I remember listening to ‘Jagged Little Pill’ and being amazed at how much raw emotion this woman could put on every track. And while her style definitely changed over time, I never saw it as a betrayal or an abandonment of the Alanis I first listened to. I can’t even pick a favourite version of her because I feel grateful to have been able to listen to all of them. I’d love to hear more even.
This particular song is something I think everyone should listen to because it’s very easy for people to let external factors affect their self-worth. We put conditions on our ability to be okay:
“I’ll be okay if/when I’m richer”
“I’ll be okay if/when I find the one”
“I’ll be okay after I finish my bachelors/masters/doctorate”
“I’ll be okay when I finally escape this town/city/country/planet”
But this song (at least the way I interpret it) is hoping or asking for all the conditions to be removed. Just to be okay in the midst of everything else. Even though things aren’t always what we want them to be.
I can definitely see how that might not be easy to aspire to, especially if the problems you face are really extreme but I think it’s worth a shot. Here’s “That I would be Good”:
And here are the rules:
☮️