You Oughta Know
Alanis Morisette Lyrics


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I want you to know, that I am happy for you
I wish nothing but the best for you both
An older version of me
Is she perverted like me?
Would she go down on you in a theater?
Does she speak eloquently
And would she have your baby?
I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother

'Cause the love that you gave that we made
Wasn't able to make it enough for you
To be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me
You'd hold me until you died
'Til you died, but you're still alive

And I'm here, to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair, to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

You seem very well, things look peaceful
I'm not quite as well, I thought you should know
Did you forget about me, Mr. Duplicity?
I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner
It was a slap in the face
How quickly I was replaced
And are you thinking of me when you fuck her?

'Cause the love that you gave that we made
Wasn't able to make it enough for you
To be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me
You'd hold me until you died
'Til you died, but you're still alive

And I'm here, to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair, to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

'Cause the joke that you laid in the bed
That was me and I'm not gonna fade
As soon as you close your eyes, and you know it
And every time I scratch my nails
Down someone else's back I hope you feel it
Well, can you feel it?

And I'm here, to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair, to deny me




Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

Overall Meaning

"You Oughta Know" is a song by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, released in 1995 as the lead single from her third studio album, Jagged Little Pill. The song is known for its raw and aggressive lyrics, which talk about a former lover who has moved on to another woman. Morissette sings about her mixed emotions towards her ex-boyfriend and the other woman, with lyrics like "An older version of me, is she perverted like me? Would she go down on you in a theater?" The song's chorus features Morissette repeatedly stating "You, you, you oughta know," reminding her ex-boyfriend that he left a messy situation behind when he ended their relationship.


The song has been interpreted by many as being about Morissette's former boyfriend, Full House actor Dave Coulier. The two had dated in the early 1990s, and Coulier has confirmed that some lyrics in the song were inspired by their relationship. However, Morissette has said that the song is not just about one particular person, but rather a combination of several past relationships.


"You Oughta Know" became a massive hit for Morissette, receiving extensive radio airplay and reaching #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song also won multiple awards, including a Grammy for Best Rock Song. Its success helped Jagged Little Pill become one of the best-selling albums of the 1990s.


Line by Line Meaning

I want you to know, that I am happy for you
I want you to be aware that I harbor no ill feelings towards you


I wish nothing but the best for you both
I hope you have a happy life with your new partner


An older version of me
A past version of myself


Is she perverted like me?
Did your new partner inherit my personality traits?


Would she go down on you in a theater?
Would she do things that I did for you in the past?


Does she speak eloquently
Is she well-spoken?


And would she have your baby?
Would she have a child with you?


I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother
I believe she would be a great parent


'Cause the love that you gave that we made
Our relationship was built on the love we shared


Wasn't able to make it enough for you
But our love wasn't enough to satisfy you


To be open wide, no
You weren't willing to be vulnerable with me


And every time you speak her name
Whenever you mention your new partner's name


Does she know how you told me
Do you tell her the same things you told me?


You'd hold me until you died
That you would never let me go


'Til you died, but you're still alive
But you're still alive and well


And I'm here, to remind you
I'm here to bring up some unpleasant truths


Of the mess you left when you went away
Of the emotional turmoil you left me in after leaving


It's not fair, to deny me
It's not right for you to ignore my feelings


Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
Of the emotional baggage that I'm still carrying because of you


You, you, you oughta know
You need to be aware of the impact you had on me


You seem very well, things look peaceful
You appear to be doing well and have a peaceful life


I'm not quite as well, I thought you should know
I'm not doing as well as I appear to be


Did you forget about me, Mr. Duplicity?
Did you forget about the hurt you caused me, you hypocrite?


I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner
I don't want to disrupt your life, but I need to be heard


It was a slap in the face
Your actions were blatant disrespect towards me


How quickly I was replaced
You moved on from me too quickly


And are you thinking of me when you fuck her?
Are you reminded of me when you're intimate with her?


'Cause the love that you gave that we made
Our shared love is still on your mind


Wasn't able to make it enough for you
But our love wasn't able to make you stay


To be open wide, no
You weren't able to be honest and vulnerable with me


And every time you speak her name
Whenever you mention your new partner's name


Does she know how you told me
Do you say the same things to her that you said to me?


You'd hold me until you died
That you promised to never leave me


'Til you died, but you're still alive
But you're still alive and not fulfilling your promises


And I'm here, to remind you
To bring up painful memories that you need to confront


Of the mess you left when you went away
Of the emotional damage you caused when you left me


It's not fair, to deny me
You can't pretend like I don't exist and my feelings don't matter


Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
Of the emotional burden that I still carry because of you


You, you, you oughta know
You need to face the consequences of your actions


'Cause the joke that you laid in the bed
Your betrayal that took place in our bed


That was me and I'm not gonna fade
I am the one who you wronged and I won't forget it


As soon as you close your eyes, and you know it
I hope you feel guilty every time you think about it


And every time I scratch my nails
Every time I seek retribution


Down someone else's back I hope you feel it
I hope you're reminded of me every time you're intimate with someone else


Well, can you feel it?
Do you feel the guilt and regret that you should, knowing what you did to me?




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: ALANIS MORISSETTE, GLEN BALLARD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@chicken

Anyone here in 2024 listening to this timeless masterpiece?💖

@QueenFanka

yes

@megajoohyun7255

Yes

@tpickett1381

Hey!

@EricTheActor805

Please stop with these stupid comments

@MarCaribee

Aquí!

14 More Replies...

@KarlRock

Jagged Little Pill is one of the best albums of the 90s. I played the shit out of it. Still love it today. This song still blows me away every time, it's so powerful.

@dixoncider4915

So much this!!

@mc3dogs481

Yeh it's really good Indian pewdiepie

@bigfish74f

Iy was only a few weeks ago whilst on youtube that she popped up and i remembered how good she really was good ols fashioned music with a normal voice no help needed with her

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