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.
Oh oh oh
Oh I don't know, I don't know, oh, where to begin
We are North Americans
And for those of you who still think we're from England
We're not, no
We build our planes and our trains till we think we might die
Far from North America
Where the buildings are old and you might have lots of mimes
Aha, oh, oh
I hate the feelin' when you're looking at me that way
'Cause we're North Americans
But if we act all shy, it'll make it okay
Makes it go away
Oh I don't know, I don't know, oh, where to begin
When we're North American
But in the end we make the same mistakes all over again
Come on North Americans
We are North American scum
We're from North America
And all the kids all the kids that want to make the scene
Here in North America
When our young kids get to read it in your magazines
We don't have those
So where's the love where's the love where's the
Love where's the love where's the love tonight?
But there's no love man there's no love and the kids are uptight
So throw a party till the cops come in and bust it up
Let's go North Americans
Oh you were planning it I didn't mean to interrupt
Sorry
I did it once and my parents got pretty upset
Freaked out in North America
But then I said the more I do it the better it gets
Let's rock North America
We are North American scum
We're from North America
We are North American scum
We are North American
New York's the greatest if you get someone to pay the rent
Wahoo North America
And it's the furthest you can live from the government un huh huh
Some proud American Christians might disagree
Here in North America
But New York's the only place we're keepin' them off the street
Boo boo now we can't have parties like in Spain where they go all night
Shut down in North America
Or like Berlin where they go another night, alright, un huh un huh
You see I love this place that I have grown to know
Alright, North America
And yeah, I know you wouldn't touch us with a ten-foot pole
'Cause we're North Americans
We are North American scum
We are North Americans
We are North American scum
We love North America
Take me back to the states man
North American scum
Where we can be all we want if we really
North American
Where the DJ gigs are as fun
Here in North American scum
Don't blame the Canadians
Let go North America
Oh I don't know, I don't know, oh, where to begin
We are North Americans
And for those of you who still think we're from England
We're not, no
We build our planes and our trains till we think we might die
Far from North America
Where the buildings are old and you might have lots of mimes
Aha, oh, oh
I hate the feelin' when you're looking at me that way
'Cause we're North Americans
But if we act all shy, it'll make it okay
Makes it go away
Oh I don't know, I don't know, oh, where to begin
When we're North American
But in the end we make the same mistakes all over again
Come on North Americans
We are North American scum
We're from North America
And all the kids all the kids that want to make the scene
Here in North America
When our young kids get to read it in your magazines
We don't have those
So where's the love where's the love where's the
Love where's the love where's the love tonight?
But there's no love man there's no love and the kids are uptight
So throw a party till the cops come in and bust it up
Let's go North Americans
Oh you were planning it I didn't mean to interrupt
Sorry
I did it once and my parents got pretty upset
Freaked out in North America
But then I said the more I do it the better it gets
Let's rock North America
We are North American scum
We're from North America
We are North American scum
We are North American
New York's the greatest if you get someone to pay the rent
Wahoo North America
And it's the furthest you can live from the government un huh huh
Some proud American Christians might disagree
Here in North America
But New York's the only place we're keepin' them off the street
Boo boo now we can't have parties like in Spain where they go all night
Shut down in North America
Or like Berlin where they go another night, alright, un huh un huh
You see I love this place that I have grown to know
Alright, North America
And yeah, I know you wouldn't touch us with a ten-foot pole
'Cause we're North Americans
We are North American scum
We are North Americans
We are North American scum
We love North America
Take me back to the states man
North American scum
Where we can be all we want if we really
North American
Where the DJ gigs are as fun
Here in North American scum
Don't blame the Canadians
Let go North America
Lyrics submitted by cheeseface2000
North American Scum Lyrics as written by James Jeremiah Murphy
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
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Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I want to go to America, but it is a bit scummy. Then again, so is the UK. Probably on much the same level.
If you ever watch those programs about people who are mental, sick, twisted or complete cunts, its filmed in America - Check out Louis Theroux's documentaries on YouTube.
You are the kind of person this song was written about. Europeans who generalize that all Americans are a certain way based on what they hear in the news or see on TV. We're not all bad lol.
That's because it's what gets ratings and, therefore, what gets filmed. If you think that what is put on television is any kind of valid source or representation of a person, place or thing then you are the one that is mental.