"You Learn" | ||||
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U.S. and Canadian cover art
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Single by Alanis Morissette | ||||
from the album Jagged Little Pill | ||||
Released | July 9, 1996 | |||
Format | CD single | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:00 | |||
Label | Maverick | |||
Songwriter(s) | Alanis Morissette, Glen Ballard | |||
Producer(s) | Glen Ballard | |||
Alanis Morissette singles chronology | ||||
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"You Learn" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette from her third studio album, Jagged Little Pill (1995). It was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard, who also produced the entire album. Maverick and Warner Bros. Records released the song as the album's fifth single. Musically, "You Learn" is a rock-influenced song, that incorporates elements of alternative rock and contemporary pop music. The song speaks of the importance of poor decision making in life by explaining that these decisions can teach valuable lessons. The album title is taken from the lyrics of "You Learn".
The song received generally positive reviews from most music critics, many highlighting the song as an album standout. The song was a commercial success globally, only charting in North America and the Oceanic regions. A music video was shot for the single, showing Morissette walking through the streets, which could picture daily things that Morissette regrets and makes up for it, similar to the theme of the song's lyrical content.
In 1993 after leaving MCA Records Canada, Morissette moved from her home town of Ottawa to Toronto. Living alone for the first time in her life, she met with a bevy of songwriters, but she was frustrated with the results. A visit to Nashville a few months later also proved fruitless. Morissette began making trips to Los Angeles and working with as many musicians as possible, in the hopes of meeting a collaborator. During this time, she met producer and songwriter Glen Ballard. According to Ballard, the connection was "instant", and within 30 minutes of meeting each other they had begun experimenting with different sounds in Ballard's home studio in San Fernando Valley, California.
During the time of making the album and "You Learn", Morissette later revealed that during her stay in Los Angeles, she was robbed on a deserted street by a man with a gun. After the robbery, Morissette developed an intense and general angst and suffered daily panic attacks. She was hospitalized and attended psychotherapy sessions, but it didn't improve her emotional status. As Morissette later revealed in interviews, she focused all her inner problems on the soul-baring lyrics of the album for her own health. According to Morissette, Ballard was the first collaborator who encouraged her to express her emotions.