The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
If it weren't for your maturity, none of this would have happened
If you weren't so wise beyond your years
I would've been able to control myself
If it weren't for my attention, you wouldn't have been successful and if
If it weren't for me you would never have amounted to very much
Ooh, this could be messy but
But you don't seem to mind and
Ooh, don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
You're essentially my employee and I like you having to depend on me
You're kind of my protege and one day
You'll say you learned all you know from me
I know you depend on me like a young thing would to a guardian
I know you sexualize me like a young thing would and I think I like it
Ooh, this could get messy but
Ooh, you don't seem to mind
Dude, don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
I've more than honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
What part of our history's reinvented and under rug swept?
What part of your memory is selective and tends to forget?
What with this distance it seems so obvious
Just make sure you don't tell on me, especially to members of your family
We best keep this to ourselves and not tell any members of our inner posse
I wish I could tell the world
'Cause you're such a pretty thing when you're done up properly
I might want to marry you one day if you watch that weight and keep your firm body
Ooh, this could be messy and
Ooh, I don't seem to mind
Ooh, don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
Ooh, this could get messy but
Ooh, I don't seem to mind
Ooh, don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
If you weren't so wise beyond your years
I would've been able to control myself
If it weren't for my attention, you wouldn't have been successful and if
If it weren't for me you would never have amounted to very much
Ooh, this could be messy but
But you don't seem to mind and
Ooh, don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
You're essentially my employee and I like you having to depend on me
You're kind of my protege and one day
You'll say you learned all you know from me
I know you depend on me like a young thing would to a guardian
I know you sexualize me like a young thing would and I think I like it
Ooh, this could get messy but
Ooh, you don't seem to mind
Dude, don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
I've more than honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
What part of our history's reinvented and under rug swept?
What part of your memory is selective and tends to forget?
What with this distance it seems so obvious
Just make sure you don't tell on me, especially to members of your family
We best keep this to ourselves and not tell any members of our inner posse
I wish I could tell the world
'Cause you're such a pretty thing when you're done up properly
I might want to marry you one day if you watch that weight and keep your firm body
Ooh, this could be messy and
Ooh, I don't seem to mind
Ooh, don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
Ooh, this could get messy but
Ooh, I don't seem to mind
Ooh, don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honored your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
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‘Hands Clean’ reflects Alanis relationship with an older man, who is as the first verse of the song states, involved with the music industry and has helped her with her success in it. (the male is not identified, some say its Ryan Adams) At the time of the relationship, Alanis was very young, 15 years of age , the male partner was much older than her, 30 or so (age not definite.) Hands Clean may confuse some, because it was written mostly in the perspective of the older man, not hers.
Verse one: "If it weren't for your maturity none of this would have happened If you weren't so wise beyond your years I would've been able to control myself" -this section of the song is pretty self explanatory... If it wasn’t for Alanis being mature, more mature than her 15 years, if she wasn’t "wise" & thought and acted like most 15 year olds, he [the older man] wouldn’t have fell in love with her, "[he] would've been able to control myself"…realizing she was young, immature etc.
"If it weren't for my attention you wouldn't have been successful and If it weren't for me you would never have amounted to very much" -self explanatory, the older man is giving credit to himself for alanis’ success, if it weren't him getting involved with her music, she would not have been "successful", wouldn’t have made it big and be where she is now. He is basically giving himself credit for everything.
“Ooh this could be messy But you don't seem to mind”
-again, don’t “go telling everybody” because this is a “crime” in modern day’s society, people are going to look at this love much differently than we do (“supposed”-dealing with the fact that, two people love each other… why should that be a crime...)
Chorus:
“We'll fast forward to a few years later And no one knows except the both of us” -few years later, their age difference wouldn’t seem too odd
”You're essentially an employee and I like you having to depend on me You're kind of my protégé and one day you'll say you learned all you know from me I know you depend on me like a young thing would to a guardian” -shows that Alanis is an ‘employee’ or ‘protégé of the older man, obviously in the music industry, he likes Alanis having to need him.
