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.
Come you ladies and you gentlemen, a-listen to my song.
Sing it to you right, but you might think it's wrong.
Just a little glimpse of a story I'll tell
'Bout an east coast city that you all know well.
It's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
Old new york city is a friendly old town,
From Washington heights to Harlem on down.
There's a-mighty many people all millin' all around,
They'll kick you when you're up and knock you when you're down.
It's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
It's a mighty long ways from the Golden Gate
To Rockefeller plaza n' the Empire State.
Mister Rockefeller sets up as high as a bird,
Old mister empire never says a word.
It's hard times from the country,
Livin' down in New York town.
Well, it's up in the mornin' tryin' to fins a job of work.
Stand in one place till your feet begin to hurt.
If you go a lot o' money you can make yourself merry,
If you only got a nickel, it's the Staten island ferry.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
Mister Hudson come a-sailin' down the stream
And old Mister Minuet paid for his dream.
Bought your city on a one-way track,
If I had my way I'd sell it right back.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
I'll take all the smog in California
'N every bit of dust in the Oklahoma plains,
'N the dirt in the caves of the Rocky Mountain mines.
It's all much cleaner than the New York kind.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
So all you newsy people, spreadin' the news around,
You see'n listen to m' story, listen to m' song.
You see'n step on my name, you see'n try 'n' get me beat,
When I leave New York, I'll be standin' on my feet.
Hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
Sing it to you right, but you might think it's wrong.
Just a little glimpse of a story I'll tell
'Bout an east coast city that you all know well.
It's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
Old new york city is a friendly old town,
From Washington heights to Harlem on down.
There's a-mighty many people all millin' all around,
They'll kick you when you're up and knock you when you're down.
It's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
It's a mighty long ways from the Golden Gate
To Rockefeller plaza n' the Empire State.
Mister Rockefeller sets up as high as a bird,
Old mister empire never says a word.
It's hard times from the country,
Livin' down in New York town.
Well, it's up in the mornin' tryin' to fins a job of work.
Stand in one place till your feet begin to hurt.
If you go a lot o' money you can make yourself merry,
If you only got a nickel, it's the Staten island ferry.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
Mister Hudson come a-sailin' down the stream
And old Mister Minuet paid for his dream.
Bought your city on a one-way track,
If I had my way I'd sell it right back.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
I'll take all the smog in California
'N every bit of dust in the Oklahoma plains,
'N the dirt in the caves of the Rocky Mountain mines.
It's all much cleaner than the New York kind.
And it's hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
So all you newsy people, spreadin' the news around,
You see'n listen to m' story, listen to m' song.
You see'n step on my name, you see'n try 'n' get me beat,
When I leave New York, I'll be standin' on my feet.
Hard times in the city,
Livin' down in New York town.
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"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
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This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
It is quiet interesting how in his early period Bob interpeted/borrowed/stole folk songs. This song was taken from Gid Tanner and Riley Pucket's "On Tanner's Farm". This song can be found on the great old timey compilation: "Ragged but Right: Great Country String Band's of the 1930's".
Here are the lyrics, taken from Flashlyrics.com
On Tanner's Farm
Come you ladies and gentlemen listen to my song I'll sing it to you right, but you might think it's wrong May make you mad, but I mean no harm It's just about the renters on Tanner's farm It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm
You move out on Tanner's farm Plant a little crop of 'bacco and little crop of corn Come around and see you gonna flit and flot 'Til you get yourself a mortgage on-a everything you got It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm
Hasn't Tanner got a flattering mouth Move you to the country in a little log house Got no windows, put the cracks in the wall He'll work you all summer and he'll rob you in the fall It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm
You go in the fields you'll work all day Way after night but you get no pay Promise to meat or a little bucket lard It's so hard to be a renter on Tanner's farm It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm 5)
Here's Tanner he'll come in town With his wagon load of peaches, not-a one of them sound Got to have his money or somebody's check Pay him for a bushel and you don't get a peck It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm
Tanner's renters, they'll come into town With their hands in their pockets and their head hanging down Go in the store and the merchant will say "Your mortgage is due and I'm looking for my pay" It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm
Down in his pocket with a trembling hand "Can't pay you all but I'll pay you what I can" Then to the telephone the merchant'll make a call He'll put you on the chain gang [if you] don't pay it all It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm
Tanner's renters, they'll come into town With their hands in their pockets and their head hanging down Go in the store and the merchant will say "Your mortgage is due and I'm looking for my pay" It's a-hard times in the country Out on Tanner's farm