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.
Got a feelin', feelin' in your eyes
Got a fever, fever, fever in your thighs
In your thighs
Mary, Mary, Mary by my side
Got a Tommy glove - the kind you cannot buy
Cannot buy
Black boots, strong legs, got style
My baby knows the walk, you see her come for miles
Come for miles
Want to find out what you're saying
Want to play the games you're playing
[Chorus:]
Mary, Mary on my mind
Oh, get back, sugar baby
Mary, Mary on my mind
Oh, get back, sugar baby
Mary, Mary on my mind, oh
A modern lover of the modern kind
When we close the door, we're never out of time
Out of time
Black hair, red lips, brown eyes
Can't tell how it feels that you're mine, all mine
Mine, all mine
Want to find out what you're saying
Want to play the games you're playing
[Chorus]
Baby, baby, baby's on my mind
When we close the door, we're never out of time
Out of time
I want to play the games you're playing
Mary, Mary on my mind
Oh, get back, sugar baby
Mary, Mary on my mind
Oh, get back, sugar baby
Mary, Mary on my mind
Oh, get back, sugar baby
Mary, Mary on my mind
Oh, get back, sugar baby
Mary, Mary on my mind, oh
Come on down, now
Get on down, now
Come on down, now
Come on down, now
Get on down, now
Come on down, now
Get on down, now
Get on down, get on down, get on down, get on down
Come on down, now
Get on down, now
Come on down, get on down, get on down, get on down, get on down
Got a fever, fever, fever in your thighs
In your thighs
Mary, Mary, Mary by my side
Got a Tommy glove - the kind you cannot buy
Cannot buy
Black boots, strong legs, got style
My baby knows the walk, you see her come for miles
Come for miles
Want to find out what you're saying
Want to play the games you're playing
[Chorus:]
Mary, Mary on my mind
Oh, get back, sugar baby
Mary, Mary on my mind
Oh, get back, sugar baby
Mary, Mary on my mind, oh
A modern lover of the modern kind
When we close the door, we're never out of time
Out of time
Black hair, red lips, brown eyes
Can't tell how it feels that you're mine, all mine
Mine, all mine
Want to find out what you're saying
Want to play the games you're playing
[Chorus]
Baby, baby, baby's on my mind
When we close the door, we're never out of time
Out of time
I want to play the games you're playing
Mary, Mary on my mind
Oh, get back, sugar baby
Mary, Mary on my mind
Oh, get back, sugar baby
Mary, Mary on my mind
Oh, get back, sugar baby
Mary, Mary on my mind
Oh, get back, sugar baby
Mary, Mary on my mind, oh
Come on down, now
Get on down, now
Come on down, now
Come on down, now
Get on down, now
Come on down, now
Get on down, now
Get on down, get on down, get on down, get on down
Come on down, now
Get on down, now
Come on down, get on down, get on down, get on down, get on down
Lyrics submitted by classic_rocker8
Mary Mary Lyrics as written by Duff Rose Mc Kagan David G Kushner
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
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.
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There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
This (along with every other song on Libertard) is BLOODY WICKED.