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Alanis Morissette — Hands Clean
Album: Under Rug Swept
Avg rating:
6.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 190








Released: 2001
Length: 4:22
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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If it weren't for your maturity
None of this would have happened
If you weren't so wise beyond your years
I would've been able to control myself

If it weren't for my attention
You wouldn't have been successful
And if it weren't for me
You would never have amounted to very much

Ooh, this could be messy
But you don't seem to mind
Ooh, don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime

We'll fast forward to a few years later
No one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this

You're essentially an employee
And I like you having to depend on me
You're a kind of protégé
And one day you'll say you learned all you know from me

And I know you depend on me
Like a young thing would to a guardian
I know how you sexualize me
Like a young thing would and I think I like it

Ooh, this could get messy
But ooh, you don't seem to mind
Ooh, don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime

We'll fast forward to a few years later
No one knows except the both of us
I've more than honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this

What part of our history's reinvented and under rug swept?
What part of your memory is selective and tends to forget?
What with this distance?
It seems so obvious

Just make sure you don't tell on me
Especially to members of your family
We best keep this to ourselves
And not tell any members of our inner posse

I wish I could tell the world
'Cause you're such a pretty thing when you're done-up properly
I might want to marry you one day
If you'd watch that weight and keep your firm body

Ooh, this could be messy
Ooh, I don't seem to mind
Ooh, don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime

We'll fast forward to a few years later
No one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
Comments (45)add comment
quoting Tina Fey:  "Alanis, not everything in you write in you diary should become a song."
Posted 12 years ago by govna    [ Reply ]
I like Alanis, but this is still pretty funny:

https://humor.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=https://www.brunching.com/toys/toy%2Dalanislyrics.html
Posted 12 years ago by TJS    [ Reply ]
This is a great track.

Got to see her live in 99 for he Junkie Tour whereshe went out with Tori Amos and they took turns opening.  Alanis played last this night.  Tori was good.  Alanis was most excellent, taking the studio versions much further and fuller.  The one thing that stands out in my memory of the concert was how much it was more like a Led Zep concert in the way she presented it and her music.  No doubt that Plant has influenced her tremendously along with LZ's music.  Would love to see her again and what she's up to now.
Posted 12 years ago by kurtster    [ Reply ]
{#Bounce} SNAZZY!!!
Posted 12 years ago by Snoopy2    [ Reply ]
Nice to hear this
Posted 12 years ago by Shesdifferent    [ Reply ]
 freetapas wrote:
is this about Dave Coullier too?
 

I think this is about Glen Ballard. But it's hard to tell...
Posted 12 years ago by apd    [ Reply ]
 MoonStone wrote:
Love the music but..for the lyrics..could Alanis please not try to sound smart with such an academic verbosity?I found other songs in Under Rug Swept are quite full of unnecessary words, too.
 
This reminds of a response I got recently to a carefully crafted tech support answer giving step-by-step instructions for resolving the person's problem:

"Do you have a video? I find all your words boring."

But more to your point, words serve many purposes in lyrics besides getting the literal meaning across. "Unnecessary words"is a rather strange concept in this context.


Posted 12 years ago by rcurrier    [ Reply ]
 Yiftach wrote:
ick. I haven't been able to stand her from day one. I think she's an unoriginal, talentless hack. Comparisons to Ani are insulting to the latter. As little of AM here as possible would be just dandy.Edited By Yiftach at 9:33 am on 3/08/2002
 
I really wish people would stop using my name negatively... 
Posted 12 years ago by ick    [ Reply ]

I guess I'm the minority, but I always really enjoyed Alanis's later work, and her acting turns too. She just seems like someone I'd get along with.


Posted 12 years ago by gandalfbmg    [ Reply ]
Her voice is just so harsh. I can't enjoy it.
Posted 13 years ago by handyrae    [ Reply ]

Posted 13 years ago by to_the_eleven    [ Reply ]
so affected, pretentious, self-indulgent. so over her.
Posted 13 years ago by amyjpr    [ Reply ]
"If it weren't for your maturity none of this would have happened
If you weren't so wise beyond your years I would've been able to control myself
If it weren't for my attention you wouldn't have been successful and
If it weren't for me you would never have amounted to very much"

=rolling eyes=

Susan Powter

STOP THE INANITY!!!
Posted 13 years ago by Bone    [ Reply ]
Looks like Bill stopped playing this for 8 years.

Wonder why?
Posted 13 years ago by lemmoth    [ Reply ]
An unwelcome reminder of how much I detest Alanis Morissette...
Posted 13 years ago by planetclare    [ Reply ]
 Yiftach wrote:
ick. I haven't been able to stand her from day one. I think she's an unoriginal, talentless hack. Comparisons to Ani are insulting to the latter.
As little of AM here as possible would be just dandy. Edited By Yiftach at 9:33 am on 3/08/2002
 
Alanis and Ani D are equally awful. Two of the very few "artists" on RP that I can't tolerate.
Posted 13 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
Did she just sing, "This could be messy"? Nothing like foreshadowing the rest of the song.

