Hands Clean
Encyclopedia
"Hands Clean" is a song by Canadian recording artist and songwriter Alanis Morissette
for her fifth studio album
Under Rug Swept
(2002). It was released as the lead single
of the album. The song was written and produced by Morissette herself. She reportedly said in an interview to US Weekly
that the song is about an affair she had with a man when she was 14.
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, which some immediately chose the track as a album standout. "Hands Clean" did well through the charts. The song peaked at number twenty-three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
. The song also peaked at number three on the U.S. Adult Top 40. But had topped the charts in New Zealand
(Morissette's first number one) and Canada
. A accompanying music video
was released in 2002 for the single.
voice of the song alternates; in the verses and bridge, an older man talks to a younger lover, whereas the chorus has the woman reminiscing about that past relationship. She reportedly said in an interview to US Weekly
that the song is about an affair she had with a man when she was 14.
An acoustic
version of "Hands Clean" was released as a B-side
to "Precious Illusions
", the album's second single, and included on the Under Rug Swept rarities collection Feast on Scraps
.
"Hands Clean" is a "breezy" pop rock
track, which is a more slower and describe as a lighter version on "You Oughta Know". The song voice vocal range goes from G3# to B4# chords, while the guitar chords go from B1# to C5#.
. He also compared the lyrics and production to her earlier hit "You Oughta Know
". Stephen Thompson from The A.V. Club
gave it a mixed review. He said that Hands Clean was "so typically unambiguous". But did say the track is "infectious enough to surpass the direst moment of Under Rug Swept". As well as Entertainment Weekly
, the had compared the track to "You Oughta Know", saying "'Hands Clean' could be the sequel to [You Oughta Know]".
NME
had gave it a more average mixed reivew, but later finished in a positive review saying "A tolerable enough tune, mind, for those who think their chocolate craving says something poignant about their inner selves." Rob Mitchum joked saying "By assuming Coulier's voice and singing lecherous lines like, "Just make sure you don't tell on me, especially to the members of your family," and, "I might want to marry you one day if you'd watch that weight and keep your firm body," Morissette must be making Coulier very uncomfortable wherever he is today." Nikki Tranter from Popmatters
had expressed comparisons to the lyrical content from Morissette's songs "Plastic" and "Jealous", from her first album Alanis
. She said "they discuss male weaknesses and the effects that surrounding groups such as family, friends and exes can have on a relationship."
and number three on the Adult Top 40 in the United States. The song debuted at number twelve on the UK Singles Chart
, where it peaked there, but failed to go further, staying in the charts for seven weeks.
The song had debuted at number nine on the Australian Singles Chart, her highest since "Ironic
", but peaked there, staying in the charts for thirteen weeks. The song had debuted at number forty-eight on the New Zealand Singles Chart. It became unsuccessful after ten weeks, but when it landed at number thirty, the next week went to number one, becoming not just Morissette's first number one, but the months biggest jump in 2002. The song also received gold
by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ). The song had debuted at number three in Italy
and stayed in the charts for nine weeks. The song debuted at number sixty-six on the French Singles Chart, staying in the charts for ten weeks. The song had peaked at number seven in Norway
, number five in Germany
and number twelve in Austria
.
directed its music video
. It was televised and broadcasted for the single's worldwide release.
The video begins with Alanis sitting in a sushi bar when she spies Chris as he enters. She takes a moment to reflect upon her time with him, which, from the look on her face, was not so good. We see Alanis's memories played out on a television screen, and so the process begins, recorded for public viewing and re-viewing. We see her writing about the relationship, guitar in hand, creating a song which she then records and takes to a record producer, who presses it as a CD. She is soon posing for the CD sleeve photograph and shooting a video, which is played all over the world, just as the CD is being shipped across oceans, in order to be put on display at hip record stores, where it is snapped up by many eager hands. At the video's conclusion, set a year after its beginning, Morissette again sees her former boyfriend enter the same sushi bar. Through her song, and the process of it becoming a hit and then a memory, she has come to terms with her past relationship. On seeing the ex this second time, she is able to move on: before departing the restaurant, she picks up a napkin and wipes her hands clean.
