What it all comes down to: The impact of Alanis
Shakira, Staff Writer
The cross-generational earthquake effects of Alanis Morissette’s “Hand in My Pocket”
The unmatched influence of Alanis Morissette in today’s angsty teen population
Alanis Morissette – where to begin? Alanis is best known for her 90’s hits “You Oughta Know” and “Ironic,” but her real talent shines through “Hand in My Pocket.” The song was included in her 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill” and is her third most popular song on Spotify with 120,101,841 plays, but it still isn’t recognized with the enthusiasm and intensity it deserves. The ultimate high school anthem of “Hand in My Pocket” is timeless, honest, and representative of an ever-changing teenage atmosphere through generations.
In three minutes and 41 seconds, Alanis thoughtfully establishes the human concepts that young people face as they are introduced to adult life. Within the first 15 seconds alone, Alanis asserts the financial exploitation of teenagers in a capitalist society, and hits the ground running with the theme of youthful and naive generosity.
Throughout the song, Alanis provides examples of the issues that teenagers are constantly facing, generation after generation, including struggles of vertical challenges. She is able to speak openly about her experience as a 5’4” woman in STEM (Slaying Tragic Empowered Musicians), and is inspiring insecure 17-year-old boys each day.
At 2:30, Alanis recites “I’m sick but I’m pretty, baby,” subtly alluding to the COVID-19 pandemic that would hit 25 years later, something that only Alanis herself could predict. Alanis didn’t only predict the pandemic, though; she understood the priorities that teenagers plagued by the virus would have. Beauty, as Alanis knows well, is always an incredibly pressing issue.
The song is iconic and unmatched, but not without its renditions and remixes. On Feb. 1, 2021, @maxmith_ on TikTok posted her own version of the song. She added only three lines, but said so much: “I’m smart but I’m stupid/I’m gay but I’m straight/I crop dust in Whole Foods, baby.” The video is wildly underrated, with only 3.6 million views, and is a prime example of Alanis’s unwavering influence.
Essentially, Alanis is the voice of not only her generation, but also the voice of ours and all future generations. We’ve each got one hand in our pockets, and the other either giving a high five, flicking a cigarette, giving a peace sign, playing a piano, or hailing a taxi cab.
