# my mom’s angry playlist has two songs and no skips

- Link: https://tacobout.online/2026/09/20/moms-angry-playlist-alanis-elton-john/
- Published: 2026-09-20T11:00:00-05:00
- Author: schwegler

i started making a playlist of songs my mom used to listen to when she got pissed
off, and so far it has two entries: “The Bitch Is Back” and “You Oughta Know.”

a short playlist. a clear position.

> making a playlist of songs my mom used to listen to when she would get pissed 
> off about something and so far it's just- The Bitch is Back- You Oughta Know
> — [schweg, (@schwegler.lol)](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:djguxreovfe4bkm7sizg2kxk?ref_src=embed)
> [2026-09-16T14:13:20.451Z](https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:djguxreovfe4bkm7sizg2kxk/post/3mvnd4jjrik2s?ref_src=embed)

somebody replied that “You Oughta Know” had been their big breakup song and that
i was making them feel old. my mom was born in 1961. she was simply a big fan of
angry power walking to _Jagged Little Pill_. the album had applications beyond its
original target demographic.

![Jagged Little Pill album cover, with layered photographs of Alanis Morissette 
against a green background.](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/
2026/09/music-jagged.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)

i love that this is a detail i get to keep about her. not a grand statement about
what she taught me, or a polished anecdote with a meaningful ending. just my mom
being pissed off and putting on Alanis. extremely recognizable. no additional explanation
necessary.

## sometimes the song should also be mad

[“You Oughta Know”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPcyTyilmYY) does not arrive
with a calming suggestion. it gets directly into being furious and stays there long
enough to make a point. i can understand why someone would want that in her ears
while walking with purpose.

there’s a kind of relief in a song that doesn’t ask you to be the reasonable person
yet. maybe you will be reasonable later. perhaps there is a perfectly good explanation.
for the next few minutes, however, Alanis is available to argue.

and then there’s Elton.

![Caribou album cover: Elton John in a tiger-striped shirt and dark trousers against
a blue mountain backdrop.](https://i0.wp.com/tacobout.online/wp-content/uploads/
2026/09/music-caribou.jpg?resize=320%2C320&ssl=1)

“The Bitch Is Back” has a different kind of swagger. even the title announces that
we have moved past the discussion portion of the afternoon. i appreciate the confidence
of a song that introduces itself like somebody has been waiting nervously for its
return.

those two songs together tell me more about the playlist i want than padding it 
out to a respectable length would. i’m remembering what she actually listened to.
i don’t need to manufacture a definitive thirty-track portrait of her because an
app has space for more tracks.

## she gets to be funny in the memory, too

i’ve written about [using playlists to say things](https://tacobout.online/2026/09/15/playlists-are-emails-without-reply/).
this one is a little different. i’m not trying to send a carefully coded message.
i’m trying to hang on to a detail that makes me hear her as a person.

when you miss someone, there’s a temptation to make every memory gentle enough to
put on a sympathy card. but i don’t only miss an abstract, saintly version of my
mother. i miss a specific woman who could be annoyed, funny, and ready to put on
a song about it.

the angry power walking belongs in the record. so does the fact that remembering
it makes me laugh.

i might remember another song later. for now, two is enough. you could put this 
playlist on repeat and have a very efficient disagreement with the entire neighborhood.

Featured image: livepict.com / [source](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alanis_Morissette_at_Espacio_Movistar_1.jpg).
[CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0).