Ironic (song) – Wikipedia

“ Ironic “ [ 1 ] is a song by canadian singer Alanis Morissette. It was released in February 1996 as the third base single from her one-third studio apartment album, Jagged Little Pill ( 1995 ). It was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard, and was produced by him. “ ironic ” is a song written in the key of B major, and includes a moderate tempo of eighty-five beats per moment. The lyrics portray several situations that are described as “ ironic ”, leading to debate as to whether any of them actually match the take mean of irony. [ 2 ] For six weeks, the traverse topped the canadian RPM Top Singles graph. It besides reached the top five in Australia, New Zealand, and Norway. In the United States, the song reached act four on April 13, 1996, and since then it has been her highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100. “ dry ” was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ). The sung won the Juno Award for Single of the Year, and received two Grammy Award nominations in 1997, for record of the year and Best Short Form Music Video. french conductor Stéphane Sednaoui filmed the music video recording. In it, Morissette drives through a winter landscape, and she plays multiple roles as her passengers. MTV nominated the music television for six MTV Video Music Awards in 1996 ; it won three. The music video was listed on VH1 ‘s “ Greatest Music Videos ” number and was parodied by DBA Flip, Allison Rheaume, Rusty, and “ Weird Al ” Yankovic.

In September 2001, following the September 11 attacks, “ Ironic ” was listed inappropriate due to its lyrics by american mass media ship’s company unclutter Channel Communications. [ 3 ] The song was included on the adjust tilt of Morissette ‘s Jagged Little Pill World Tour ( 1995 ), and her compilation albums MTV Unplugged ( 1999 ) and The Collection ( 2005 ), among others. The sung was covered by Mexican duet Jesse & Joy for their album Esta Es Mi Vida Sesiones ( 2007 ), and by American band Four year Strong for their cover album Explains It All ( 2009 ) .

Writing and constitution [edit ]

“ ironic ” was written by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard, and produced by the latter for her third studio album, Jagged Little Pill ( 1995 ). [ 4 ] In an interview with Christopher Walsh of Billboard, Ballard explained how he and Morissette met, and how “ Ironic ” was written. He commented : “ I ‘m telling you, within 15 minutes we were at it—just write. ‘Ironic ‘ was the third gear song we wrote. Oh God, we were just having fun. I thought ‘I do n’t know what this is—what genre it is—who knows ? It ‘s just good. ‘ ” [ 5 ] According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com, it is a song set in the time signature of common time, composed in a moderate tempo of eighty-two beats per minute. [ 6 ] It is set in the samara of B major with Morissette ‘s vocal music range from the note of E5 to B♭5, and “ Ironic ” chord progress starts with the sequence of Emaj7–F♯6–Emaj7–F♯6, before changing to F♯–Badd9–F♯–G♯m7 in the chorus. [ 6 ]

linguistic dispute [edit ]

