Jagged Little Pill Album Lyrics

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Overture

(Jagged Little Pill Cast)

[Chorus]
Swallow it down
(What a jagged little pill)

It feels so good
(Swimming in your stomach)

What goes around never comes around
Wake up

And all I really want
Is deliverance
A way to calm the angry voice

These are my words
This is my voice
This is my taste of which you have no part of

(you, you, you, you, you...)
And I'm here to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away

It's not fair to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me

You
You
You
You...

---

Right Through You

(Original Broadway Cast)

Wait a minute, man
You mispronounced my name
You didn't wait for all the information
Before you turned me away
Wait a minute, sir
You kind of hurt my feelings
You see me as a sweet back-loaded puppet
And you've got meal ticket taste

I see right through you
I know right through you
I feel right through you
I walk right through you

You took me for a joke
You took me for a child
You took a long hard look at my ass
And then played golf for a while
Your shake just like a fish
You pat me on the head
You took me out to wine dine, sixty-nine me
But didn't hear a damn word I said

I see right through you
I know right through you
I feel right through you
I walk right through you

Oh, hello, Mr. Man
You didn't think I'd come back
You didn't think I'd show up with my army
And this ammunition on my back
Now that I'm Miss Thing
Now that I'm a zillionaire
You scan the credits for your name
And wonder why it's not there

I see right through
I know right through you
I feel right through
I walk right through you, you

---

All I Really Want

(Celia Rose Gooding, Elizabeth Stanley, Sean Allan Krill, Derek Klena, Original Broadway Cast)

Do I stress you out?
My sweater is on backwards and inside out
And you say, how appropriate
I don't like to dissect everything today
I don't mean to pick you apart you see
But I can't help it

And there I go jumping before the gunshot has gone off
Slap me with a splintered ruler
And it would knock me to the floor if I wasn't there already
If only I could hunt the hunter

And all I really want is some patience
A way to calm the angry voice
And all I really want is deliverance, ah

Do I wear you out?
You must wonder why I'm relentless and all strung out
I'm consumed by the chill of solitary
I'm like Estella
I like to reel it in and then spit it out
I'm frustrated by your apathy

And I am frightened by the corrupted ways of this land
If only I could meet the maker
And I am fascinated by the spiritual man
I am humbled by his humble nature, yeah

And what I wouldn't give to find a soul mate?
Someone else to catch this drift
And what I wouldn't give to meet a kindred? Ah

Enough about me, let's talk about you for a minute
Enough about you, let's talk about life for a while
The conflicts, the craziness and the sound of pretenses is falling
All around, all around

Why are you so petrified of silence?
Here can you handle this?
Did you think about your bills, you ex, your deadlines
Or when you think you're going to die?
Or did you long for the next distraction?

And all I need now is intellectual intercourse
A soul to dig the hole much deeper
And I have no concept of time other than it is flying
If only I could kill the killer

And all I really want is some peace man
A place to find a common ground
And all I really want is a wavelength, ah
And all I really want is some comfort
A way to get my hands untied
And all I really want is some justice, ah

It's all I really want, some patience
A way to calm me down
And all I really want is deliverance
A place to find a common ground

---

Hand in My Pocket

(Lauren Patten, Celia Rose Gooding, Original Broadway Cast)

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
And 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

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

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

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 a peace sign

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 chicken shit
I'm sick but I'm pretty baby

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 is just fine, fine, fine
'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is hailing a taxi cab

---

Smiling

(Elizabeth Stanley, Original Broadway Cast)

This is a life of extremes
Both sides are slippery and enticing
Here in my places off the rails

This loose recollection of a fallen
Barely remember who I felt
I was just trying to keep it together

This is the first wave of my white flag (Ah)
This is the sound of me hitting bottom (Ah)
This, my surrender, if that's what you call it
And the anatomy of my crash (Ah)

And I keep on smiling
Keep on moving
Can't stand still

Me, the ceilingless great achiever
Me the notorious perfect mother
Lord to ends of overwhelm

This is the first wave of my white flag (Ah)
This is the sound of me hitting bottom (Ah)
This, my surrender, if that's what you call it
And the anatomy of my crash (Ah)

And I keep on smiling
Keep on moving
Can't stand still

Such pretty forks in the road
On this continuum I've been bound to
Life flashing promise before my eyes

This is the first wave of my white flag (Ah)
This is the sound of me hitting bottom (Ah)
This, my surrender, if that's what you call it (Ah)
And the anatomy of my crash (Ah)

And I keep on smiling
Keep on moving
Can't stand still

Can't stand still

---

Ironic

(Celia Rose Gooding, Antonio Cipriano, Laurel Harris, Kei Tsuruharatani, Ezra Menas, John Cardoza, Jane Bruce, Original Broadway Cast)

An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day
It's a black fly in your Chardonnay
It's a death row pardon two minutes too late
Isn't it ironic, don't you think?