.com.
(242432)
UK CD 2
EU maxi-single
(42433)
US CD single
(574CD2)
The album version has a repeat of the chorus before an instrumental solo plays until the end, while the radio edit only plays the chorus once at the end before the instrumental solo.
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
for her fifth studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
Under Rug Swept
Under Rug Swept
Under Rug Swept is the fifth album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. Released by Maverick Records in the United States on February 26, 2002 and in the United Kingdom a day earlier , it was the first album Morissette had written and produced on her own...
(2002). It was released as the lead single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
of the album. The song was written and produced by Morissette herself. She reportedly said in an interview to US Weekly
Us Weekly
Us Weekly is a celebrity gossip magazine, founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986. The publication covers topics ranging from celebrity relationships to the latest trends in fashion, beauty, and entertainment...
that the song is about an affair she had with a man when she was 14.
The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, which some immediately chose the track as a album standout. "Hands Clean" did well through the charts. The song peaked at number twenty-three on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The song also peaked at number three on the U.S. Adult Top 40. But had topped the charts in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(Morissette's first number one) and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. A accompanying music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was released in 2002 for the single.
Background
The narrativeNarrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
voice of the song alternates; in the verses and bridge, an older man talks to a younger lover, whereas the chorus has the woman reminiscing about that past relationship. She reportedly said in an interview to US Weekly
Us Weekly
Us Weekly is a celebrity gossip magazine, founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986. The publication covers topics ranging from celebrity relationships to the latest trends in fashion, beauty, and entertainment...
that the song is about an affair she had with a man when she was 14.
An acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
version of "Hands Clean" was released as a B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to "Precious Illusions
Precious Illusions
"Precious Illusions" is a song written and produced by Alanis Morissette, and recorded for her sixth album Under Rug Swept . It released as the album's second single in mid-2002 ; CD1 was released on August 5 and CD2 followed on October 29.Its lyrics describe a conflict between idealism and...
", the album's second single, and included on the Under Rug Swept rarities collection Feast on Scraps
Feast on Scraps
Feast on Scraps is an Alanis Morissette CD/DVD package released on December 10, 2002 . The DVD was filmed during a concert in Rotterdam, Netherlands and the CD contains unreleased studio tracks left off Morissette's album Under Rug Swept, which was released earlier that year...
.
"Hands Clean" is a "breezy" pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
track, which is a more slower and describe as a lighter version on "You Oughta Know". The song voice vocal range goes from G3# to B4# chords, while the guitar chords go from B1# to C5#.
Critical reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic had highlighted the song as a album highlight from Under Rug SweptUnder Rug Swept
Under Rug Swept is the fifth album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. Released by Maverick Records in the United States on February 26, 2002 and in the United Kingdom a day earlier , it was the first album Morissette had written and produced on her own...
. He also compared the lyrics and production to her earlier hit "You Oughta Know
You Oughta Know
"You Oughta Know" is a alternative rock song, which also is known for its grunge effect styles in it. The instruments held in it are guitars, electric guitars, drums and drum machine...
". Stephen Thompson from The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave it a mixed review. He said that Hands Clean was "so typically unambiguous". But did say the track is "infectious enough to surpass the direst moment of Under Rug Swept". As well as Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, the had compared the track to "You Oughta Know", saying "'Hands Clean' could be the sequel to [You Oughta Know]".
NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
had gave it a more average mixed reivew, but later finished in a positive review saying "A tolerable enough tune, mind, for those who think their chocolate craving says something poignant about their inner selves." Rob Mitchum joked saying "By assuming Coulier's voice and singing lecherous lines like, "Just make sure you don't tell on me, especially to the members of your family," and, "I might want to marry you one day if you'd watch that weight and keep your firm body," Morissette must be making Coulier very uncomfortable wherever he is today." Nikki Tranter from Popmatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
had expressed comparisons to the lyrical content from Morissette's songs "Plastic" and "Jealous", from her first album Alanis
Alanis (album)
Alanis is the debut album by Alanis Morissette, released only in Canada in April 1991 by MCA Records Canada . Morissette recorded the album with Leslie Howe, who produced her second album Now Is the Time , and it was certified platinum.- Background and recording :John Alexander, head of A&R for MCA...
