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)
No
Alanis Morissette Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From a small, safe town
What could I possibly know about destruction?
My lawn sure looks green today
Underneath these suburban skies
But the little boy next door wants to be the Lord of the Flies
It's like Cain and Abel and the holy sacrifice
And if there is no Avalon and we only have one life
It's hard to conceive why we let our brothers die
My bed is so safe here
And my rose-colored glasses, they're broken
And how the truth leaks in
And I, I can't imagine
I saw it on the news tonight
That they'd announce his name
I saw the blood on his hands
And they told me to look away
I tell ya it's like Cain and Abel and the holy sacrifice
And I have to believe that God has closed his eyes
And if there is no Avalon and we only have one life
It's hard to conceive why we let our sisters die
Was I?
Why, why?
Why?
It's a confused civilization, darling
I tell ya it's like Cain and Abel and the holy sacrifice
And I have to believe that God has closed his eyes
And there is no Avalon and we only have one life
It's hard to conceive why we let our people die
We let 'em die
And watch them die
The lyrics of Alanis Morissette's song "No" are a powerful commentary on the disconnect between individuals’ comfortable, suburban lives and the violence and destruction happening in the world outside. The opening lines introduce the singer as a "white girl" from a small, safe town. She acknowledges that her life is far removed from the suffering and chaos that she sees on the news or hears about from her neighbors. Her lawn is green, her neighborhood is quiet, and her bed is safe. But, despite her complacency, she understands that the world is full of hurt and injustice that she cannot ignore.
The chorus draws a parallel to the biblical story of Cain and Abel, where jealousy leads to murder. The singer wonders why we, as a society, allow our brothers and sisters to die when we have the power to help. She questions the existence of a higher power who seems to look away from the suffering that is happening around us. The second verse is a visceral description of the singer's reaction to hearing about a violent act committed by someone in her community. She sees the blood on their hands, but she is told to look away. The visceral description of the blood on the perpetrator's hands serves as a metaphor for the responsibility that we all share for the violence and suffering in the world.
Interestingly, "No" was one of Alanis Morissette's first recorded songs that did not get included on her debut album, "Alanis." In 1992, she performed the song on a Triple J radio performance in Australia. Despite not making it onto the album, the song was frequently performed by Morissette on tours in the early 1990s.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just a white girl
I am a white girl who grew up in a small, safe town.
From a small, safe town
I grew up in a place that was free from destruction and danger.
What could I possibly know about destruction?
I have not experienced much destruction, so I might not understand how it feels.
My lawn sure looks green today
My lawn is in good condition today.
Underneath these suburban skies
In my suburban neighborhood.
But the little boy next door wants to be the Lord of the Flies
The boy who lives next door seems to have violent tendencies and wants to be powerful.
It's like Cain and Abel and the holy sacrifice
The conflicts between people remind me of the biblical story of Cain and Abel and their sacrifices.
And I have to believe that God has closed his eyes
I struggle to reconcile the evil that takes place with the idea of a benevolent God.
And if there is no Avalon and we only have one life
If there is no afterlife and we only have one chance to live, then
It's hard to conceive why we let our brothers die
It's difficult to understand why we allow people to die when we only have one life.
My bed is so safe here
I feel safe in my bed.
And my rose-colored glasses, they're broken
I can no longer ignore the truth of what is happening around me.
And how the truth leaks in
The truth slowly becomes apparent to me.
And I, I can't imagine
I cannot imagine the pain and suffering that others may be experiencing.
I saw it on the news tonight
I saw a news report about something terrible that happened.
That they'd announce his name
The media reported the identity of the person responsible.
I saw the blood on his hands
I saw evidence that the person was involved in something violent or deadly.
And they told me to look away
Someone advised me not to pay attention to the details of what happened.
Was I?
Did I turn a blind eye or ignore what was happening?
Why, why?
Why is there so much pain and suffering in the world?
Why?
Why do we allow people to die when we only have one chance at life?
It's a confused civilization, darling
The world is in a state of confusion and chaos.
We let 'em die
We allow people to die.
And watch them die
We bear witness to the deaths of others.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Alanis Morissette, Glen Ballard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sarahkilfoil8267
"No"
Alanis Morissette
My mind is invaded
My gates are ignored
My thoughts are negated
And you're on a roll
And I am offended
By your acts of shamelessness
Your lack of conscience
And your flagrant steamroll
What part of no do you not understand?
Do you not understand?
What part of no do you not understand?
Do you not understand?
My sorrow is left off
My rages discounted
My fears are founded
This dam is no more
What part of no do you not understand?
Do you not understand?
What part of no do you not understand?
Do you not understand?
Don't touch me
My body is frozen
And I've sat with these secrets
I'm no longer willing to
What part of no do you not understand?
Do you not understand?
What part of no do you not understand?
Do you not understand?
@paintingstarss
They used this song in the Jagged Little Pill Broadway musical and I had to look it up because it was the only non-new song in the show I hadn't heard before. I really, really wish she'd release this as more than a bonus track....maybe an album of former bonus tracks.
@lonnellpantos3375
YEAH YEAH YES!
@jacobotter708
The b-sides are almost always my favorite songs of hers, it's so aggravating!
Especially from the Havoc sessions.. this, Permission Tantra, Guru... all so good!
Oh well, as long as they make their way out somehow.
The EP Feast on Scraps is basically what you're describing, if you haven't heard that yet.
@alanistico
U are very lucky guy !! This song in a musical it’s a big gift !!!
@200437041
I never heard this song before. The first time was listening the musical collection. When was it realeased?
@paintingstarss
@Sancler Santos it was a bonus track on the Japanese release of havoc and bright lights
@silentwill4
Some of her best songs are these bonus tracks. Really worth hunting down.
@fantasticnoob2597
i didn’t hunt it down, i just saw jagged little pill and loved it so much
@annieserra5191
This is the first time I'm hearing this. I didn't realize this existed until two days ago. This is absolutely incredible.
@luvamoriss
damn it. just found this and a few other songs i didn't even know existed. i feel robbed and so disappointed that after all these years i missed out on these unreleased tracks. however, i'm so thrilled that i came across them now i have new songs for me to listen to. and yes this songs is powerful and I can relate to it as usual she writes songs that match my life perfectly. love this woman!