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Alanis Morissette
So-Called Chaos
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JULY 2004
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The artist praises a man of integrity (“Knees of My Bees”) and is liberated after shedding “Excuses.” She hopes to find similar peace by letting go of a cancerous bitterness (“This Grudge”). The title track warns people to resist being transformed by daily stress. “Out Is Through” says it’s preferable to work through relational trials than to bail out and look elsewhere. The dysfunctional “how to” advice on “8 Easy Steps” is quite positive when understood as tongue-in-cheek and turned inside out. The single “Everything” basks in the freeing power of unconditional love (“You see every part/You see all my light and you love my dark”). Unfortunately ...
Morissette opens the song by calling herself an “a--hole of the grandest kind.” Milder profanities appear as well. On “Doth I Protest Too Much” casual sex is leverage when she proudly tells her ex, “I’m not concerned about your new lover cuz I’ve got a new lover too.” The singer’s desire to run naked through the streets (“So-Called Chaos”) may be a literal wish based on her history of public nudity.
Profanity and approving nods to sex apart from marriage continue to plague Morissette’s music. She’s also introspective to a fault. That said, this project promotes personal responsibility, forgiveness, healthy boundaries and letting go of bitterness. Still chaotic, but getting better.
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