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.
We can do anything that we want, we can, we can,
we can, we can do anything that we want
Why you gotta play that song so loud?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why you always run around in crowds?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d'you always have to dance all night?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d' you always say what's on your mind?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Don't try to tell me
What I already know
Don't critisize me
'Cos I'm running this show
Some revolution
Is going to happen today
I'm gonna chase the dark clouds away
Come on and help me sing it
We can do what we want to do
We can do anything
Free to be who we want to be
Just tell yourself you can do it!
Why you gotta play that song so loud?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why you always run around in crowds?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d'you always have to dance all night?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d' you always say what's on your mind?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
I'll throw a party
For the world and my friends
We'll take life easy
The music never ends
Perfect solution
To the stress and the strain
I know the sun will follow the rain
Come on and help me sing it
We can do what we want to do
We can do anything
Free to be who we want to be
Just tell yourself you can do it
Why you gotta play that song so loud?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why you always run around in crowds?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d'you always have to dance all night?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d' you always say what's on your mind?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
We can do anything that we want, we can, we can,
we can, we can do anything that we want
So shake it, move it, use the groove
Go with the flow and take over the show
Let me tell you it's sweet and it's an up-beat
Me and the crew, there's nothing we can do
If you wanna catch this vibe then get with us
Come on and help me sing it
We can do what we want to do
We can do anything
Free to be who we want to be
Just tell yourself you can do it
Why you gotta play that song so loud?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why you always run around in crowds?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d'you always have to dance all night?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d' you always say what's on your mind?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Repeat Chorus
we can, we can do anything that we want
Why you gotta play that song so loud?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why you always run around in crowds?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d'you always have to dance all night?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d' you always say what's on your mind?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Don't try to tell me
What I already know
Don't critisize me
'Cos I'm running this show
Some revolution
Is going to happen today
I'm gonna chase the dark clouds away
Come on and help me sing it
We can do what we want to do
We can do anything
Free to be who we want to be
Just tell yourself you can do it!
Why you gotta play that song so loud?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why you always run around in crowds?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d'you always have to dance all night?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d' you always say what's on your mind?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
I'll throw a party
For the world and my friends
We'll take life easy
The music never ends
Perfect solution
To the stress and the strain
I know the sun will follow the rain
Come on and help me sing it
We can do what we want to do
We can do anything
Free to be who we want to be
Just tell yourself you can do it
Why you gotta play that song so loud?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why you always run around in crowds?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d'you always have to dance all night?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d' you always say what's on your mind?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
We can do anything that we want, we can, we can,
we can, we can do anything that we want
So shake it, move it, use the groove
Go with the flow and take over the show
Let me tell you it's sweet and it's an up-beat
Me and the crew, there's nothing we can do
If you wanna catch this vibe then get with us
Come on and help me sing it
We can do what we want to do
We can do anything
Free to be who we want to be
Just tell yourself you can do it
Why you gotta play that song so loud?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why you always run around in crowds?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d'you always have to dance all night?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Why d' you always say what's on your mind?
Because we want to! Because we want to!
Repeat Chorus
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Love in a Vacuum
'Til Tuesday
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Jesse with the long hair....
Robert Earl Keen, Jr.
Robert Earl Keen, Jr.
Classic love story true to his western tx roots. One of my favorites as a story, but I think there are alot of songs that are amazing not even listed on this site. I guess I should figure out how to add them, because I have about 8 REK cd's.
Corpse I Fell In Love With
Gadjits, The
Gadjits, The
He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
The Spy
Doors, The
Doors, The
Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
when rules change
Life in Your Way
Life in Your Way
High life
i cant beleive this song has no comments! it an awesome song! come on brits start commenting! billie rox!