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.
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Look up you're in Cleveland again
A solid line that never ends
I got stories that you'll never believe
And I know it, I wear it, I wear it on my sleeve
There must be something about you that I liked
But right here in the rain, you know, it just don't seem right
I always go out, I never hide
But in Cleveland I should've stayed inside
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Testify my love for you
And I know it runs deep through your body too
From the cold black top to the hot concrete
And the old tin van, it ain't so sweet
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Somewhere in America
Through the city at night
And you were far from home
But you knew it was gonna be all right
The unfortunate get preyed on by vultures' eyes
Eighty-six cents in these pockets of mine
You can take my money, you can take my time
But you can't take my heart, it's in the city behind
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Look up you're in Cleveland again
A solid line that never ends
I got stories that you'll never believe
And I know it, I wear it, I wear it on my sleeve
There must be something about you that I liked
But right here in the rain, you know, it just don't seem right
I always go out, I never hide
But in Cleveland I should've stayed inside
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Testify my love for you
And I know it runs deep through your body too
From the cold black top to the hot concrete
And the old tin van, it ain't so sweet
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Somewhere in America
Through the city at night
And you were far from home
But you knew it was gonna be all right
The unfortunate get preyed on by vultures' eyes
Eighty-six cents in these pockets of mine
You can take my money, you can take my time
But you can't take my heart, it's in the city behind
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
Good morning heartache
You're like an old friend
Come and see me again
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This is one of my favourite if not my favourite rancid song i love them all hardcore or soft from disgruntled to Time bomb but when i first heard this i fell in live with it , at the time i fancied this girl and you know last thing you think of before you go to sleep first when you wake that first line did it for me 'good mornin heartache your like an old friend come and see me again' Anywho i think it's about tim playing in cleaveland and liking this girl but she treats him bad i.e the last verse 'you take my money and you can take my time' etc but thats what i think you guys may know different but hey we all know rancid rule.