Canadian-American singer Alanis Morissette has established herself as one of rock music’s most influential artists. The Grammy-winning singer and songwriter began her decades-long career in the dance-pop genre as a teen sensation in Canada, but it was her third album, “Jagged Little Pill,” that arguably set the tone for the rest of her music. The album, which marks its 30th anniversary on Friday, June 13, would set the tone for alt-rock in the 90s with its raw lyrics, penned by Morissette herself, and its equally raw sound, co-composed by Glen Ballard, who produced the album.
“Jagged Little Pill” was released on June 13, 1995 by record label Maverick. Comprising 12 songs (six of which were released as singles), “Jagged Little Pill” has been cited as Morissette’s signature album and comprises many songs that have been cited as her most recognizable. She started working on the album at the age of 19 and released it at nearly 21. As we reflect on the album 30 years after its release, let’s take a look at the singles that have made it – and Morissette herself – such a timeless figure in the rock genre.
“You Oughta Know”
Lead single “You Oughta Know,” with its visceral lyrics and rugged, charged melody, has been regarded as a staple breakup song, so much so that Billboard ranked it at No.7 on their “Top 100 Breakup Songs of All Time” in February 2025. Morissette co-wrote it with Ballard; the song also featured guitarist Dave Navarro and bassist Flea, both of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame.
As the song opens, Morissette claims that she is happy for her ex-partner and his new girlfriend. However, the singer’s sheer anguish in the aftermath of the split becomes painfully obvious when Morissette begins to question whether the new girl is like her, and whether he is satisfied with her. She makes her anguish most explicitly clear when she belts out, raw and honest, “And are you thinking of me when you f*** her?”
The song’s chorus encapsulates Morissette’s agony as she tells her former boyfriend that she will haunt him, that she will always “…remind you/Of the mess you left when you went away…” It is Morissette’s performance that cements the song’s undeniable place as an unfiltered anthem of righteous anger and empowerment combined.
A musician who has described being influenced by “You Oughta Know” is Olivia Rodrigo. In a 2023 interview, Rodrigo told Kelly Clarkson – another self-described fan of Morissette’s – that she heard the song for the first time when she was 12 and has since regarded Morissette as one of her most significant musical influences. In 2022, Rodrigo got to perform the “You Oughta Know” alongside Morrisette, “I remember hearing ‘You Oughta Know’ on the radio when I was, like, 12 years old and being like, ‘Oh my God, what is this? She can say that line about the theater? What? That’s insane,’” Rodrigo said.
“Head Over Feet”
If “You Oughta Know” is a breakup song, then “Head Over Feet,” with its almost tangible warmth, is its polar opposite. Released as a single in 1996, “Head Over Feet” encapsulates a loving, healthy relationship where Morissette expresses gratitude for her partner’s care and support.
From the beginning of the song, Morissette expresses how unique her significant other is by praising their considerate, caring nature. She adds that she didn’t think that she’d love them as much as she does, and they might be just as surprised: “And don’t be alarmed if I fall / Head over feet / …I couldn’t help it / It’s all your fault…” Most importantly, she establishes that the intimate nature of their relationship does not clash with, but rather enhances, their friendship when she calls them “…her best friend / Best friend with benefits…” Morissette is widely credited, including by the Oxford English Dictionary, as having used that term for the first time.
“Head Over Feet” is relatively calm and placid, signifying the closeness of Morissette and her partner, yet its powerful tone is captured well in its musicianship. The drum and guitar sounds are heavy but not overpowering. Morissette’s short harmonica solo in-between verses also serves as a welcome interlude that adds to the lightness of the song.
“You Learn”
Also released in 1996 was “You Learn,” the song whose lyrics the album takes its title from. This particular song can be described as gritty and realistic but ultimately reassuring. In 2015, Billboard described the song as being “filled with tips for navigating the messy hoarder’s den that is life.”
Morissette makes it clear that in order to fully develop one’s character, mistakes are not only inevitable but necessary: “I recommend biting off more than you can chew to anyone /…/ I recommend sticking your foot in your mouth at any time…” She describes throughout the song how various life experiences – some good, some bad – shape you into the person you will eventually become and make you more resilient overall. Life is not always easy, but experiences are meant to be learned from: “You live, you learn / You love, you learn / You cry, you learn / You lose, you learn/…”
Morissette captures the song’s poetically honest nature in its slow melody and emotive vocals, which peak as the chorus ends each time. The music video that accompanies it gives it a relatable feel, as Morissette clambers out of her apartment building, tramples her way through an incident of road rage and kisses a community organizer. The end of the video, however, is most symbolic of “You Learn,” as Morissette loses in a boxing match, gets knocked to the floor, gets back up and walks away from the ring – bloodied but not unbowed.