The birdcall ‘s custom of the son “ dry “ attract media attention ; according to Jon Pareles of The New York Times, it gives a discrete “ unironic ” sense in its implications. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “ irony ” is “ a state of affairs or an event that seems intentionally adverse to what was or might be expected ; an result cruelly, humorously, or queerly at odds with assumptions or expectations ”. [ 9 ] Thus, lyrics such as “ It ‘s a free depend on when you ‘ve already paid ” and “ A traffic jam when you ‘re already belated ” are not dry. [ 10 ] Morissette said : “ For me the bang-up debate on whether what I was saying in ‘Ironic ‘ was ironic was n’t a traumatic debate. I ‘d always embraced the fact that every once in a while I ‘d be the malapropism queen. And when Glen and I were writing it, we decidedly were not doggedly making sure that everything was technically ironic. ” [ 10 ] In 2014, Michael Reid Roberts wrote a department of defense of the song for Salon, saying that it cites situational ironies : the “ express of affairs or event [ south ] that seems intentionally contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a solution ”. [ 11 ] Michael Stevens of the YouTube impart Vsauce devoted time to the discussion of irony in the 2014 sequence “ Dord ”. In this video recording, Stevens considers the difference between the typically cited “ situational ” irony, versus “ dramatic ” irony. According to him, the irony of the song may not necessarily be in the situations themselves, but rather in the dramatic irony – when person is unaware of the significance of the event while others are : the situations are n’t ironic themselves, but liveliness itself is dry. [ 12 ] comedian Ed Byrne performed a skit in which he jokingly attacked the song for its miss of ironies : “ The merely dry thing about that song is it ‘s called ‘Ironic ‘ and it ‘s written by a womanhood who does n’t know what irony is. That ‘s quite dry. ” [ 10 ] Satirists Berger and Wyse parodied the song in one segment of their cartoon strip The Pitchers. In that episode, a superhero named “ Irony man ” compared his superpowers to lyrics from Morissette ‘s song, causing his cohorts to rename him “ The man from Alanis ”. [ 13 ] In December 2009, the comedy web site CollegeHumor released a parody television of the song called “ actually Ironic ”, featuring actress Sarah Natochenny, in which Patrick Cassels amended the lyrics in a human body that would be appropriately ironic. For model, “ it ‘s like rain on your marriage day, to the egyptian sunday deity Ra. ” [ 14 ] [ 15 ] The CollegeHumor spoof was similarly replicated in July 2013 with a song called, “ It ‘s last dry ” by sisters Rachael and Eliza Hurwitz, from New York City, who published their version on YouTube. [ 16 ] The sisters adjusted the lyrics to reflect sarcasm ( for example, “ it ‘s a black fly in your chardonnay, that was specifically purchased to repel total darkness flies ” ) and sing the line “ We fixed it for you, Alanis. You ‘re welcome. ” throughout their video. [ 17 ] In his 2014 song “ Word Crimes “, “ weird Al ” Yankovic references Morissette ‘s lyrics by singing “ Irony is not coincidence, ” and the music video recording for the song shows a fire truck burning ( depicted as “ Irony ” ) compared with rain during a wedding ( which is described as “ Weather ” ). [ 18 ] Morissette herself poked fun at her grammar mistakes during a 2013 performance of “ Semicolon ” with The Lonely Island on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. In it, Morissette cut off their birdcall to explain that their practice of hashtag blame to demonstrate the function of a semicolon is incorrect, to which they respond that her critiquing their grammar is “ dry ”. [ 19 ] Morissette far poked fun at herself in a 2015 operation of an update version “ Ironic ” on The Late Late Show with James Corden, in which she added the telephone line “ It ’ south singing ‘Ironic ‘, when there are no ironies ” to the song. [ 20 ]

reception [edit ]

Morissette in 2008

critical reaction [edit ]

Jaime Gill from Dot Music commented on the original adaptation of “ Ironic ”, on his follow-up of Jagged Little Pill Acoustic ( 2005 ), that “ [ Jagged Little Pill ] gave us popular ‘s greatest living room game, with spot the genuine irony in ‘Ironic ‘ ” and calling the song “ reasonably ” and “ catchy ”. additionally, he noted that the acoustic version “ actually sounds more relax and engaging without the grey forte guitars of the original ”. [ 21 ] even though Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic marked the racetrack as one of the “ All Media Guide path pick ” of the album, [ 22 ] in a separate review, from the lapp web site, the compact disk individual free was rated with two-and-a-half out of five stars. [ 23 ] Pareles noted that in verses of “ Ironic ”, and another sung from the album ( “ Mary Jane ” ), “ it ‘s easily to envision Morissette on the stage of a club, singing dry couplets backed by acoustic guitar “. [ 24 ] He besides commented in another article he wrote, that the song was actually “ unironic ”. [ 8 ] British magazine Music Week rated it four out of five, noting that it “ builds into another powerful hymn with beautiful echoes of The Cocteau Twins. It could see her break into the crown 20 for the first time. ” [ 25 ] Dave Brecheisen of PopMatters felt that the acoustic version of “ Ironic ”, was much worse than the original version. [ 26 ] The individual won the Juno Award for Single of the year at the 1997 ceremony, [ 27 ] and in the like year it was nominated for a Grammy Award, in the class of record of the Year. [ 28 ] [ 29 ] [ 30 ]