“I know you sexualize me like a young thing would and I think I like it” -“young thing” refers to Alanis, makes a point that he is the older partner in the relationship…he is happy she does this to him and he feels the same for her. “sexualize” may show that alanis and the older being may have had a sexual affair (hence, “overlook this crime”-for a crime to be committed there had to be a sexual accountance)
“what part of our history's reinvented and under rug swept?” -what you THINK was right, and what may have happened, is different from the ACTUAL reality of it all what part of your memory is selective and tends to forget? -“your version of what happened soon replaces your actual memory” as one stated. what with this distance it seems so obvious? -shouldn’t the ACTUAL reality of this whole relationship and what you THINK happened express a difference somehow (again, the concept of love blinding you)
“Just make sure you don't tell on me especially to members of your family” “We best keep this to ourselves and not tell any members of our inner posse” -“me” referring to the older man. Assuring alanis not to tell her family… the law will get involved, realize that a crime was committed, etc,
***“I wish I could tell the world cuz you're such a pretty thing when you're done up properly”
**“I might want to marry you one day if you watch that weight and keep your firm body” -the older man will consider her, if she “watches her weight” –lose a couple of pounds and keeps a ‘fit’ body. ***These two verses take a major role in alanis adolescence… it seems as if though the older man triggered her eating disorders…he would ‘consider’ her as a wife if she was skinn[ier], which lead to years of her bulimia and anorexia nervosa.
Ryan Adams is 5 months younger than Alanis. Maybe you mean the much suckier (yet much more famous) Bryan Adams.
she realizes she's getting into something that she probably shouldn't, but she's going to do it anyway. that, simply put, is what this song is about. it's a fantastic song - easy to identify with.
i think this song is about her when she was young haveing a relationship with a much older guy....she looks back on it now and realises it was wrong...the verses are what he was saying to her when she was young and the courses is what shes say back to him from the future now that shes older....i also think he was in the music bissness and was telling her he would get her in the bissness hence the: "You're essentially an employee and I like you having to depend on me You're kind of my protégé and one day you'll say you learned all you know from me "
I love how Alanis writes the lyrics to this song; they're all long, yet they work together so well. IMO, she's definitely one of the best song writers.
I believe it is about Leslie Howe. She met him when she start recording around 13/14 and then was dropped from her record company at 19. At the time Howe would have been 29, so that's 15 years. She also has said in interviews that it's about having an affair with an older man that lasted 5 years. Well, that's 5 years between recording and time she was dropped. Also, the line "I might want to marry you one day if you watch that weight and you keep your firm body" relates to other comments of hers that when she was younger they would call her in to do vocals and wound up hearing about how she had to stay thin and this is what led to her eating disorder.
Just my two cents.
I indeed think it's about him. Plus, his wife at that time also wrote for Alanis. I was re-watching the "Feast on Scraps" DVD where Alanis said on "Hands Clean" that for so long she didn't wanna reveal this because she would hurt someone or something like that. If they divorced around 2002, that means the song is 100% about Howe.
I wrote this as a reply to someone, but it deserves to be posted separately
The story I've heard is this song is about Alanis's relationship with Dave Coulier.
Basically, when Alanis was a teenager she had a relationship with Coulier, who I believe was in his early 30s at the time (and a star on family favorite Full House). This relationship remained more or less a secret until "Jagged Little Pill" was released. Coulier heard "You Oughtta Know" and was so convinced it was about him that like the egotistical jerk he apparently is he went and started blabbing in the press that he was the guy Alanis had gone down on in a theater, no longer caring if people thought he was a s sick puppy because, hey, who doesn't want to have a platinum single be about them?
Alanis has categorically said "You Outtata Know" is not about Coulier, however, this song seems to be (I can't remember if she's openly said so, or just strongly implied it). Basically, she was like "Okay ahole, you want a song about our relationship? It's go time" and this is what she wrote.
The lines "We'll fast forward to a few years later / And no one knows except the both of us / And I have honored your request for silence" Would seem to be a deliberate jab at the fact she kept her mouth shut about Coulier when it could have gotten him into trouble and probably ended his career, but then as soon as he saw a chance to profit he started telling the world about them.
After reading this, you will never be able to watch Full House the same way ever again.
@akagoldfish The Dave Coulier thing isn't true. It was a joke.<br />
"What part of your memory is selective and tends to forget?"
Fantastic. Love this song, such powerful and deep lyrics.
can someone tell me who this song is written about? did she write it about anyone in particular?
lindsay morgan.
no way. it's about leslie howe
Dave Coulier from Full House. She dated him when she was underage. Google Jagged Little Pill and Coulier.
Actually - I was watching something (MTV|2, maybe) and they made a point to say that during her teenage years, Alanis battled many different eating disorders. They also said that it was one boyfriend of hers (an older guy, obviously (from the frist few lines of the song)) who caused it. He would tell her things like "I wish I could tell the world..." and "I might want to marry you one day if..." (both are lyrics in the latter half of the song), and that caused her eating disorders (along with other things). But the long answer to a short question is, YES, this song is about one person....and older ex-boyfriend.
Whoever this song is about - it's great!