Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Music Monday

September 28, 2015

Today we have a wonderful song by Alanis Morissette – Hand In My Pocket. Even though I was in my early 30’s when this came out in 1995, I really liked it. I felt old by then, but I was still young (ha! see what I did there?) I’m sure it was meant more for young 20 somethings (like Alanis who was only 21 when this came out), but I think it speaks to everyone at any time in their life when you are having a crisis of self. I’m going through it now in my 50’s and I’ve been through it before around every decade it seems. But that’s okay – that’s how we grow and change. Yes, change! That’s part of the growth. If we don’t change then things get stagnant and relationships and jobs and whatever can actually die and there is no growth. But I digress.

The other thing I love about this song is the opposites featured throughout and the fact that at the end of each stanza there is a line that doesn’t rhyme. It’s like she made it all rhyme and then switched the endings around. Great poetry! So, here’s the song and my take on some of the lines. Enjoy!

Hand In My Pocket

I’m broke but I’m happy
I’m poor but I’m kind
I’m short but I’m healthy, yeah
I’m high but I’m grounded
I’m sane but I’m overwhelmed
I’m lost but I’m hopeful baby

Okay, I’ve lived all of these things. We went through a time with NO vehicle. That’s right – none. The only car we had died. No, we didn’t have a car for him and a car for her – we had ONE for everybody. However, that was one of the best years ever. We paid off bills, stayed home and made memories with our kids and so on. I think it was during this time our tv died too. It was rough, but it was also good in so many ways.

I am sane and overwhelmed – all.of.the.time. Right now though, I feel more lost and less hopeful, but…

What it all comes down to
Is that everything’s gonna be fine fine fine
’cause I’ve got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving a high five

Yes, five and fine – close but not rhyming. :-)

I feel drunk but I’m sober
I’m young and I’m underpaid
I’m tired but I’m working, yeah
I care but I’m restless
I’m here but I’m really gone
I’m wrong and I’m sorry baby

This is everyone in their 20’s I think.

What it all comes down to
Is that everything’s gonna be quite alright
’cause I’ve got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is flicking a cigarette

*harmonica solo*

And what it all comes down to
Is that I haven’t got it all figured out just yet
’cause I’ve got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving the peace sign

Yep, unrhyming stanzas. Again.

I’m free but I’m focused
I’m green but I’m wise
I’m hard but I’m friendly baby
I’m sad but I’m laughing
I’m brave but I’m chickenshit
I’m sick but I’m pretty baby

Okay, didn’t “sick” used to mean something besides sick? Looked it up in the dictionary and apparently it can mean a lot of things. Hmmm. Let’s see, why yes, I do fit all of these descriptions except for that last one. Not sick and not pretty. The first time I heard this song I laughed when she said chickenshit – oh yes I did! That’s one of the things that endeared me to it. Mostly though it spoke to me – like all of the songs I post about.

And what it all boils down to
Is that no one’s really got it figured out just yet
but I’ve got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is playing the piano

And what it all comes down to my friends, yeah,
Is that everything’s just fine fine fine
’cause I’ve got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is hailing a taxi cab

And the refrain, haven’t talked about it have I? It is the way we all are, but thing’s will be fine, there is hope, even if we haven’t figured out who we are, what we want out of life, if we want to marry or not. I wish I had taken more time to figure things out in my life before jumping into things I wasn’t ready for. Hindsight – it’s a bitch.

That’s today’s Music Monday – I’ll be back next week with more musical memories.

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» Music Monday » Oh Crap! – Musings of an Unperfect Mommy

Music Monday

September 28, 2015

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