“All I Really Want”
Morissette pushes her vocals to their limit in “All I Really Want,” and with them her emotions. In the song, Morissette appears to confront a partner who refuses to acknowledge her frustrations, or any other problems in their relationship, for that matter. She asks him to lower his blinders and acknowledge what is going on without living in a bubble: “Did you think about your bills, your ex, your deadlines / Or when you think you’re gonna die / Or did you long for the next distraction?”
So what does Morissette really want? One answer lies in the chorus – simply for her partner to understand her without defaulting to avoidance: “And all I really want is some patience / A way to calm the angry voice…” Another is explained in Elena Sheppard’s analysis of the “Jagged Little Pill” musical, which was first performed at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass. in 2018 and adapted for the stage by Diablo Cody. In the musical, the song takes on an entirely different meaning as the play’s central family belts it out at their dinner table one day, yearning for the others to understand them. As Sheppard writes, “In place of anger, we get domestic angst.” “All I Really Want,” therefore, is yet another testament to Morissette’s versatile songwriting.
“Ironic”
“It’s like rain on your wedding day / It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid…” This list describes a series of misfortunes that occur, commenting on how “ironic” they are. Morissette opines, “Life has a funny way of helping you out / When you think everything’s gone wrong / And everything blows up in your face…”
Merriam-Webster describes the term “irony” as “the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning.” A widely accepted interpretation of “Ironic” is that many of the above misfortunes featured in this song are not actually ironic, which defeats the purpose of the title.
Bob Harris of The New York Times that stated the song was not ironic. “A traffic jam when you’re already late” is simply one problem on top of another. “A ‘No Smoking’ sign on your cigarette break” is simply an annoyance for those in the habit. However, someone else might argue that the song’s real irony lies in including situations that are simply unlucky and branding them – and the entire song – as ironic when they are not.
“Hand In My Pocket”
“Hand In My Pocket” channels “You Learn” in that it, too, is a song of motivation and optimism despite challenges in life. Morissette talks about being young and navigating life, reassuring the listener that “…no one’s really got it figured out just yet…” She asserts that for every problem in life, there is something for her to be grateful for, opening the song by saying, “I’m broke, but I’m happy / I’m poor, but I’m kind / I’m short, but I’m healthy, yeah…” and that ultimately, everything will be “…fine, fine, fine / ’Cause I’ve got one hand in my pocket / And the other one is hailin’ a taxi cab.”
Another similarity “Hand In My Pocket” has to “You Learn” is the storytelling value in its accompanying video. Morissette cruises down a busy street in a convertible, accompanied by a brass band, cyclists, activists and performers as people of different walks of life watch on. At the end, Morissette gets out of the car and stands among the crowd in the driving rain. The band plays, the audience cheers and Morissette addresses the two crowds – the one in the street and the one on the other side of the radio.
“Jagged Little Pill,” 30 years on
The legacy of “Jagged Little Pill” in rock music is undeniable. It earned Morissette four awards at the 38th Grammy Awards in 1996: Album of the Year and Best Rock Album for “Jagged Little Pill” itself, and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song for “You Oughta Know,” the latter of which was shared with Ballard. 25 years later, the “Jagged Little Pill” musical won Best Musical Theater Album at the 63rd Grammy Awards.
Morissette’s album has also influenced several other artists from her generation and beyond. Besides Rodrigo and Clarkson, another artist who has cited Morissette as a major influence is Taylor Swift, who also performed “You Oughta Know” in concert with Morissette in 2015. “[Morissette] inspired a generation of confessional female singer-songwriters who all of a sudden felt like you could actually say these raw feelings that you had; you could actually sing about your real life, you could put detail to it,” Swift said at the performance.
Swift’s comments came 20 years after “Jagged Little Pill” was first released. Now, at 30, we can still feel Morissette’s anger towards her partners in “You Oughta Know” and “All I Really Want” while admiring the partner she sings her praises to in “Head Over Feet.” We can still relate to the challenges she presents in “You Learn” and “Hand In My Pocket.” And of course, we can still debate over how ironic “Ironic” actually is.
Kalana Amarasekara can be reached at [email protected].
