Funny as I’m settling down to write a rather dark batch of songs I find this:
Kathy Shaidle’s list of favorite revenge songs
Of course “You Oughta Know” is on there, though it’s not her #1.
Years ago I recall reading some interview with Trent Reznor where he was commenting about hanging out with his buddies and hearing this song for the first time. And they all groaned that it was awful but it would be a huge hit.
Now, I wouldn’t say it’s the best song in the world, Hell, I don’t even own the album, but I do wonder how much of that is an innate reaction of guys who get around as part of their job descriptions feeling put on the spot by a female songwriter commenting on exactly that sort of thing from the receiving end. Not so much “awful” in the quality sense of the word, though I’m sure that was how he officially meant it, but awful in terms of it sparking quickly suppressed pangs of a guilty conscience.
But hey, I don’t know Trent at all, just extrapolating since what I remember of the time this came out was that the guys who hated the song the most were always the guys who were slutting around on their girlfriends or wives and therefore took it as a personal affront. [Not that it was overly popular with guys in general.]
And almost 20 years later people still seem to think it remarkable that female artists might have a take on bad relationships that’s somewhat more acerbic than “Back In Baby’s Arms.”
FYI: That song was written by a man, Bob Montgomery. And I think most guys like to think no matter how things go to Hell that this is what we all long for, rather than Alanis’ “every time I scratch my nails down someone else’s back I hope you feel it.” Dream on.
I sometimes get that “wow, you make angry music and you’re a girl!” I always think it’s funny that people, especially females, are amazed by it.