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought, it figures

Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye
He waited his whole damn life to take that flight
And as the plane crashed down he thought
"Well, isn't this nice"
And isn't it ironic, don't you think

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought, it figures

Well, life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything's okay and everything's going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up
In your face

A traffic jam when you're already late
A "no smoking" sign on your cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn't it ironic, don't you think?
A little too ironic, and yeah I really do think

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought, it figures

Well, life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
And life has a funny way of helping you out
Helping you out

---

So Unsexy

(Sean Allan Krill, Elizabeth Stanley, Original Broadway Cast)

Oh, these little rejections, how they add up quickly
One small sideways look and I feel so ungood and
Somewhere along the way, I think I gave you the power to make
Me feel the way I thought only my father could and

Oh, these little rejections, how they seem so real to me
One forgotten birthday, I'm all but cooked and
How these little abandonments seem to sting so easily
I'm 13 again, am I 13 for good?

I can feel so unsexy for someone so beautiful
So unloved for someone so fine
I can feel so boring for someone so interesting
So ignorant for someone of sound mind

Oh, these little protections, how they fail to serve me
One forgotten phone call and I'm deflated and
Oh, these little defenses, how they fail to comfort me
Your hand pulling away and I'm devastated

I can feel so unsexy for someone so beautiful
So unloved for someone so fine
I can feel so boring for someone so interesting
So ignorant for someone of sound mind

When will I stop leaving, baby?
When will I stop deserting, baby?
When will I start staying with myself?

Oh, these little projections, how they keep springing from me
I jump my ship as I take it personally and
Oh, these little rejections, how they disappear quickly
The moment I decide not to abandon me

I can feel so unsexy for someone so beautiful
So unloved for someone so fine
I can feel so boring for someone so interesting
So ignorant for someone of sound mind

I can feel so unsexy for someone so beautiful
So unloved for someone so fine
I can feel so boring for someone so interesting
So ignorant for someone of sound mind

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Perfect

(Derek Klena, Original Broadway Cast)

Sometimes is never quite enough
If you're flawless, then you'll win my love
Don't forget to win first place
Don't forget to keep that smile on your face

Be a good boy
Try a little harder
You've got to measure up
Make me prouder

How long before you screw it up
How many times do I have to tell you to hurry up
With everything I do for you
The least you can do is keep quiet

Be a good girl
You've gotta try a little harder
That simply wasn't good enough
To make us proud

I'll live through you
I'll make you what I never was
If you're the best, then maybe so am I
Compared to him compared to her
I'm doing this for your own damn good
You'll make up for what I blew
What's the problem, why are you crying

Be a good boy
Push a little farther now
That wasn't fast enough
To make us happy
We'll love you just the way you are
If you're perfect

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Lancer's Party (So Pure)

(Original Broadway Cast , Celia Rose Gooding, Kathryn Gallagher)

I love you when you dance
When you freestyle in trance
So pure
Such an expression

I love you when you dance
When you freestyle in trance
So pure
Such an expression

I love you when you dance
When you freestyle in trance
So pure
Such an expression

Let's grease the wheel and be free
Let's discuss things in confidence
Let'd be outspoken let'd be ridiculous
Let'd solve the world's problems

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That I Would Be Good

(Antonio Cipriano, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten, Original Broadway Cast)

That I would be good, even if I did nothing
That I would be good, even if I got the thumbs down
That I would be good if I got and stayed sick
That I would be good even if I gained ten pounds

That I would be fine even if I went bankrupt
That I would be good if I lost my hair and my youth
That I would be great if I was no longer queen
That I would be grand if I was not all knowing

That I would be loved even when I numb myself
That I would be good even when I am overwhelmed
That I would be loved even when I was fuming
That I would be good even if I was clingy

That I would be good even if I lost sanity
That I would be good
Whether with or without you

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Wake Up

(Celia Rose Gooding, Derek Klena, Logan Hart, Kathryn Gallagher, Elizabeth Stanley, Sean Allan Krill, Original Broadway Cast)

You like snow, but only if it's warm
You like rain, but only if it's dry
There's no sentimental value to the rose that fell on your floor
There's no fundamental excuse for the granted I'm taken for

