Alanis

Offspring the Third, to Beloved Husband: "Mom's listening to depressing music. I think you'd better ask her what's up." 

Ah, Offspring the Third.  You have learned to try to assess a person's mood by their music.  That is a valuable skill that will take you far.

Let's evaluate the song in question, shall we?  Alanis Morissette's That I Would Be Good. It's a quiet, sparse song; the focus is on the lyrics and the voice, with simple accompaniment. It's not a song one would play when one felt like dancing, certainly.  I can understand why Offspring the Third would classify it as a "depressing" song.

Nevertheless, I find it to be a hopeful piece:  half wish, half affirmation, it speaks of still having value to someone else, even in the face of difficulty: 

that I would be loved even when I numb myself
that I would be good even when I am overwhelmed
that I would be loved even when I was fuming
that I would be good even if I was clingy

Indeed. 

We're developing quite a fondness for Alanis Morissette.  We first became familiar with her music in the mid 1990s when her album Jagged Little Pill was released.  It included the very hostile You Oughta Know, a great song for angry moments.  Her music has mellowed and turned inward a bit over the years, exploring self-doubt (So Unsexy), as well as cheerfully falling in love (Head Over Feet).  She speaks of caring without generating an obligation in return in You Owe Me Nothing - a song that, though some may find sarcastic, Herself takes literally. It reminds her that although she knows individuals who attach strings to everything, she herself wants to -- and tries to -- move through her life and interact with other people without expecting any particular return for any act performed or kindness delivered.

Alanis Morissette also shows a tremendous sense of humor.  She slyly pokes fun at an appalling pop song (My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas) that extolled the virtues of using one's feminine assets for material gain, by spinning it into her own sarcastic ballad. And, of course, there is her wonderful appearance as God in the film, Dogma.  Without a single word, she shows God to be loving, forgiving, and playful.  Just as one might wish God to be. Outstanding.