CWW - Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette is a singer/songwriter/actress born in Ottawa Canada on June 1^st 1974. She learned how to play the piano at the age of six, and picked up the guitar at 21.

She began writing her own songs at a young age, and self-recorded her first track In 1987 titled "Fate Stay With Me” which got her discovered by MCA Canada record label. She signed her first contract at the age of fourteen with them. Her first album Alanis was co-written with producer Leslie Howe.

In 2001 Alanis took initiative to write and produce her album Under Rug Swept by herself. The album sold a million copies in the United States alone, and went platinum in Canada.

Alanis has released numerous albums that have sold over 60 million copies worldwide, making her the one of the most successful female artists of all time.  She has also collected a handful of awards, like 12 Juno Awards and 7 Grammy’s on top of being nominated for many others.  Her album Jagged Little Pill is the best-selling debut album for a female artist of the United States.

Her most recent album Havoc and Bright Lights was released August 2012

Other Than Music

Alanis told the public that she was working on writing a book. The anticipated book is described to be a mixture of self written essays, scatted thoughts and anecdotes. She claims the reasoning for writing a book was to provide some people with a 'sisterly' companion

"It’s kind of my fantasy book, the kind of book I wish I could read all the time from other people.” -Alanis

I read this quote and immediately thought of Courtney Martin, one of the female speakers we watched in class. Martian said that the reason she wrote one of her books was because – “I wrote the book I needed to read”.

Alanis Quotes

'The more vulnerable and the more confused the song is, the equal and opposite effect is how I feel after having written it and the deeper I go admitting fear, admitting the confusion, the clearer I usually feel. I don't really feel vulnerable; I feel empowered by it."

"Back in the '90s there was a lot of hate - the women I looked up to as artists were dissing me," she commented. "Thank goodness it's not so patriarchal these days - there's more love and a lot less hate! I'm excited about there being more of a sisterhood these days."

Excuses - Alanis Morissette

There were so many songs to chose from, and I had a hard time picking one. I chose Excuses because the lyrics related perfectly to many of the stories we've read for class about women being afraid to voice their opinions, or women creating excuses to why they can't write. 

Why no one will help me
I am too dumb I am too smart
They'll not understand me
I am lonely
They'll hate me
And there is not enough time
It's too hard to help me
And god wants me to work
No resting no lazy

These excuses how they served me so well
They've kept me safe
They've kept me stuck
They've kept me locked in my own cell

I'm too far from home
It takes far too much energy
And I cannot afford to
No one will ever see me

These excuses how they served me so well
They've kept me safe
They've kept me stuck
They've kept me locked in my own cell

These excuses how they're so familiar
They've kept me blocked
They've kept me small
They've kept me safe in my own shell

Bringing this into the light
Shakes their foundation
And it clears my side
Now my imagination
Is the only thing that limits
The bar that is raised to the heights

No one can have it all see
I have to they want me to
And I can't let them down
I'll never be happy

These excuses how they served me so well
They've kept me safe
They've kept me stuck
They've kept me locked in my own cell

These excuses how they're so familiar
They've kept me blocked
They've kept me small
They've kept me locked in my own cell