'Cause it's easy not to
So much easier not to
And what goes around never comes around to you
To you

You like pain but only if it doesn't hurt too much
And you sit, and you wait, to receive
There's an obvious attraction
To the path of least resistance in your life
Well, there's an obvious aversion no amount of my insistence
Could make you try tonight

'Cause it's easy not to
So much easier not to
And what goes around never comes around to you
To you, to you, to you, to you, to you

There's no love, no money, no thrill anymore

Well, there's an apprehensive, naked, little trembling boy
With his head in his hands
And there's an underestimated and impatient little girl
Raising her hand

But it's easy not to
So much easier not to
And what goes around never comes around to you
To you, to you

Get up, get up, get up off of it
Get up, get up, get up off of it
Get out, get outta here, enough already
Get up, get up, get up off of it
Wake up

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Forgiven

(Elizabeth Stanley, Original Broadway Cast)

You know how us Catholic girls can be
We make up for so much time a little too late
I never forgot it, confusing as it was
No fun with no guilt feelings
The sinners, the saviors, the lover-less priests
I'll see you next Sunday

We all had our reasons to be there
We all had a thing or two to learn
We all needed something to cling to
So we did

I sang Alleluia in the choir
I confessed my darkest deeds to an envious man
My brothers they never went blind for what they did
But I may as well have
In the name of the Father, the skeptic and the Son
I had one more stupid question

We all had our reasons to be there
We all had a thing or two to learn
We all needed something to cling to
So we did

What I learned I rejected, but I believe again
I will suffer the consequence of this inquisition
If I jump in this fountain, will I be forgiven?

We all had our reasons to be there
We all had a thing or two to learn
We all needed something to cling to
So we did

We all had delusions in our head
We all had our minds made up for us
We had to believe in something
So we did

We all had our reasons to be there
We all had a thing to learn
We all needed something to cling to
So we did

So we did, ooh, I, I, I
So we did

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Entr'Acte (Hands Clean)

(Original Broadway Cast)

Ooh, this could get messy
But you don't seem to mind

Ooh, don't telling everybody
And overlook this obvious crime

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

---

Not The Doctor

(Elizabeth Stanley, Sean Allan Krill, Nora Schell, Original Broadway Cast)

I don't want to be the filler if the void is solely yours
I don't want to be your glass of single malt whiskey
Hidden in the bottom drawer and
I don't want to be a bandage if the wound is not mine
Lend me some fresh air
I don't want to be adored for what I merely represent to you
I don't want to be your babysitter
You're a very big boy now
I don't want to be your mother
I didn't carry you in my womb for nine months
Show me the back door

Visiting hours are nine to five and if I show up at ten past six
Well, I already know that you'd find some way to sneak me in and oh
Mind the empty bottle with the holes along the bottom
You see it's too much to ask for and I am not the doctor

I don't want to be the sweeper of the egg shells that you walk upon
And I don't want to be your other half, I believe that one and one make two
I don't want to be your food or the light from the fridge on your face
At midnight, hey
What are you hungry for?
I don't want to be the glue that holds your pieces together
I don't want to be your idol
See this pedestal is high and I'm afraid of heights
I don't want to be lived through
A vicarious occasion
Please open the window

Visiting hours are nine to five and if I show up at ten past six
Well, I already know that you'd find some way to sneak me in and oh
Mind the empty bottle with the holes along the bottom
You see it's too much to ask for and I am not the doctor

I don't want to live on someday when my motto is last week
And I, I don't want to be responsible for your fractured heart
And it's wounded beat and
I don't want to be a substitute for the smoke you've been inhaling
Well, what do you thank me
What do you thank me for?

Visiting hours are nine to five and if I show up at ten past six
Well, I already know that you'd find some way to sneak me in and oh
Mind the empty bottle with the holes along the bottom
You see it's too much to ask for and I am not the doctor

---

Head Over Feet

(Antonio Cipriano, Celia Rose Gooding, Sean Allan Krill, Elizabeth Stanley, Lauren Patten, Original Broadway Cast)

I had no choice but to hear you
You stated your case time and again
I thought about it

You treat me like I'm a princess
I'm not used to liking that
You ask how my day was

You've already won me over in spite of me
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault

Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole
You're so much braver than I gave you credit for
That's not lip service

You've already won me over in spite of me
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault

You are the bearer of unconditional things
You held your breath and the door for me
Thanks for your patience

You're the best listener that I've ever met
You're my best friend
Best friend with benefits
What took me so long

I've never felt this healthy before
I've never wanted something rational
I am aware now
I am aware now

