Alanis Nadine Morissette (born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer,… Read Full Bio ↴Alanis Nadine Morissette (born June 1, 1974) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, musician, and actress. Known for her emotive mezzo-soprano voice, Morissette began her career in Canada in the early 1990s with two mildly successful dance-pop albums. Afterward, as part of a recording deal, she moved to Holmby Hills, Los Angeles. In 1995, she released Jagged Little Pill, a more rock-oriented album which sold more than 33 million copies globally and is her most critically acclaimed work to date. This was made into a rock musical of the same name in 2017, which earned 15 Tony Award nominations including Best Musical. Her more experimental follow-up album, electronic-infused Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, was released in 1998.

Morissette assumed creative control and producing duties for her subsequent studio albums, including Under Rug Swept (2002), So-Called Chaos (2004), Flavors of Entanglement (2008), and Havoc and Bright Lights (2012). Her ninth album, Such Pretty Forks in the Road, was released in 2020. Morissette has sold more than 75 million records worldwide and has been dubbed the "Queen of Alt-Rock Angst" by Rolling Stone.

Read the full article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alanis_Morissette

Studio albums
Alanis (1991)
Now Is the Time (1992)
Jagged Little Pill (1995)
Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie (1998)
Under Rug Swept (2002)
So-Called Chaos (2004)
Flavors of Entanglement (2008)
Havoc and Bright Lights (2012)
Such Pretty Forks in the Road (2020)

Madness
Alanis Morissette Lyrics

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I've been most unwilling
To see this turmoil of mine
The thought of sitting with this
Has me paralyzed

With this prolonged exposure
To mirror and averted eyes
I've feigned that I've been waiting

Such mileage for empathizing

Now I see the madness in me
Is brought out in the presence of you
Now I know the madness lives on
When you're not in the room

And though I'd love to blame you for
I'd miss these moments of opportune
You've simply brought this madness to light
And I should thank you

Oh, thank you, much thanks for this bird's eye view
Oh, thank you for your most generous triggers

It's been all too easy
To cross my arms and roll my eyes
The thought of dropping all arms
Leaves me terrified

And now I see the madness in me
Is brought out in the presence of you
Now I know the madness lives on
When you're not in the room

And though I'd love to blame you for
I'd miss these moments of opportune
You simply brought this madness to light
And I should thank you

Oh, thank you, much thanks for this bird's eye view
Oh, thank you for your most generous triggers

I'd have to give up knowing
And give up being right
You inadvertent hero
You angel in disguise

Now I see the madness in me
Is brought out in the presence of you
And now I know the madness lives on
When you're not in the room

And Though I'd love to blame you for all
I miss these moments of opportune
You've simply brought this madness to light
And I should thank you

Oh, thank you, much thanks for this bird's eye view
Oh, thank you for your most generous triggers

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Alanis Morissette's song "Madness" describe the internal turmoil that the singer has been unwilling to confront until she is forced to do so by the presence of someone else. The idea of sitting with her tumultuous emotions has paralyzed her, but prolonged exposure to someone else's empathetic eyes has brought out the madness within her. She acknowledges that the madness doesn't go away when that person leaves the room and admits that she would love to blame them for all of her problems. However, she realizes that the other person has simply brought her madness to light and she should thank them for it.

The song highlights the idea that sometimes it takes someone else's perspective to reveal the inner workings of our own minds. The singer has been avoiding facing her own emotions and only through the presence of someone else is she able to see the madness within her. She understands that blaming the other person would be unfair and unproductive and instead chooses to thank them for helping her gain a new perspective.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been most unwilling
I have been strongly resistant

To see this turmoil of mine
To acknowledge my inner turmoil

The thought of sitting with this
The idea of confronting this feeling

Has me paralyzed
Has made me unable to act

With this prolonged exposure
After being exposed to this for a long time

To near and averted eyes
To both direct and indirect attention

I think that I've been waiting
I believe I have been anticipating

Such mileage for empathizing
An opportunity to understand and connect

Now I see the madness in me
I now recognize the irrationality within myself

It's brought out in the presence of you
It's triggered by being around you

Now I know the madness lives on
I realize the feeling persists