After the last December 1996 show in support of her breakthrough album "Jagged Little Pill" Alanis was literally exhausted and was considering to leave the industry. She headed to India for six weeks, accompanied by her mother, two aunts and two female friends. She wrote "Thank U" after returning from a trip to India in 1997. The song expresses the heartfelt gratitude which she felt at the time. The lyrics, such as "thank you terror" and "thank you frailty," lend the song a sense lyrical reflection on cynicism, despair, personal triumph and hope.