Chart performance [edit ]

In Canada, “ Ironic ” debuted on the RPM Singles Chart at total 95 on the return dated January 8, 1996. [ 31 ] Twelve weeks later the track topped the chart, on April 1, 1996, [ 32 ] staying there for six weeks, [ 33 ] being replaced by “ Closer to Free “ by american isthmus BoDeans. [ 34 ] Spending twenty-nine weeks within the top 100, it was last seen on July 22, 1996, at issue 81. [ 35 ] It spent 14 weeks in the top 10 and was the act two song of 1996, behind Morissette ‘s own “ You Learn ” at number one. On other RPM charts, the single topped the Alternative Rock Chart for a individual week, spending 11 weeks in the crown 10, [ 36 ] finish up 1996 as the act five birdcall for the year on that graph. It reached act six on the Adult Contemporary Chart. [ 37 ] In the U.S., the track debuted at count 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 following its commercial spill, becoming the highest debut on the issue ending March 16, 1996. [ 38 ] The single finally reached its acme position, at issue four, on April 13, 1996. [ 39 ] “ Ironic ” is presently Morissette ‘s highest-charting hit on the Hot 100 chart. [ 40 ] On other US charts, the single became her third base number-one hit on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks, [ 41 ] where it stayed for three weeks. [ 38 ] [ 42 ] [ 43 ] The song topped the Mainstream Top 40 ( Pop Songs ) graph, reached number two on the Hot 100 Airplay graph ( which includes both pop and rhythmic/crossover radio stations ), reached number five on Adult Top 40 chart and peaked at total 28 on the Adult Contemporary chart. [ 44 ] In Australia, the song debuted at number 40 on the ARIA Singles Chart. [ 45 ] In its one-eighth week, it peaked at act three on May 12, 1996, where it stayed for two weeks. It was last appeared on the chart on July 21, 1996, at total 37. To date, “ Ironic ” is her best chart birdcall in the country. [ 45 ] In New Zealand, where the song was released as a double A-side with “ You Oughta Know “, [ 46 ] it debuted at number 13 on April 21, 1996, peaked at number three on May 19, and made its last appearance on the chart at count 36 on June 30, staying at full of 11 weeks in the clear 50. [ 47 ] Like in Australia, “ ironic ” became Morissette ‘s highest-peaking single in New Zealand, but only at the clock ; “ Thank U “ and “ Hands Clean “ would chart higher in 1998 and 2002, respectively. [ 48 ] The song was by and large well-received throughout Europe. In the United Kingdom “ Ironic ” debuted and peaked at issue 11, on April 20, 1996. It left the graph eight weeks by and by, at phone number 67. [ 49 ] In the norwegian Singles Charts, it debuted at phone number 18, rising to issue 17 the future workweek. It rose to number five on its third workweek, and late peaked at total four, staying there for five weeks. It late dropped one place, and remained there for another two weeks. “ ironic ” keep within the chart for seventeen weeks. [ 50 ] In Belgium, it reached sixth identify on the Ultratop 50 ( Flanders area ), and ninth set on the Ultratop 50 ( Wallonia zone ). [ 51 ] [ 52 ]

forwarding [edit ]

music video recording [edit ]

