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.
Can't stop, addicted to the shindig
Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunkt, the pistol that you pay for
This punk, the feelin' that you stay for
In time I want to be your best friend
East side lovers living on the West End
Knocked out, but, boy, you better come to (oh, oh-oh)
Don't die, you know the truth as some do (oh-oh)
Go write your message on the pavement (oh-oh)
Burn so bright, I wonder what the wave meant
White heat is screamin' in the jungle (oh, oh-oh)
Complete the motion if you stumble (oh-oh)
Go ask the dust for any answers (oh-oh)
Come back strong with fifty belly dancers
The world I love, the tears I drop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you?
The world I love, the trains I hop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to
Sweetheart is bleeding in the snow cone
So smart, she's leading me to ozone
Music, the great communicator
Use two sticks to make it in the nature
I'll get you into penetration
The gender of a generation
The birth of every other nation
Worth your weight, the gold of meditation
This chapter's gonna be a close one (oh, oh-oh)
Smoke rings, I know your gonna blow one (oh-oh)
All on a spaceship, persevering (oh-oh)
Use my hands for everything but steering
Can't stop the spirits when they need you (oh, oh-oh)
Mop tops are happy when they feed you (oh-oh)
J. Butterfly is in the treetop (oh-oh)
Birds that blow the meaning into bebop
The world I love, the tears I drop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you?
The world I love, the trains I hop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to
Wait a minute I'm passin' out, win or lose
Just like you
Far more shockin' than anything I ever knew
How 'bout you?
Ten more reasons why I need somebody new
Just like you
Far more shockin' than anything I ever knew
Right on cue
Can't stop, addicted to the shindig
Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunkt the pistol that you pay for (oh, oh-oh)
This punk, the feelin' that you stay for (oh-oh)
In time I want to be your best friend (oh-oh)
East side lovers living on the West End
Knocked out, but, boy, you better come to (oh, oh-oh)
Don't die, you know the truth as some do (oh-oh)
Go write your message on the pavement (oh-oh)
Burn so bright, I wonder what the wave meant
Kick start the golden generator
Sweet talk but don't intimidate her
Can't stop the gods from engineering
Feel no need for any interfering
Your image in the dictionary
This life is more than ordinary
Can I get two, maybe even three of these?
Comin' from space to teach you of the Pleiades
Can't stop the spirits when they need you
This life is more than just a read-through
Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunkt, the pistol that you pay for
This punk, the feelin' that you stay for
In time I want to be your best friend
East side lovers living on the West End
Knocked out, but, boy, you better come to (oh, oh-oh)
Don't die, you know the truth as some do (oh-oh)
Go write your message on the pavement (oh-oh)
Burn so bright, I wonder what the wave meant
White heat is screamin' in the jungle (oh, oh-oh)
Complete the motion if you stumble (oh-oh)
Go ask the dust for any answers (oh-oh)
Come back strong with fifty belly dancers
The world I love, the tears I drop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you?
The world I love, the trains I hop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to
Sweetheart is bleeding in the snow cone
So smart, she's leading me to ozone
Music, the great communicator
Use two sticks to make it in the nature
I'll get you into penetration
The gender of a generation
The birth of every other nation
Worth your weight, the gold of meditation
This chapter's gonna be a close one (oh, oh-oh)
Smoke rings, I know your gonna blow one (oh-oh)
All on a spaceship, persevering (oh-oh)
Use my hands for everything but steering
Can't stop the spirits when they need you (oh, oh-oh)
Mop tops are happy when they feed you (oh-oh)
J. Butterfly is in the treetop (oh-oh)
Birds that blow the meaning into bebop
The world I love, the tears I drop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Ever wonder if it's all for you?
The world I love, the trains I hop
To be part of the wave, can't stop
Come and tell me when it's time to
Wait a minute I'm passin' out, win or lose
Just like you
Far more shockin' than anything I ever knew
How 'bout you?
Ten more reasons why I need somebody new
Just like you
Far more shockin' than anything I ever knew
Right on cue
Can't stop, addicted to the shindig
Chop Top, he says I'm gonna win big
Choose not a life of imitation
Distant cousin to the reservation
Defunkt the pistol that you pay for (oh, oh-oh)
This punk, the feelin' that you stay for (oh-oh)
In time I want to be your best friend (oh-oh)
East side lovers living on the West End
Knocked out, but, boy, you better come to (oh, oh-oh)
Don't die, you know the truth as some do (oh-oh)
Go write your message on the pavement (oh-oh)
Burn so bright, I wonder what the wave meant
Kick start the golden generator
Sweet talk but don't intimidate her
Can't stop the gods from engineering
Feel no need for any interfering
Your image in the dictionary
This life is more than ordinary
Can I get two, maybe even three of these?
Comin' from space to teach you of the Pleiades
Can't stop the spirits when they need you
This life is more than just a read-through
Lyrics submitted by on_a_plain_11, edited by Thebeetles, crg4
Can't Stop Lyrics as written by John Anthony Frusciante Michael Peter Balzary
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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