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Then there's ''I Have Seen the Rain,'' written by her father, James Moore, while serving in Vietnam. A duet between Pink and her dad, the tune closes the album (as a hidden track). ''It was the first song I ever learned,'' says Pink. ''I used to tell him three things: I'm going to be famous, we're going to record this song, and I'm going to buy you a motor home. Every Christmas card, I wrote, 'Motor home's coming soon.''' Of course, Pink did become famous, and now she has recorded her father's song. Which just leaves the motor home... ''He doesn't want it anymore!'' she says, unleashing a cackle that punctuates roughly half of everything she says. ''I'm like, What kind of s--- is that? I have to complete the dream. It's not about you. Ha!''

But LaFace's biggest worry was something they didn't hear: a song strong enough to release as a first single. Pink's pick had always been ''Stupid Girls,'' but label execs disagreed. Instead, they suggested that perhaps, pretty please, she might team up with Swedish pop overlord Max Martin (Britney Spears' ''...Baby One More Time'') to work on some more tunes. ''Yeah, that was the record company's idea,'' says Pink. ''That was their one idea!''

LaFace loved one of the new Martin-produced songs, ''U+UR Hand,'' and pegged it as the single. But Pink resisted, still pushing ''Stupid Girls.'' ''She was always gung ho that it should be the first single,'' says Barry Weiss, president of LaFace's corporate parent, the Zomba Label Group. ''It became — I don't want to say an argument, but...a discussion.'' LaFace decided to shoot two videos and then make the call. ''When we saw 'Stupid Girls' we all said, How do you not go with this as an opener?'' says Weiss. Smart move: The clip instantly garnered a huge response — except from the people it mocked. ''I never heard from any of them,'' says Pink. ''But before the video came out we heard from a couple of publicists. Just 'Call me back right now, I want an advance copy of this thing.''' And were said publicists sent copies? ''No!'' snorts Pink.

As entertaining as the single is, there's actually a serious message behind it. ''It's not about attacking anybody specifically,'' says Dave Meyers, who directed the video. ''If anything, I hope this song gives a Jessica or a Paris the strength to go out and say what's really on their minds. They're interesting people. It's just that, when it's time to create an image for them, it's, like, 'Oh, they've got a hot body. Let's dress them in nothing.''' As Pink puts it, ''None of these girls are stupid. They've dumbed themselves down to be cute. I just feel like one image is being force-fed down people's throats. There's a lot of smart women. There's a lot of smart girls. Who is representing them?''

Later that afternoon, back at her hotel, Pink alternates between doing European interviews and expressing concern for this reporter's jet lag. ''My advice to you is to start drinking,'' she says, and, from the glint in her eye, it is clear that she isn't suggesting a glass of Perrier. Despite her exhausting itinerary, Pink is excellent company. She's friendly, witty, and smart enough to know that she can always be smarter. (Her current reads include Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Ariel Levy's feminist-inclined book Female ChauvinistPigs.)


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