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 are the ones with the radiating eyes.
We are the ones who have a fire inside.
We are the ones only we can recognize.
We've been rejected (we've been rejected)- Suffered the ignorance,
suffered the selfishness,
been pushed so far down now comes our time to surface.
Turn from the light, that made them all go blind.
We've been protected (we've been protected)
ALL ARISE TO WHAT WE BRING,
OUTSTRETCHED HANDS,
UNFOLDED WINGS.
We've hurt ourselves,
and I feel the sting of broken hearts and burning wings...
We are the ones who have a fire inside.
We are the ones only we can recognize.
We've been rejected (we've been rejected)- Suffered the ignorance,
suffered the selfishness,
been pushed so far down now comes our time to surface.
Turn from the light, that made them all go blind.
We've been protected (we've been protected)
ALL ARISE TO WHAT WE BRING,
OUTSTRETCHED HANDS,
UNFOLDED WINGS.
We've hurt ourselves,
and I feel the sting of broken hearts and burning wings...
Lyrics submitted by oofus
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
hide away out of the light because all of them can't see anything but light, we see both. we'rethe few. and we can't be brought down because we're all ready at the bottom. that's what i think.
This song is about all the kids that were outcasts and finaly found someplace they were accepted and gained the strength they never had.
EBHC
I like this song..
I love afi.
They are so talented.. beautiful lyrics.. and davey has a beautiful voice. Good job guys..
+M+
This is one of my favorite songs on Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes, even if it is pretty short. I think the song is basically about being rejected by society but finding a different group that prefers the dark that accepts and embraces you. This is a great gathering/introduction song, and they used to open concerts with it, although now they use Strength Through Wouding or Fall Children. Anyway, this is one of my favoreit AFI songs.
Still one of my fav. intros to any cd. I love Daveys shut your mouth/Black Sails lyrical themes. He fucking rocks and so deos the whole band for that matter. I find it odd though that the old bass and guitar players kinda just fell off the face of the earth or something. OH well. Jade and Hunter rock too.
Its pretty much like saying weve seen the trends and what you could be and that we are what we are so make something of it. Theyre saying that were not really as despicable as others have labled us to be and we never did anything about it because theyre the ones who are fucking dumb and ignorant and trendy and evil and they dont see that. Only we can see our greatness. Only we can do something about the situation...thats what i think.
I think the best part of this song is that he capitalizes "We".... like they're not just a bunch of normal kids, they're a powerful important group.
This is definately one of my favorite AFI songs, ever. To me, it means something like all the outcast kids have been through suffering and humilatin but now they're better people because of it.
ive never heard this song but it like describes how i feel rite now i feel different and like i dont fit in anywhere and thats basicaly wat his song is about
"This song is about all the kids that were outcasts and finaly found someplace they were accepted and gained the strength they never had."
-agreed
It's cute... there's a lot of those AFI songs that seem to be saying "Hey, we're freaks, but at least we have each other." I'm very jealous 'cause I have no one, who'd be freak with me. All the people are just so damn normal. Where the hell are all the freaks?