4,841
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
Alanis Morissette has released a new song called “Smiling,” the second single from her upcoming album Such Pretty Forks in the Road, out May 1st.
On the morose yet ultimately uplifting track, Morissette reflects on her existence as a “bottom dweller,” dealing with the ups and downs of life as they come and mulling over personal failings. “This is my first wave of the white flag/This is the sound of me hitting bottom,” she sings. “This my surrender, if that’s what I call it/In the anatomy of my crash.” Rather than giving up, though, Morissette finds herself at peace with her imperfection.
Morissette originally co-wrote “Smiling” with Michael Farrell (Morrissey, Macy Gray) for the Broadway production Jagged Little Pill the Musical, inspired by Morissette’s classic 1995 album of the same name. She’s had some fun promoting the musical, disguising herself and busking on the subway with Jimmy Fallon in a recent Tonight Show segment.
Lyric
This is a life of extremes
Both sides are slippery and enticing
These are my places off the rails
And this, my loose recollection of a falling
I barely remember who I failed
I was just trying to keep it together
This is my first wave of my white flag
This is the sound of me hitting bottom
This my surrender, if that's what you call it
In the anatomy of my crash
And I keep on smiling
Keep on moving
Can't stand still
Me, the notorious bottom dweller
Me, the ceiling-less brave explorer
Lured to the ends of overwhelm
This is my first wave of the white flag
This is the sound of me hitting bottom
This my surrender, if that's what I call it
In the anatomy of my crash
And I keep on smiling
Keep on moving
Can't…
Both sides are slippery and enticing
These are my places off the rails
And this, my loose recollection of a falling
I barely remember who I failed
I was just trying to keep it together
This is my first wave of my white flag
This is the sound of me hitting bottom
This my surrender, if that's what you call it
In the anatomy of my crash
And I keep on smiling
Keep on moving
Can't stand still
Me, the notorious bottom dweller
Me, the ceiling-less brave explorer
Lured to the ends of overwhelm
This is my first wave of the white flag
This is the sound of me hitting bottom
This my surrender, if that's what I call it
In the anatomy of my crash
And I keep on smiling
Keep on moving
Can't…