Posted 13 years ago by Grammarcop    [ Reply ]
Whoa, high school memories come flooding to mind now. My love of this song has waned  a little with age.  {#Smile}
Posted 13 years ago by eruwenolorien    [ Reply ]
 pdemeester wrote:
I react every time I hear her music now . . . no matter what the song. She's so depressing and angry that it just comes through in everything I hear.

Stopped listening to her a long time ago and am much happier now! {#Jump} 
 
 
agreed - this is awful. . . 
 
Posted 13 years ago by vandal    [ Reply ]
I react every time I hear her music now . . . no matter what the song. She's so depressing and angry that it just comes through in everything I hear.

Stopped listening to her a long time ago and am much happier now! {#Jump} 
 
Posted 13 years ago by Lakeview    [ Reply ]
One of her best.  The kind of angst that never made it in "Tin Pan Alley".

Posted 13 years ago by laozilover    [ Reply ]
She has so many good songs. This is one of them.
Posted 13 years ago by Whirlpool    [ Reply ]
surprisingly good...
Posted 21 years ago by streetsintherain    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by zaakster: As a Canadian, I think it's nice a fellow Canucklehead has managed to hit it in the States -- but Canadian artists are really overexposed North of the 49th. Government mandated content laws on radio mean we hear far too much of this stuff to enjoy it. Alanis is better than being bare-assed in Inuvik in January, but barely.
As another Canadian, I have to say that I thoroughly support Canadian Content regulations for Cdn radio and TV stations. Like it or not, we are bombarded by American media, which leads the masses to only really be exposed to American culture (not to put down American culture). The content regulations aren't banning culture/media from other countries, just requiring that some content have Canadian involvement (even a Cdn producer counts for some, I believe). Without these regulations, I strongly believe that Canadian music, art and multimedia wouldn't be nearly as strong as it is now. Now, this said, RP doesn't seem to require content regulations to play their fair share of Canadian music. Ones I can recall hearing in the last few days include, Alanis, Tragically Hip, Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn, Joni Mitchell, Natalie MacMaster, Jann Arden, kd Lang, Spirit of the West and Leonard Cohen. But, I'd attribute this more to RP's good taste, rather than a sign that we shouldn't have Cdn. content regulations.
Posted 22 years ago by naepstn    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by jhayes4: there's no reason for a song getting heavy vh-1 rotation to be on radio paradise. give this airtime slot to an up-and-coming band!
... and if one of those up-and-coming bands all of a sudden got heavy rotation on VH-1, would that then disqualify them from airplay here on Radio Paradise? Good tune. Alanis is hit and miss, but when she hits, it's pretty good.
Posted 22 years ago by slagathor    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by jhayes4: there's no reason for a song getting heavy vh-1 rotation to be on radio paradise. give this airtime slot to an up-and-coming band!
Well I don't get vh-1 and I don't listen to radio or watch MTV. So I haven't heard this anywhere but here, and I like it. Radio Paradise reaches round the world. Please remember that.
Posted 22 years ago by Stuart    [ Reply ]
ick. I haven't been able to stand her from day one. I think she's an unoriginal, talentless hack. Comparisons to Ani are insulting to the latter. As little of AM here as possible would be just dandy.
Posted 22 years ago by Yiftach    [ Reply ]
The more I listen to Alanis Morissette, the more I got the feeling of lying on a shrinks sofa (or, her sofa). So psychologically correct, brrrrr. Bless her, but had it with her, for the time being.
Posted 22 years ago by Johray63    [ Reply ]
I\'m surprised by this song since I don\'t generally like Alanis. I too thought it was another gem from Ani DiFranco at first -- the words make AM\'s weird singing worth it.
Posted 22 years ago by tawanda    [ Reply ]
Too verbose. Irritating.
Posted 22 years ago by random    [ Reply ]
I was hoping for something a little different. Let\'s stretch the sound or lyrical content bit.
Posted 22 years ago by rmurray248    [ Reply ]
I could never cast a stone against Alanis.
We'll fast forward to a few years later And no one knows except the both of us And I have honored your request for silence And you've washed your hands clean of this
Posted 22 years ago by MissJenn    [ Reply ]
I\'m really looking forward to her new album.
Posted 22 years ago by Leslie    [ Reply ]
LOVE IT!!
Posted 22 years ago by mel    [ Reply ]
WOW. I like that. Wonder if the album is going to be this good. I guess she didn\'t need Ballard to write songs after all. Kevin
Posted 22 years ago by kevinc    [ Reply ]
It\'s ok, I guess, but just doesn\'t have the richness that I expect on RP. Compared to Tom McRae, Josh Joplin, Widespread Panic, and Bela Fleck, this is about as tasty as packing foam. Like it or not, it\'s better than commercials.
Posted 22 years ago by catsoup    [ Reply ]
I like hearing Alanis once in a while, I think she is really talented - thanks Bill.
Posted 22 years ago by gypsy222    [ Reply ]