You've already won me over in spite of me
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault

You've already won me over in spite of me
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault

I couldn't help it
It's all your fault

---

Unprodigal Daughter

(Celia Rose Gooding, Original Broadway Cast)

I had disengaged to avoid being totaled
I would run away and say good riddance soon enough
I had grown disgusted by your small-minded ceiling
To imagining myself bolting had not been difficult

Soon be my life
Soon be my pace
Soon be my choice of which you'll have no part of

Unprodigal Daughter and I'm heading for the west
Disenchanted daughter and this plane cannot fly fast enough
Unencumbered daughter hit the ground running at last!
I'd invite you but I'm busy being unoppressed

I hit the ground running although I know not what toward
I hit the town reeling forgetting all that came before
I felt primed and ready unsurrounded by the pawns
I felt culture shocked, but dissuaded, I was not

This is my town
This is my voice
This is my taste of what you've have no part of

Unprodigal Daughter and I'm heading for the west
Disenchanted daughter and this plane cannot fly fast enough
Unencumbered daughter hit the ground running at last!
I'd invite you but I'm busy being unoppressed

One day I'll saddle back and speak foreign adventures
One day I'll double back and tell you about these unfettered years
One day I'll look back and feel something other than relieved
Glad that I left when I did before your dear, you can't got the best of me

When I'd speak of artistry you would roll your eyes skyward
When I'd speak of spirituality you label me absurd
When I spoke of impossibility you would frown and shake your head
If I had stayed much longer I'd have surely imploded

These are my words
This is my house
These are my friends of which you've had no part of

Unprodigal Daughter and I'm heading for the west
Disenchanted daughter and this plane cannot fly fast enough
Unencumbered daughter hit the ground running at last!
I'd invite you but I'm busy being unoppressed

Unprodigal Daughter and I'm heading for the west
Disenchanted daughter and this plane cannot fly fast enough
Unencumbered daughter hit the ground running at last!
I'd invite you but I'm busy being unoppressed

---

Predator

(Kathryn Gallagher, Jane Bruce, Original Broadway Cast)

Ooh...

First I am spotted across the room
Sussed out for the degree of naivety
When I make the cut, then all systems go
And you take your first step toward me

My eyes are invitations
My welcome sign is bright
My armor is porous enough to be worked by your design
My goodness is commendable but won't pull your heartstrings
This magnet for predators is dying to be discerning

Your system of madness
To mimic connection
Then you engender my trust as you pounce
You isolate and then divert attention
Distract from deception
Keep me in the dark

Ooh...

You kept me off balance
With your charming deflection
You kept me distracted
Couldn't pick this apart
What started as union turned into isolation
And you are obsessed with your prey...

My eyes are invitations
My welcome sign is bright
My armor is porous enough to be worked by your design
My trust is commendable but won't pull your heartstrings

This magnet for predators is learning to be discerning
Oh...

---

You Oughta Know

(Lauren Patten, Original Broadway Cast)

I want you to know, that I am happy for you
I wish nothing but the best for you both
An older version of me
Is she perverted like me?
Would she go down on you in a theater?
Does she speak eloquently
And would she have your baby?
I'm sure she'd make a really excellent mother

'Cause the love that you gave that we made
Wasn't able to make it enough for you
To be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me
You'd hold me until you died
'Til you died, but you're still alive

And I'm here, to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair, to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

You seem very well, things look peaceful
I'm not quite as well, I thought you should know
Did you forget about me, Mr. Duplicity?
I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner
It was a slap in the face
How quickly I was replaced
And are you thinking of me when you f*ck her?

'Cause the love that you gave that we made
Wasn't able to make it enough for you
To be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me
You'd hold me until you died
'Til you died, but you're still alive

And I'm here, to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair, to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

'Cause the joke that you laid in the bed
That was me and I'm not gonna fade
As soon as you close your eyes, and you know it
And every time I scratch my nails
Down someone else's back I hope you feel it
Well, can you feel it?

