people do. If you listen to Alannis at all, you notice that her songs are completely nonconformist, this song being one of the prime examples.
I think this song is about a friend of hers, who is obviously one of these people that think differently. Because thinking outside of mainstream "groupthink" tends to make you the subject of ridicule, rejection and accusations of insanity, he is obviously experiencing difficulties relating to others (specifically his mother, who has left this panicked message on Alannis' machine). Often the only response left to these different thinkers is (at least the threat of) suicide to fend off these attacks, especially when dealing with people who are "close" to them, but clearly can't relate to them.
The message causes Alannis to reflect on how unique he has always been, and how he has been an inspiration to her to think outside the mainstream thought patterns. She obviously remembers specific instances where his different mindset made a difference to her, and how this truly endeared him to her.
In the chorus(es) she takes some examples of the facts or portions of peoples lives the mainstream holds most important (i.e. projections, bodies, successes, incomes, obsessions), and turns them around for him. She is reminding him that he doesn't need to equate his personal worth to these hollow values. In fact, she states that if people (in particular "we" = she and her friend) were actually the sum total of these values, she would probably join him/her in committing suicide. It is affirmation that because he doesn't think this way, that these values are truly not what makes you a worthwhile human being, he is okay, he's not the one who's crazy.
Finally, she is telling her friend that they are not alone. Telling him that they need better memories, etc, is telling him to go back in his mind to the things she is recalling, so that he can hold on to those times when the two of them connected on that deeper level. At the end, she is telling him that she'd like to get back to that kind of relationship. She probably has the same frustrations as him.
I use "him" arbitrarily, although in my mind (warped as it may be) I see the friend as a guy. It could very well be a girl as well. But you get the point.
Absolutely one of my favorite songs of hers, if that means anything... LOL
tapmusiconly really understands this song and interprets it extremely well here. I totally agree with the interpretation and feel like I couldn't have written it better.
tapmusiconly really understands this song and interprets it extremely well here. I totally agree with the interpretation and feel like I couldn't have written it better.
"This song is about people who don't think the way most people do. If you listen to Alannis at all, you notice that her songs are completely nonconformist, this song being one of the prime examples.
"This song is about people who don't think the way most people do. If you listen to Alannis at all, you notice that her songs are completely nonconformist, this song being one of the prime examples.
I think this song is about a friend of hers, who is obviously one of these people that think differently. Because thinking outside of mainstream "groupthink" tends to make you the subject of ridicule, rejection and accusations of insanity, he is obviously experiencing difficulties relating to others (specifically his mother, who has left this panicked message on Alannis' machine). Often the only response left to these different thinkers is (at least the threat of) suicide to fend off these attacks, especially when dealing with people who are "close" to them, but clearly can't relate to them.
The message causes Alannis to reflect on how unique he has always been, and how he has been an inspiration to her to think outside the mainstream thought patterns. She obviously remembers specific instances where his different mindset made a difference to her, and how this truly endeared him to her.
In the chorus(es) she takes some examples of the facts or portions of peoples lives the mainstream holds most important (i.e. projections, bodies, successes, incomes, obsessions), and turns them around for him. She is reminding him that he doesn't need to equate his personal worth to these hollow values. In fact, she states that if people (in particular "we" = she and her friend) were actually the sum total of these values, she would probably join him/her in committing suicide. It is affirmation that because he doesn't think this way, that these values are truly not what makes you a worthwhile human being, he is okay, he's not the one who's crazy.
Finally, she is telling her friend that they are not alone. Telling him that they need better memories, etc, is telling him to go back in his mind to the things she is recalling, so that he can hold on to those times when the two of them connected on that deeper level. At the end, she is telling him that she'd like to get back to that kind of relationship. She probably has the same frustrations as him.
I use "him" arbitrarily, although in my mind (warped as it may be) I see the friend as a guy. It could very well be a girl as well. But you get the point."
Alanis is highly intelligent and she clearly has a gift to be able to articulate her brilliance into words in songs. This is my favorite part of the song as I can so relate to what she is saying here: "You and I we're like 4 year olds we want to know why and how come about everything we want to reveal ourselves at will and speak our minds and never talk small and be intuictive and question mightily and find God my tortured beacon we need to find like-minded companions"
This is one of her best songs in my opinion.