. She said "they discuss male weaknesses and the effects that surrounding groups such as family, friends and exes can have on a relationship."
Chart performance
"Hands Clean" had done very well in the charts. The song peaked at number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and number three on the Adult Top 40 in the United States. The song debuted at number twelve on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, where it peaked there, but failed to go further, staying in the charts for seven weeks.
The song had debuted at number nine on the Australian Singles Chart, her highest since "Ironic
Ironic (song)
"Ironic" is a song recorded by Canadian-American singer Alanis Morissette for her third studio album Jagged Little Pill . It was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard, and was produced by him. Maverick and Warner Bros. Records released it as the album's fourth single on February 27, 1996 in CD,...
", but peaked there, staying in the charts for thirteen weeks. The song had debuted at number forty-eight on the New Zealand Singles Chart. It became unsuccessful after ten weeks, but when it landed at number thirty, the next week went to number one, becoming not just Morissette's first number one, but the months biggest jump in 2002. The song also received gold
Certification
Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit...
by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
(RIANZ). The song had debuted at number three in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and stayed in the charts for nine weeks. The song debuted at number sixty-six on the French Singles Chart, staying in the charts for ten weeks. The song had peaked at number seven in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, number five in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and number twelve in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Background and sypnosis
Francis LawrenceFrancis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. His father is a physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three...
directed its music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
. It was televised and broadcasted for the single's worldwide release.
The video begins with Alanis sitting in a sushi bar when she spies Chris as he enters. She takes a moment to reflect upon her time with him, which, from the look on her face, was not so good. We see Alanis's memories played out on a television screen, and so the process begins, recorded for public viewing and re-viewing. We see her writing about the relationship, guitar in hand, creating a song which she then records and takes to a record producer, who presses it as a CD. She is soon posing for the CD sleeve photograph and shooting a video, which is played all over the world, just as the CD is being shipped across oceans, in order to be put on display at hip record stores, where it is snapped up by many eager hands. At the video's conclusion, set a year after its beginning, Morissette again sees her former boyfriend enter the same sushi bar. Through her song, and the process of it becoming a hit and then a memory, she has come to terms with her past relationship. On seeing the ex this second time, she is able to move on: before departing the restaurant, she picks up a napkin and wipes her hands clean.
Reception
"Hands Clean" received generally good reviews from music critics, many praising it for being a short and simple video. The song has currently received 1.3 million views on youtubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.com.
Track listing
Australian CD 1 / UK CD 1(242432)
- "Hands Clean" (album version) – 4:29
- "Fear of Bliss" (non-LP track) – 4:36
- "Sister Blister" (non-LP track) – 4:10
UK CD 2
- "Hands Clean" – 4:29
- "Unprodigal Daughter" – 4:09
- "Symptoms" – 4:15
EU maxi-single
(42433)
- "Hands Clean" – 4:29
- "Awakening Americans" – 4:25
- "Unprodigal Daughter" – 4:09
- "Symptoms" – 4:15
US CD single
(574CD2)
- "Hands Clean" – 4:29
- "Awakening Americans" – 4:25
- "Symptoms" – 4:15
Official versions
- "Hands Clean" (album version) – 4:29
- "Hands Clean" (acoustic version) – 4:08
- "Hands Clean" (radio edit) – 3:50
- "Hands Clean" (sound check)
The album version has a repeat of the chorus before an instrumental solo plays until the end, while the radio edit only plays the chorus once at the end before the instrumental solo.
Charts
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA Aria An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment... ) |
9 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... ) |
12 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... Flanders) |
38 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... Wallonia) |
40 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... ) |
1 |
| Italy (FIMI) | 3 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... ) |
15 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ) | 1 |
| Norway (VG-lista VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... ) |
7 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... ) |
32 |
| Switzerland (Swiss Music Charts Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... ) |
5 |
| United Kingdom (The Official Chart Company) | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
23 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Pop Songs Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart... |
19 |