And I'm here, to remind you
Of the mess you left when you went away
It's not fair, to deny me
Of the cross I bear that you gave to me
You, you, you oughta know

---

Uninvited

(Elizabeth Stanley, Kathryn Gallagher, Original Broadway Cast)

Like anyone would be
I am flattered by your fascination with me
Like any hot blooded woman
I have simply wanted an object to crave

But you, you're not allowed
You're uninvited
An unfortunate slight

Must be strangely exciting
To watch the stoic squirm
Must be somewhat heartening
To watch Shepard meet Shepard

But you, you're not allowed
You're uninvited
An unfortunate slight

Like any uncharted territory
I must seem greatly intriguing
You speak of my love like
You have experienced love like mine before

But this is not allowed
You're uninvited
An unfortunate slight

I don't think you unworthy
I need a moment to deliberate

---

Mary Jane

(Sean Allan Krill, Original Broadway Cast)

What's the matter, Mary Jane? You had a hard day
As you place the don't disturb sign on the door
You lost your place in line again, what a pity
You never seem to want to dance anymore

It's a long way down
On this roller coaster
The last chance streetcar
Went off the track
And you're on it

I hear you're counting sheep again, Mary Jane
What's the point of trying to dream anymore
I hear you're losing weight again, Mary Jane
Do you ever wonder who you're losing it for

Well it's full speed, baby
In the wrong direction
There's a few more bruises
If that's the way
You insist on heading

Please be honest, Mary Jane
Are you happy
Please don't censor your tears

You're the sweet crusader
And you're on your way
You're the last great innocent
And that's why I love you

So take this moment, Mary Jane, and be selfish
Worry not about the cars that go by
'Cause all that matters, Mary Jane, is your freedom
So keep warm my dear, keep dry

Tell me
Tell me
What's the matter, Mary Jane?
Tell me
Tell me
Please be honest, Mary Jane
Tell me

---

No

(Kathryn Gallagher, Nora Schell, Jane Bruce, Ezra Menas, Max Kumangai, Derek Klena, Celia Rose Gooding, Lauren Patten, Original Broadway Cast)

Whenever we talk about sun all I see is the rain
It's like looking for tears in a ocean
I'm hearing your words like the wind
They blow straight through my heart
Will you ever give in to emotion

And we hurt the ones that we love the most
Why we do only heaven knows
And I don't know why I'm still holding on holding on

I reach in my heart to see
If your love is alive in me
But now I feel alone
My feelings turn to stone
My heart makes no apologies

When an apology's made it isn't always enough
To erase all the past in a moment
Whenever I need you the most
You always leave me behind
With a word from your lips I'm alone

You've been blind not to realize
All the love that I hold inside
So tell me why do I keep holding on holding on

What I need is your sympathy
Like a light flowing into me
But I will never give up holding on holding on

My heart makes no apologies no no
My feelings turn to stone I make no apologies

---

Thank U

(Nora Schell, Laurel Harris, Ezra Menas, Celia Rose Gooding, Original Broadway Cast)

How 'bout getting off of these antibiotics?
How 'bout stopping eating when I'm full up?
How 'bout them transparent dangling carrots?
How 'bout that ever elusive kudo?

Thank you India
Thank you terror
Thank you disillusionment
Thank you frailty
Thank you consequence
Thank you thank you silence

How 'bout me not blaming you for everything?
How 'bout me enjoying the moment for once?
How 'bout how good it feels to finally forgive you?
How 'bout grieving it all one at a time?

Thank you India
Thank you terror
Thank you disillusionment
Thank you frailty
Thank you consequence
Thank you thank you silence

The moment I let go of it was the moment
I got more than I could handle
The moment I jumped off of it
Was the moment I touched down

How 'bout no longer being masochistic?
How 'bout remembering your divinity?
How 'bout unabashedly bawling your eyes out?
How 'bout not equating death with stopping?

Thank you India
Thank you providence
Thank you disillusionment
Thank you nothingness
Thank you clarity
Thank you, thank you silence

Yeah, yeah
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

---

You Learn

(Original Broadway Cast)

Oh, oh, oh

I, recommend getting your heart trampled on to anyone, yeah
I, recommend walking around naked in your living room, yeah

Swallow it down (what a jagged little pill)
It feels so good (swimming in your stomach)
Wait until the dust settles

You live you learn, you love you learn
You cry you learn, you lose you learn
You bleed you learn, you scream you learn

I, recommend biting off more than you can chew to anyone
I certainly do
I, recommend sticking your foot in your mouth at any time
Feel free

Throw it down (the caution blocks you from the wind)
Hold it up (to the rays)
You wait and see when the smoke clears

You live you learn, you love you learn
You cry you learn, you lose you learn
You bleed you learn, you scream you learn

I, I, oh, oh

Wear it out (the way a three-year-old would do)
Melt it down (you're gonna have to eventually, anyway)
The fire trucks are coming up around the bend

You live you learn, you love you learn
You cry you learn, you lose you learn
You bleed you learn, you scream you learn

You grieve you learn, you choke you learn
You laugh you learn, you choose you learn
You pray you learn, you ask you learn
You live you learn