You Oughta Know
From Free net encyclopedia
Current revision
"You Oughta Know" is the title of Alanis Morissette's first single from her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill. It would end up as a number one song on Billboard's modern rock chart, while also charting at #4 in Australia. The song's lyrics describe Morissette's fouled relationship with an unnamed lover, introducing her harsh, angst-ridden lyrics to the public. Launching her career (and her Jagged Little Pill album) to the top, the coarse language, violent revenge scenarios and piercing vocals were a jolt to mainstream pop music. A music video featuring a dimly lit, hitchhiking Morissette was also created.
The song has been "re-created" by Morissette numerous times, most recently on her 10th anniversary Jagged Little Pill Acoustic album, which featured mellowed vocals and chord progressions; the lyrics, however, were not softened. It is still widely considered Morissette's most recognizable song.
Peak chart positions
Rumors
A common rumor about the song is that it was written about her one-time boyfriend Dave Coulier of the sitcom Full House. The Urban Legends Reference Pages have not endorsed this rumor as true, and in fact there are other celebrities who have been rumored to be the lover in the song, including
- Bob Saget (Full House)
- Mike Peluso
- Matt LeBlanc (Friends)
In 1997, the Boston Herald reported that Coulier "admitted the lines are very close to home. Especially the one about 'an older version of me' and bugging him in 'the middle of dinner.' He said she used to do that all the time." [1]
Speculation in her hometown of Ottawa, Canada, is that the person the song was written about was a former boyfriend from Ottawa that had broken up with her, though not anyone famous.
See also
- "You're So Vain" - Carly Simon song with the same kind of mystery surrounding it