After a Meteoric Rise, Alanis Morissette Took a Break and Found Peace in “Thank U”

Alanis Morissette dropped Jagged Little Pill in 1995, a colossal juggernaut that changed the landscape of pop music. Backed by an endless stream of hits: “You Oughta Know”, “Hand In My Pocket”, “Ironic”, and “All I Really Want”, to name a few. Then Morissette needed a break.

She had completed a world tour that lasted nearly two years, and it was time to stop. And when she finally stopped, there was silence. A profound and necessary lack of noise. Here, the supposed former infatuation junkie unearthed a blissful gratitude. Morissette found peace and then wrote about it. This is “Thank U”.

How About Stopping

Following the success of Jagged Little Pill, Morissette left for a much-needed respite in India. And this trip birthed a reflection.

In the opening verse, she’s talking about chemicals and food, but what she’s really protesting is more. “Thank U” is gratitude, but it’s also a reaction against overindulgence.

How ’bout getting off of these antibiotics,
How ’bout stopping eating when I’m full up.

She could have released this song today in a world where people often feel the weight of technology pushing out human connection and experience.

“Thank you, frailty / Thank you, consequence,” she says in solidarity with the importance of vulnerability and imperfection. Written with her producer, Glen Ballard, Morissette has crafted a gorgeous prayer with wit, ache, and stillness. But it wouldn’t have happened without space.

How ’bout unabashedly bawling your eyes out,
How ’bout not equating death with stopping.

The Moment I Let Go

It’s not required that you be a pop superstar to connect with the idea of letting go, unplugging, and finding peace.

The moment I let go of it,
Was the moment I got more than I could handle.
The moment I jumped off of it,
Was the moment I touched down.

We fill every inch of our calendars with something to do. More productivity. More, more, more. Yet we forget how lovely it is to feel boredom. The nothingness. The moments we are left alone with our thoughts. Having conversations with ourselves as if the audience isn’t the voice inside our heads doing all the talking.

Nothingness, clarity, silence. Thank you, India.

Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images