The music video for “ Ironic ” was directed by Stéphane Sednaoui [ 53 ] [ 54 ] and released on January 23, 1996. [ 55 ] In the beginning of the video recording, Morissette is at a boast station, walking to her car ( 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V ) with a cup of chocolate in her hand. then, she drives her car through a winter landscape, and she begins to sing the sung ‘s first base verse. When it comes to the chorus, a second Morissette comes in. She is in a k sweater and sits in the backseat on the passenger side. When the first choir ends, a third base Morissette comes in, and she is in a jaundiced sweater with braid hair, besides in the backseat, but on the driver ‘s side. Along the way, the yellow Morissette is singing and eating at the same time, and when it comes to the second verse, a one-fourth and last Morissette comes in, in a red sweater sitting in the front passenger seat. During the second refrain, she climbs out the window as they are still driving and about gets knocked out by a bridge, but still manages a smile after doing so. The camera comes back to the drive Morissette, after the breakdown, and she takes off her hat, tosses it into the back seat, and becomes equally brassy as the other three while singing the sung. When Morissette sings the outro, she is distillery driving through the winter landscape, and suddenly the car breaks down ( possibly having run out of boast, which may be “ ironic ” in itself since the video started with her at a gas station ). Morissette ( as the driver ) gets out of the car, and all her “ passengers ” have disappeared. [ citation needed ] In an interview for Vogue in 2015, Morissette revealed that her clothes in the video reflected the personalities of each character. The driver in a red knit beanie was the one in operate, “ the responsible one ”. The feisty character, who Morissette refers to as the “ quirkster, ” wears a jaundiced sweater with a crown of long swing braids. Morissette liked the braids so much that she would much wear them on stage. The passenger-seat girl wearing a thick red perspirer and pajama-type pants was “ the romantic—wistful and thoughtful and besides the risk-taker ”. As for the girl head-banging in the backseat in green sweater, Morissette said ; “ The girl in green feels the most like the ‘whole me ‘. The k perspirer girl—fun and frolic-y. [ She ] gets into trouble—she ‘s the female child you want with you when you are heading to a water park. ” [ 56 ] Blaine Allan noted in the bible Television: Critical Methods and Applications ( 2002 ) how Morissette interacts with the spectator. He commented that unlike Britney Spears ‘s “ Lucky “ music video, where Spears plays the double function of a girlfriend named “ golden ” and her fan, and both appear together in some scenes helped by ocular effects, “ dry ” does not utilize them, using entirely editing, giving the sense that all the Morissettes interact with each other. [ 57 ] Journalist Carol Vernallis besides found that Morissette ‘s “ chitchat “ way of singing the sung creates an suggest viewer connection. She mentioned the television in her book Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context ( 2004 ), where she studied how the audience may pay attention to the lyrics of the sung in a music television. Vernallis added that the “ Ironic ” music television functions as a circumscribed case of how the meaning of a song ‘s lyrics become “ inaccessible ” when they are videotape and televised. [ 58 ] Charles Aaron from Spin called “ Ironic ” music television “ neat ”. [ 59 ] The video recording was nominated for six MTV Video Music Awards in 1996 : “ Video of the Year “, “ Best steering in a Video “, “ Viewer ‘s Choice “, “ Best Female Video “, “ Best New Artist in a Video “, and “ Best Editing “, winning the last three. [ 60 ] It was nominated in 1997 for the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video. [ 61 ] besides, it was count 18 on VH1 ‘s 100 Greatest Videos. [ 62 ] In late 1996, a parody version of the video recording was released featuring a 6-year-old canadian female child named Allison Rheaume, who mimics Morissette ‘s actions and wardrobe while lip syncing to the original birdcall. [ 63 ] At the end, her founder notices her in the cable car sitting in the driveway and tells her to stop fritter around. This interpretation of the video, directed by David Rheaume, [ 64 ] was played on MTV and was included on Morissette ‘s CD/DVD The Collection ( 2005 ). [ 65 ]

besides in late 1996, the video recording was spoofed by Jimmy The Cab Driver during a commercial on MTV. [ 63 ] Inglewood, CA rapper DBA Flip parodied the video recording for his 1996 single “ It ‘s Friday Night ( Just Got Paid ) ”. At the end of the television, Flip ‘s car runs out of gas as he rolls up on an Alanis Morissette lookalike carrying a natural gas can and wearing one of the jackets from the “ You Learn “ video. [ 66 ] canadian band Rusty parodied “ Ironic ” on version 2 of the music video recording for their 1997 single “ Empty Cell ”. [ 67 ] “ wyrd Al ” Yankovic produced a parody version of the video recording in 2003 for his television drollery series Al TV, in which he takes the place of the one-fourth translation of Morissette in the front passenger induct. [ 68 ] In 2018, Toronto R & B singer Ramriddlz paid tribute to “ Ironic ” on the music video for his single “ Worst Love ”. [ 69 ]

populate performances [edit ]

