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.
Brother hold your head this way,
And bustle to the front of the line;
'cause if they catch your eyes before you get inside
Well, you'll never be allowed.
People got a name for us
'cause we escape the strain of the days
Oh we stretch at the sides and bend in the middle
But we never ever break.
But if you're feeling that way now,
Or if you ever feel so inclined -
Skip past the doors of boring forty somethings and rise.
Oh, and if you want to lose your frown,
Or your name or even your face -
Lick up a dream that seemingly sings with whistling neon breath.
Come and have a drink with us,
A little wine or a nice champagne?
Oh thanks that's nice, and I would decline,
But at night things seem to change.
People got a name for us,
'cause we escape the strain of the days -
Oh we stretch at the sides and bend in our minds
But well never ever change.
And if you're feeling that way now,
Or if you ever feel so inclined,
Well, kick in the shins of all those fucking whingers and rise.
Oh and if you want to lose your frown,
Or your name or even your face,
Lick up a dream that seemingly sings with whistling neon breath.
Sid was at the gates of dawn,
And Jimmy said ride the snake:
So we bent our spoons and howled at the moon
To find what science replaced.
And it turns out it ain't that much
Though I may have missed it in the haze -
Oh drips in the mind and fills up your eyes
But well never be the same.
(Shhh)
But if you're ever coming down,
Or if you ever take too much -
Remember that's much better than never ever getting enough.
So if your want to lose your frown,
Or your name or even your face,
Lick up a dream that seemingly screams with rushing neon death.
All your spirits gone, and you are barley alive.
You hand me a smoke, though its like you hardly notice.
And its sad I suppose - When I look into your eyes you say:
It seems to go this way, no matter what's at stake,
Oh it seems to go this way with everything I start!
(Solo)
So if you're feeling that way now,
Or if you ever feel so inclined -
Skip past the doors of boring forty somethings and rise.
Oh but if you want to loose your frown,
Or your name or even your face -
Lick up a dream that seemingly sings with rushing neon death.
And bustle to the front of the line;
'cause if they catch your eyes before you get inside
Well, you'll never be allowed.
People got a name for us
'cause we escape the strain of the days
Oh we stretch at the sides and bend in the middle
But we never ever break.
But if you're feeling that way now,
Or if you ever feel so inclined -
Skip past the doors of boring forty somethings and rise.
Oh, and if you want to lose your frown,
Or your name or even your face -
Lick up a dream that seemingly sings with whistling neon breath.
Come and have a drink with us,
A little wine or a nice champagne?
Oh thanks that's nice, and I would decline,
But at night things seem to change.
People got a name for us,
'cause we escape the strain of the days -
Oh we stretch at the sides and bend in our minds
But well never ever change.
And if you're feeling that way now,
Or if you ever feel so inclined,
Well, kick in the shins of all those fucking whingers and rise.
Oh and if you want to lose your frown,
Or your name or even your face,
Lick up a dream that seemingly sings with whistling neon breath.
Sid was at the gates of dawn,
And Jimmy said ride the snake:
So we bent our spoons and howled at the moon
To find what science replaced.
And it turns out it ain't that much
Though I may have missed it in the haze -
Oh drips in the mind and fills up your eyes
But well never be the same.
(Shhh)
But if you're ever coming down,
Or if you ever take too much -
Remember that's much better than never ever getting enough.
So if your want to lose your frown,
Or your name or even your face,
Lick up a dream that seemingly screams with rushing neon death.
All your spirits gone, and you are barley alive.
You hand me a smoke, though its like you hardly notice.
And its sad I suppose - When I look into your eyes you say:
It seems to go this way, no matter what's at stake,
Oh it seems to go this way with everything I start!
(Solo)
So if you're feeling that way now,
Or if you ever feel so inclined -
Skip past the doors of boring forty somethings and rise.
Oh but if you want to loose your frown,
Or your name or even your face -
Lick up a dream that seemingly sings with rushing neon death.
Lyrics submitted by crayola_colours
Polka Lyrics as written by Michael Tomlinson
Lyrics © DOWNTOWN MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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