When Alanis Morissette tried to prank New York City subway commuters with Jimmy Fallon, her ruse as a no-name performer didn’t last long, as who could mistake that one-of-a-kind voice for anyone else? The ‘90s hitmaker kicked things off by singing a folky rendition of “The Little Drummer Boy,” with Fallon playing a kid’s snare drum, and even this low-key performance started causing a stir in the crowd.
Things then went completely wild when Morissette shifted gears into her hit “You Oughta Know,” and commuters quickly came running to catch the show. The Canadian star had adults leaping up and down like little kids and singing along to every word, and well, I’m pretty sure it’s the law that when Alanis Morissette sings “You Oughta Know” in front of you, you gotta sing along. The Music Man is confident in saying that this surprise busking sesh will put a smile on your dial!
The Tonight Show’s upload of Morissette’s busking sesh proved to be quite popular on YouTube, where it drew 5.7 million views. Fans gave plenty of love below the video, adding comments such as “As soon as this disguised woman starts singing, nothing can hide her massive singing talent from being recognized. Alanis Morissette, you rock!” and “The pure happiness of the people in the crowd feeling just endlessly lucky. That for some reason makes me cry like a baby.”
Morissette has delivered many flawless live performances over the years. One of our favourites here on The Music Man is when she performed an unplugged rendition of “Head Over Feet” at The Prince’s Trust Party in the Park back in 2004. The vibe of Morissette performing the romantic ballad in this intimate format in the sunny surrounds of Hyde Park is just magical.
“You Oughta Know” was a natural choice for Morissette to perform at her busking session with Fallon, as the alt-rock anthem was her first international hit. The Canadian-born singer dropped “You Oughta Know” as the lead single from her 1995 album Jagged Little Pill, which would soon become a commercial and cultural sensation. “You Oughta Know” was Morissette’s first entry in the Canadian top 10, as well as her debut on the Australian and New Zealand charts, where it hit the top 5. This was a sign of what was to come with Morissette’s burgeoning career, as her next four singles would all top the Canadian charts, including her signature tune, “Ironic.”