The single was added in the fixed list for Morissette ‘s concert enlistment, Jagged Little Pill World Tour ( 1995 ). [ 70 ] The song was added to the enlistment ‘s video recording album Jagged Little Pill Live ( 1997 ). [ 70 ] Since then, “ Ironic ” has been included in her albums MTV Unplugged ( 1999 ), [ 71 ] Feast on Scraps ( 2002 ), [ 72 ] Live in the Navajo Nation ( 2002 ), [ 73 ] and The Collection, [ 74 ] deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as 1997 Grammys and the MTV Unplugged compilation albums. [ 75 ] [ 76 ] With “ Ironic ”, Morissette denoted her support for same-sex marriage. In March 2004, Morissette amended a lyric at the fifteenth annual GLAAD Media Awards : “ It ‘s meeting the man of my dreams / And then meeting his beautiful conserve. ” [ 77 ] [ 78 ] She commented to USA Today that her digest about same-sex unions “ goes a footstep further than cagey lyrics. ” [ 79 ] She remarked that “ [ her ] fantasy would nowadays be to marry some of [ her ] cheery couple friends. ” [ 79 ] Later in June 2004, she said to VH1 : “ I do n’t have any gay-couple friends who are formally engaged, but I would be honored to support the gay community in that way … I did it as a sort of ad-lib thing at a radio receiver place about a month ago with a copulate, and my heart was therefore with them. ” [ 77 ] Morissette recorded an acoustic translation of the birdcall with the changed lyric for her iTunes Originals release, in 2004. [ 80 ] Another acoustic interpretation was recorded for the album Jagged Little Pill Acoustic, [ 81 ] [ 82 ] ampere well for the compilation album Cities 97 Sampler, Volume 16 ( 2004 ). [ 83 ] Morissette besides performed the song with Avril Lavigne at the House of Blues in 2005. [ 84 ]

Covers and function in media [edit ]

In 2003, Ji-In Cho covered the song for the german translation of the Fame Academy endowment usher, which became a success in the german charts. [ 85 ] “ Ironic ” was covered in 2007 by Mexican duet Jesse & Joy for their album Esta Es Mi Vida Sesiones, [ 86 ] and the crop up hood band Four year Strong for their 90s cover album Explains It All ( 2009 ). [ 87 ] In the 1996 novel Naïve. Super by norwegian author Erlend Loe, the protagonist watches the video for the song on television receiver and dreams about “ meeting an Alanis-girl and exist in a house together with her. ” [ 88 ] In the Jay and Silent Bob comic Chasing Dogma ( 1998 ), the character Tricia Jones is singing “ Ironic ” before Jay steps into the shower. [ 89 ] The music of the song was featured in the romantic drollery movie I Could Never Be Your Woman ( 2007 ), where Saoirse Ronan, as Izzie Mensforth, sings an altered version of the lyrics in a endowment show. [ 90 ] It besides made a overriding appearance as the opener to 2013 drollery film The Internship, starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, as they sing along to it. [ 91 ] In 2015, Morissette appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden and sang a version of the song with new lyrics “ update ” for the engineering era, and an court to the linguistics of the original mentioned above. [ 92 ]

track listing [edit ]

Personnel [edit ]

Credits adapted from “ Ironic ” candle single : [ 4 ]

Charts [edit ]

Certifications [edit ]

Release history [edit ]

See besides [edit ]

References [edit ]