"Hands Clean" is a pop-rock song performed by Alanis Morissette, featured on her 2002 album Under Rug Swept. It released as the album's first single on February 4, 2002.

The narrative voice of the song alternates between verses, forming a kind of dialogue between two people, which apparently chronicles a love affair that an underage Morissette had with a record executive. She reportedly said in an interview to US Weekly that the song is about an affair she had with a man who was 29 years old when she was 14. Their relationship lasted for five years..

According to another interview, given to Rex Rutkoski and published in the music magazine The Inside Connection, Alanis explained that: "I did it for the sake of my being liberated at long last. Whether you call it statutory rape or inappropriate behavior by an adult—it doesn't matter. I felt at the time I had only two choices—I pick either working with this person or not doing music at all. Hopefully some 16-year-old can think of me for even 10 milliseconds and realize they're not alone or crazy."

Some people have speculated that the relationship referenced is the same one that served as the basis for her earlier hit, "You Oughta Know".

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" did well with U.S. radio, peaking at number three on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart and number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100, and it helped Under Rug Swept go platinum in the U.S. Its music video featured a television monitor illustrating the single's presumed inspiration through its production and eventual release as a mainstream hit. It begins in a sushi bar, with Alanis seeing someone she appeared hesitant to meet. A flashback occurs to where they had met before, and shows the rejection of affection on the part of Alanis. It then follows her musical successes for the next few months until she meets with him again, older and wiser. The video features actor Chris Sarandon.

Track listing

UK CD 1

1. Hands Clean (4:29)
2. Fear of Bliss (4:36)
3. Sister Blister (4:10)

UK CD 2

1. Hands Clean (4:29)
2. Unprodigal Daughter (4:09)
3. Symptoms (4:15)

EU Maxi Single

1. Hands Clean (4:29)
2. Awakening Americans (4:25)
3. Unprodigal Daughter (4:09)
4. Symptoms (4:15)

US CD Single

1. Hands Clean (4:29)
2. Awakening Americans (4:25)
3. Symptoms (4:15)

Notes

External references

Plugged in Online