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.
I'm sittin' in my room,
I'm starin' out my window
And I wonder where you've gone
Thinking back on the happy hours just before the dawn
Outside the wind is blowin'
It seems to call your name again
Where have you gone
City streets and lonely highways
I travel down
My car is empty and the radio just seems to bring me down
I'm just tryin' to find me
A pretty smile that I can get into
It's true, I'm lost without you
Another lonely park, another Sunday
Why is it life turns out that way
Just when you think you got a good thing
It seems to slip away
It's warm outside, no clouds are in the sky
But I need a place to go and hide
I keep it to myself
I don't want nobody else
To see me cryin' all those tears in my eyes
Another park, another Sunday
Why is it life turns out that way
Just when you think you got a good thing
It seems to slip away
Another park, another Sunday
It's dark and empty thanks to you
I got to get myself together
But it's hard to do
I'm starin' out my window
And I wonder where you've gone
Thinking back on the happy hours just before the dawn
Outside the wind is blowin'
It seems to call your name again
Where have you gone
City streets and lonely highways
I travel down
My car is empty and the radio just seems to bring me down
I'm just tryin' to find me
A pretty smile that I can get into
It's true, I'm lost without you
Another lonely park, another Sunday
Why is it life turns out that way
Just when you think you got a good thing
It seems to slip away
It's warm outside, no clouds are in the sky
But I need a place to go and hide
I keep it to myself
I don't want nobody else
To see me cryin' all those tears in my eyes
Another park, another Sunday
Why is it life turns out that way
Just when you think you got a good thing
It seems to slip away
Another park, another Sunday
It's dark and empty thanks to you
I got to get myself together
But it's hard to do
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Techno Ted may be a person who caused Chris incredible emotional pain & trepidation as well as moments of peace & happiness but now is removed and awaiting his fate. Darling may be a different person who is also free of him and can live her life free of Ted's tyranny. "In between all the laughing, and daydreams ... lies: a desert of truth" Lies are like a desert or the omission of Truth: Where there were Lies then Truth was absent. The song, "Techno Ted", may be a cathartic celebration of the downfall of this person.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Tom Johnston said in an interview it was a song about a personal break up with his girlfriend. This song was released as the first single off of their album, but radio stations stopped playing it because of the line : “and the radio just seems to bring me down.” Miraculously, the DJs flipped it over and started playing the B side with a tune called “Black Water” (which was on the B side because the record company didn’t think it was a hit. On its own without promotion, the song shot to number 1 on US Billboard to become the first number one record for The Doobie Brothers and for Patrick Simmons who wrote the guitar riff between music sessions, and one of only two songs to go to number one after being released as a B side record! Wow!!! What unique history!!