Music as Meditative Mantra: Alanis Morissette’s “Thank U”
Some of the best music in the ‘90s came from Alanis Morissette. Period. Just one of the examples is “Thank U” from 1998’s Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, the album that followed the album, Jagged Little Pill. After the meteoric success of Jagged, Morissette ventured to India to take a break, to regroup, and this soul-baring song came from the experience.
The breathtaking track features verses that display emotional vulnerability (represented as physical nakedness in the accompanying music video) and capture those all-too-relatable moments of self-reflection, posed as questions which many of us, in some way, shape or form, could relate to at some point in our lives. (Certain passersby in the video indicate connection in the/our shared experience.) The second verse in particular goes straight to the head and heart, followed in the video by Morissette offering the most comforting smile to a fellow subway rider. Its choruses are hopeful, steeped in gratitude for what (good and bad) life lessons can bring, everything from terror and disillusionment to clarity and silence, with the bridge including this beautiful lyric about feeling almost overwhelmed by life’s blessings: “The moment I let go of it was the moment I got more than I could handle.” Isn’t it ironic?
“Thank U” was way ahead of its time; Alanis was offering music as meditation before the availability of apps, promoting mindfulness before its popular practice in the new millennium.