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 love you and I need you
Nelly, I love you
I do need you
No matter what I do (woo)
All I think about is you (uh huh)
Even when I'm with my boo
Boy, you know I'm crazy over you
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when I'm with my boo
You know I'm crazy over you (uh, uh, uh, uh)
I met this chick and she just moved right up the block from me and uh
She got the hots for me, the finest thing my hood done seen
But oh, no, oh, no
She got a man and a son though (check it)
But that's okay 'cause I
Wait for my cue and just listen, play my position like a shortstop
Pick up everything mami hittin'
And in no time (no time)
I'm gonna make this one here mine
And that's for sure 'cause I
I never been the type to break up a happy home, but uh
There's somethin' 'bout baby girl I just can't leave alone
So tell me, Ma, what's it gonna be? She said
You don't know what you mean to me (come on)
No matter what I do (woo)
All I think about is you (uh huh)
Even when I'm with my boo
Boy, you know I'm crazy over you
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when I'm with my boo
You know I'm crazy over you
I see a lot and you look and I never say a word
I know how niggas start actin' trippin' out here about they girls
And there's no way
Nelly gon' fight over no dame (I ain't fighting' over no dame)
As you can see, but I
I like your steez, your style, your whole demeanor
The way you come through and holla and swoop me in his two-seater
Now that's gangsta
And I got special ways to thank ya
Don't you forget it, but uh
It ain't that easy for you to pack up and leave him, but uh
You and dirty got ties for different reasons
I respect that and right before I turn to leave, she said (she said, she said, she said)
You don't know what you mean to me (come on)
No matter what I do (woo)
All I think about is you
Even when I'm with my boo (yeah)
Boy, you know I'm crazy over you (put your hands up)
No matter what I do (put your hands up)
All I think about is you (yeah)
Even when I'm with my boo
You know I'm crazy over you
Sing it for me, K
And I love you (word?)
And I need you (uh)
Nelly, I love you (uh)
I do (come on, girl)
And it's more than you'll ever know
Boy, it's for sure
You can always count on my love (uh)
Forever more, yeah, yeah
East coast, I know you shakin' right (uh huh)
Down South, I know you bouncin' right (ay hey)
West coast, I know you walkin' right, 'cause (uh, uh, uh, uh)
You don't know what you mean to me (Midwest, I see you swingin' right)
No matter what I do (yeah)
All I think about is you (uh uh)
Even when I'm with my boo
Boy, you know I'm crazy over you (uh, uh, uh, yeah)
No matter what I do (yeah)
All I think about is you
Even when I'm with my boo (check it, check it, check it)
You know I'm crazy over you (check it, check it, check it)
East coast, I know you shakin' right (uh-uh)
Down South, I know you bouncin' right (uh-uh)
West coast, I know you walkin' right
You don't know what you mean to me (Midwest, I see you swingin' right)
East coast, you still shakin' right (uh-uh)
Down South, I see you bouncin' right (ay hey)
West coast, I know you walkin' right, 'cause
You don't know what you mean to me (Midwest, I see you swingin' right)
No matter what I do (woo)
All I think about is you (uh huh)
Even when I'm with my boo
Boy, you know I'm crazy over you (you know I'm, you know I'm)
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when I'm with my boo
You know I'm crazy over you (yeah yeah)
East coast, I know you shakin' right (what)
Down South, I know you bouncin' right (dirty, dirty, now)
West coast, I know you walkin' right
You don't know what you mean to me (Midwest, I see you swingin' right) (uh)
East coast, you still shakin' right (yeah)
Down South, I see you bouncin' right (dirty, dirty)
West coast, I know you walkin' right
You don't know what you mean to me (Midwest, I see you swingin' right)
Nelly, I love you
I do need you
No matter what I do (woo)
All I think about is you (uh huh)
Even when I'm with my boo
Boy, you know I'm crazy over you
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when I'm with my boo
You know I'm crazy over you (uh, uh, uh, uh)
I met this chick and she just moved right up the block from me and uh
She got the hots for me, the finest thing my hood done seen
But oh, no, oh, no
She got a man and a son though (check it)
But that's okay 'cause I
Wait for my cue and just listen, play my position like a shortstop
Pick up everything mami hittin'
And in no time (no time)
I'm gonna make this one here mine
And that's for sure 'cause I
I never been the type to break up a happy home, but uh
There's somethin' 'bout baby girl I just can't leave alone
So tell me, Ma, what's it gonna be? She said
You don't know what you mean to me (come on)
No matter what I do (woo)
All I think about is you (uh huh)
Even when I'm with my boo
Boy, you know I'm crazy over you
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when I'm with my boo
You know I'm crazy over you
I see a lot and you look and I never say a word
I know how niggas start actin' trippin' out here about they girls
And there's no way
Nelly gon' fight over no dame (I ain't fighting' over no dame)
As you can see, but I
I like your steez, your style, your whole demeanor
The way you come through and holla and swoop me in his two-seater
Now that's gangsta
And I got special ways to thank ya
Don't you forget it, but uh
It ain't that easy for you to pack up and leave him, but uh
You and dirty got ties for different reasons
I respect that and right before I turn to leave, she said (she said, she said, she said)
You don't know what you mean to me (come on)
No matter what I do (woo)
All I think about is you
Even when I'm with my boo (yeah)
Boy, you know I'm crazy over you (put your hands up)
No matter what I do (put your hands up)
All I think about is you (yeah)
Even when I'm with my boo
You know I'm crazy over you
Sing it for me, K
And I love you (word?)
And I need you (uh)
Nelly, I love you (uh)
I do (come on, girl)
And it's more than you'll ever know
Boy, it's for sure
You can always count on my love (uh)
Forever more, yeah, yeah
East coast, I know you shakin' right (uh huh)
Down South, I know you bouncin' right (ay hey)
West coast, I know you walkin' right, 'cause (uh, uh, uh, uh)
You don't know what you mean to me (Midwest, I see you swingin' right)
No matter what I do (yeah)
All I think about is you (uh uh)
Even when I'm with my boo
Boy, you know I'm crazy over you (uh, uh, uh, yeah)
No matter what I do (yeah)
All I think about is you
Even when I'm with my boo (check it, check it, check it)
You know I'm crazy over you (check it, check it, check it)
East coast, I know you shakin' right (uh-uh)
Down South, I know you bouncin' right (uh-uh)
West coast, I know you walkin' right
You don't know what you mean to me (Midwest, I see you swingin' right)
East coast, you still shakin' right (uh-uh)
Down South, I see you bouncin' right (ay hey)
West coast, I know you walkin' right, 'cause
You don't know what you mean to me (Midwest, I see you swingin' right)
No matter what I do (woo)
All I think about is you (uh huh)
Even when I'm with my boo
Boy, you know I'm crazy over you (you know I'm, you know I'm)
No matter what I do
All I think about is you
Even when I'm with my boo
You know I'm crazy over you (yeah yeah)
East coast, I know you shakin' right (what)
Down South, I know you bouncin' right (dirty, dirty, now)
West coast, I know you walkin' right
You don't know what you mean to me (Midwest, I see you swingin' right) (uh)
East coast, you still shakin' right (yeah)
Down South, I see you bouncin' right (dirty, dirty)
West coast, I know you walkin' right
You don't know what you mean to me (Midwest, I see you swingin' right)
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Baby boy I love you and I also need you