no pressure over capuccino

This morning, my iPod played this song for me. My iPod has been playing this for me quite frequently. Weird considering it's on 'shuffle'. For some reason, my iPod likes this song. For some reason, I like this song. I have a special affinity for songs that reference Jesus and the Bible written by people who don't profess to be Christians (another great one is Dave Matthews' "A Christmas Song"). It's always interesting to see these figures from a secular point of view. I googled the lyrics this morning, because Alanis is Canadian :-p Some of the most important words were not what I previously thought they were. And now I like it even more. Disclaimer: I don't pretend to understand this song completely (especially the origin of the title), but I really like that it makes me think. Any intuitive comments about the meaning of this song will be rewarded with great awe. Side note: all the "90's" references, I think, are meant to convey "contemporary" - this song was written in the 90's.

No Pressure Over Capuccino
by Alanis Morissette

And you're like a 90's Jesus
And you revel in your psychosis
How dare you
And you sample concepts like hors d'euvres
And you eat their questions for dessert
Is it just me or is it hot in here?

And you're like a 90's kennedy
And you're really a million years old
You can't fool me
They'll throw opinions like rocks in riots
And they'll stumble around like hypocrites
Is it just me or is it dark in here?

Well you may never be or have a husband you may never have or hold a child
You will learn to lose everything; we are temporary arrangements.

And you're like a 90's Noah
And they laughed at you as you packed all of your things
And they wonder why you're frustrated
And they wonder why you're so angry
And is it just me or are you fed up?

And may God bless you in your travels in your conquests and queries.

you are what you see

If you visit here regularly, you may (or may not) have noticed something. I don't blog about t.v. shows. This is because I don't really watch t.v. that much. Yes, I have one, and yes, I have cable. And yes, I do, on occasion, decide to sit down and relax by voluntarily turning off my brain and turning on that blackhole box. But I don't have a show . I don't want a show. I want to explain why. This post is dedicated to those of you out there who have a show, have too many shows, or think you need a show. And you all know I know you know who you all are... Top Ten reasons why you do not need a show: 10. You are what you see. This could be bad if you are watching - well anything. Unless you are watching your own reality t.v. show, and then that would be, just, meta - and therefore redundant, and also a little bit egomaniacal . But I digress. 9. Studies show watching teevee produces less brain activity than sleeping. It also has an adverse affect on your ability to discern

my very second blogger meet-up

I was remiss in posting about my very first blogger meet-up, which was over the Christmas holiday. Somehow, the stars aligned, and my sister & I (who live in Nashville) were able to meet Lisa (who lives in VA) and her family, in Florida. Nothin' like the comforts of common territory when meeting those all-elusive 'internet' friends for the first time. Lisa's dad is also a blogger, and the night before we all met, I happened to see a comment of his on my preacher's blog . Additionally, for the first time that night, I noticed that Lisa has blogrolled a friend of mine from college who I didn't even know had a blog. We can play 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon later. I need to get back to my post here... But before I do, I want to say thanks to Lisa & her family for being my very first blogger meet-up! It was fun. But more than that, it brought a sense of satisfaction that this thing we all do called 'blogging' is not just a hobby, or a hope for recognition

Lisa said…

I was waiting to see if you would get any other scholarly or profound comments before I left anything, but no such luck. I like Alanis Morissette, although enough of her lyrics have bothered me in the past that I don't necessarily go looking for her anymore. I don't understand the lyrics of this particular song in the least. And I think I tend to take on a defensive stance when secular artists refer to Jesus or the Bible, assuming that they are not going to use the references in a good way. (I'm not saying that's the way I ought to be, though) In this song, is she saying that it's a bad thing to be like a "90s" Jesus, or a 90s "Jesus"? In a sense, I like her lyrics that refer to us being on this earth temporarily, & yes, we'll know suffering, but it's not like she's telling people how to make a difference in a temporary life or what the reward of the suffering on this earth will be. I'm not going to even touch the Kennedy reference!! Ha!

Well, I'm just hoping my comment will spark some more discussion. Thanks for "letting" me stop by, Emily. I enjoyed your comment on my blog the other day. We'll run into each other again!

10/26/2006 3:07 PM

Emily Gray said…

thanks for your comment Lisa! I don't think we're going to get a lot of discussion on this one. Either no one reads this, or no one wants to touch the song. It's difficult to get and I often wonder if it's real scandalous and I'm too naive to see it. Personally, I like the verse about Noah because I think it's universal to be mocked and misunderstood - especially when you're trying to do the right thing. Everyone knows what that feels like.
I'm not a history buff and know reletively little about Kennedy, but I get the feeling that she's talking about someone who tried to make a positive difference and was met with adversity instead. That too, gets universal sympathy. It may be that this song is about how we all struggle with the same things, and yet we're also the ones who inflict these struggles on one another.
I'm afraid to hit 'post'. I am going to sound like a moron. There's someone out there who knows what this song is about, but they're not going to say anything.
Maybe Alanis will comment...

10/26/2006 4:09 PM

If Alanis comments, you're my hero.

10/27/2006 10:04 AM

John H said…

Isn't this about a gay friend, too absorbed in their feelings about their orientation, but not without sympathy..

I think the jesus reference is about persecution..

a song of hers I like much better is 'thank you'. It may not truly be written from a Christian perspective but it contains loads of Christian philosophy....'the moment i let go, was the moment i got everything'..etc

10/29/2006 10:20 AM

alanisrox69 said…

The song was written about her twin brother Wade. It was co-written with her guitarist Nick Lashley back on the road in 95/96.

3/28/2010 2:13 AM

soju said…

HI, just listened to the song for the first time, on youtube, I liked the title so I clicked on it, previously listening to many of alanis songs..
I guess that it is about someone, a good friend she has whom she is studying closely while sitting opposite her/him in a cafe. She/He is pondering on philosophical questions on our existence in the world, and local and global challenges. He/She wishes to change, to help the world, (that might explain the jesus and noah references) being ridiculed for that by all around him/her.
She is then simply whishing him/her all the best for the journey of life and all the visions he/she has in mind...

1/28/2013 4:21 PM

Karol said…

Hi guys

Im a brazilian girl and i just loved this song for the rythem it has. Then i went to look for the translation and i didnt get anything. In fact, the title let me a little bit confuse...so i rather to feel the song then try to understand it!!! I think u could just imagine what it would be and...just...feel!!!

Xx

5/13/2017 9:45 AM

Carlos V. said…

I liked your point of view!

8/19/2021 5:44 PM

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