VIDEOS Alanis Morissette talks about how Ironic really isn’t, comedians correct the lyrics
There’s no denying that Alanis Morissette wrote a hit with 1996’s Ironic. The only trouble was the song didn’t actually describe ironical situations. Rather, most of her scenarios were unfortunate coincidences.
That little mix-up may not sound like a big deal. But, to grammar nerds, it was tantamount to sin… Which has caused many people to inform Alanis of her error.
“I love to get to the underbelly of why things bug people so much,” Alanis told The Guardian last year when asked about whether she minds the criticisms. “People must be very at odds with the idea of being profoundly stupid. I mean, malapropisms; big f*****g deal. It’s kind of like in traffic when you’re yelling at someone for cutting you off and you’re cutting someone off too.”
Although Alanis doesn’t dwell on Ironic‘s lyrics, comedy writers since have thrived on setting the record straight.
The latest take comes from Eliza Hurwitz and Rachael Hurwitz who croon, “We’ve got an editorial way of helping you out when you out when your song about irony’s wrong and everyone says it to your face.”
Among other examples of actual irony, the girls sing about: a rainy wedding day at a place and time specific chosen to be free from rain, a black fly in Chardonnay that was purchased to repel black flies and a guy who gets pardoned from death row only to be struck by a car.
It’s all pretty good… But the best rendition is still College Humor‘s Actually Ironic.
How would you adapt the lyrics?
