Well, in my opinion this song is about being a young & maybe a little naive &/or introverted girl and finding yourself loving a man who is at first very charming, carefree & outgoing, and seems at first to be without limits, as in
"There was a time
you opened up every doorway
you didn't mind if everything
wasn't your way"
then that man starts to gradually become more introverted & shows their more possessive/obsessive side to you as the relationship progresses, even while they keep up the appearance of being carefree & outgoing to everyone else,
"Don't pull away
that goes against what you told me
I look in your eyes
I realize what you've sold me
is love in a vacuum"
so you confront them about the way they're acting and of course they deny it,
"I think you've changed
but you insist that
that's not true"
quite possibly they are an addict of some sort, my guess would be cocaine, &/or showing very obsessive behavior towards you (early on in the video for this song we see the man hanging a picture up, it is a very large portrait of Aimee & it is prominently displayed in his/their apartment for the duration of the song), thus their "love in a vacuum",
"You look so strange, so distant
that you're hardly you
Now I can see
how you have been acting different
You say it's me
but I know
that it isn't
it's love in a vacuum"
but still you are in love with them and don't want to leave them and you know that they are truly in love with you and they don't want you to leave them either, maybe they are convinced you can save them from themself, maybe they are so broken that the possibility of an overdose &/or suicide attempt is very real and you want to get through to them that their behavior not only dangerous but it is also just pissing you off and if they don't wise up they run the risk of loosing you, as in the lines
"You will be lonely
if you leave me alone", so you want to save them but can't get through to them due to the addiction &/or emotional problems they have,
"Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
love in a vacuum
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
You will be lonely
if you leave me alone
You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough"
you want them to understand that the love they are giving you is not enough when it is filtered through the vacuum of their drug addiction &/or emotional impairment,
"You will be lonely
you'll be the only one who feels this way
it's just not enough
and just wait
you will be lonely
Love in a vacuum
Love in a vacuum
and that's not enough
Love in a vacuum".
'Love In A Vacuum' for me is a hauntingly truthful acute argument on the loneliness of obsession and almost inevitable loss of love that follows people who are broken in some way or another; the obsessives, the coke heads, the drunks, addicts or the just-plain-old emotionally broken; a razor sharp, lyrically driven, deceptively poppy, yet ultimately-depressing-in-the-best-way song.
Quintessential Aimee Mann.
It's time the tale were told
Of how you took a child
And you made him old
It's time the tale were told
Of how you took a child
And you made him old
You made him old
Reel around the fountain
Slap me on the patio
I'll take it now
Oh
Fifteen minutes with you
Well, I wouldn't say no
Oh, people said that you were virtually dead
And they were so wrong
Fifteen minutes with you
Oh, I wouldn't say no
Oh, people said that you were easily led
And they were half-right
Oh, they, oh, they were half-right, oh
It's time the tale were told
Of how you took a child
And you made him old
It's time that the tale were told
Of how you took a child
And you made him old
You made him old
Oh, reel around the fountain
Slap me on the patio
I'll take it now
Ah, oh
Fifteen minutes with you
Oh, I wouldn't say no
Oh, people see no worth in you
Oh, but I do
Fifteen minutes with you
Oh, I wouldn't say no
Oh, people see no worth in you
I do
Oh, I, oh, I do
Oh
I dreamt about you last night
And I fell out of bed twice
You can pin and mount me like a butterfly
But, "Take me to the haven of your bed"
Was something that you never said
Two lumps, please
You're the bee's knees but so am I
Oh, meet me at the fountain
Shove me on the patio
I'll take it slowly
Oh
Fifteen minutes with you
Oh, I wouldn't say no
Oh, people see no worth in you
Oh, but I do
Fifteen minutes with you
Oh, I wouldn't say no
Oh, people see no worth in you
I do
Oh, I, I do
Oh, I do
Oh, I do
Oh, I do
Of how you took a child
And you made him old
It's time the tale were told
Of how you took a child
And you made him old
You made him old
Reel around the fountain
Slap me on the patio
I'll take it now
Oh
Fifteen minutes with you
Well, I wouldn't say no
Oh, people said that you were virtually dead
And they were so wrong
Fifteen minutes with you
Oh, I wouldn't say no
Oh, people said that you were easily led
And they were half-right
Oh, they, oh, they were half-right, oh
It's time the tale were told
Of how you took a child
And you made him old
It's time that the tale were told
Of how you took a child
And you made him old
You made him old
Oh, reel around the fountain
Slap me on the patio
I'll take it now
Ah, oh
Fifteen minutes with you
Oh, I wouldn't say no
Oh, people see no worth in you
Oh, but I do
Fifteen minutes with you
Oh, I wouldn't say no
Oh, people see no worth in you
I do
Oh, I, oh, I do
Oh
I dreamt about you last night
And I fell out of bed twice
You can pin and mount me like a butterfly
But, "Take me to the haven of your bed"
Was something that you never said
Two lumps, please
You're the bee's knees but so am I
Oh, meet me at the fountain
Shove me on the patio
I'll take it slowly
Oh
Fifteen minutes with you
Oh, I wouldn't say no
Oh, people see no worth in you
Oh, but I do
Fifteen minutes with you
Oh, I wouldn't say no
Oh, people see no worth in you
I do
Oh, I, I do
Oh, I do
Oh, I do
Oh, I do
Lyrics submitted by Idan, edited by Mellow_Harsher, Zirconiferous
Reel Around the Fountain Lyrics as written by Johnny Marr Steven Morrissey
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Love in a Vacuum
'Til Tuesday
'Til Tuesday
Siberian Kiss
Glassjaw
Glassjaw
its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
Spirit Within
Bertoldi Brothers
Bertoldi Brothers
Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
when rules change
Life in Your Way
Life in Your Way
High life
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
I think it's pretty clearly a child singing about a much older man molesting him. "People said you were virtually dead, but they were so wrong!" I honestly don't see another reasonable maning.