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.
Yo
Tell him, mh (ooh)
It's like, uh
You know, uh
Sweet, sweet
Sweet (tell him)
Uh
Let me be patient, let me be kind
Make me unselfish without being blind
Though I may suffer I'll envy it not
And endure what comes (uh)
'Cause he's all that I got and tell him
Tell him I need him (yeah)
Tell him I love him (tell him, yeah)
And it'll be alright (it'll be alright)
Tell him
Tell him I need him (tell him, uh)
Tell him I love him (be alright)
(Tell him I love him)
It'll be alright
Now I may have faith (I may have faith)
To make mountains fall (to make mountains fall)
But if I lack love then I am nothin' at all
I can give away (I can give away)
Everything I possess (yo, uh)
But left without love then I have no happiness
I know I'm imperfect (I know I'm imperfect)
And not without sin (and not without sin, uh)
But now that I'm older all childish things end
And tell him (tell him)
Tell him I need him (tell him I need)
Tell him I love him
And it'll be alright (it'll be alright)
Tell him, tell him I need him (tell him, tell him)
(Be alright) tell him I love him
(Tell him)
It'll be alright (ooh, yeah)
I'll never be jealous (uh, I'll never be jealous)
And I won't be too proud
'Cause love is not boastful (no)
Ooh, and love is not loud (no, no)
Tell him I need him (tell him I need him)
Tell him I love him (tell him I love him)
Everything is gonna (everything)
Is gonna be alright (everything)
(Alright, alright, alright, alright, oh)
Yeah, yeah, oh, yeah
Now I may have wisdom (I may have wisdom)
And knowledge on Eaarth
But if I speak wrong
Ooh, then what is it worth? (What is it worth? Nothing)
See what we now know is nothing compared
To the love that was shown when our lives were spared
And tell him (tell him)
Tell him I need him (tell him, ooh)
Tell him I love him (love him)
And it'll be alright (it'll be alright)
Ohh, tell him ((tell him)
Tell him I need him (I need you)
Tell him I love him (be alright)
It'll be alright, ohh (be alright, it's gonna be alright)
Tell him (it's gonna be alright in the morning)
That I need him (in the afternoon) (be alright)
(I need him, uh) ohh
(Be alright) it'll
It'll be alright (yeah, it'll be alright, see)
(Tell him) it'll be alright, see
Yeah, when the morning comes (be alright)
When the, when the, when the evening comes (be alright)
(Tell him) ohh, in the nighttime
(Be alright) in the morning
(Be alright) in the evening, baby
(Tell him) ohh, tell him
Yeah (be alright)
Tell him, mh (ooh)
It's like, uh
You know, uh
Sweet, sweet
Sweet (tell him)
Uh
Let me be patient, let me be kind
Make me unselfish without being blind
Though I may suffer I'll envy it not
And endure what comes (uh)
'Cause he's all that I got and tell him
Tell him I need him (yeah)
Tell him I love him (tell him, yeah)
And it'll be alright (it'll be alright)
Tell him
Tell him I need him (tell him, uh)
Tell him I love him (be alright)
(Tell him I love him)
It'll be alright
Now I may have faith (I may have faith)
To make mountains fall (to make mountains fall)
But if I lack love then I am nothin' at all
I can give away (I can give away)
Everything I possess (yo, uh)
But left without love then I have no happiness
I know I'm imperfect (I know I'm imperfect)
And not without sin (and not without sin, uh)
But now that I'm older all childish things end
And tell him (tell him)
Tell him I need him (tell him I need)
Tell him I love him
And it'll be alright (it'll be alright)
Tell him, tell him I need him (tell him, tell him)
(Be alright) tell him I love him
(Tell him)
It'll be alright (ooh, yeah)
I'll never be jealous (uh, I'll never be jealous)
And I won't be too proud
'Cause love is not boastful (no)
Ooh, and love is not loud (no, no)
Tell him I need him (tell him I need him)
Tell him I love him (tell him I love him)
Everything is gonna (everything)
Is gonna be alright (everything)
(Alright, alright, alright, alright, oh)
Yeah, yeah, oh, yeah
Now I may have wisdom (I may have wisdom)
And knowledge on Eaarth
But if I speak wrong
Ooh, then what is it worth? (What is it worth? Nothing)
See what we now know is nothing compared
To the love that was shown when our lives were spared
And tell him (tell him)
Tell him I need him (tell him, ooh)
Tell him I love him (love him)
And it'll be alright (it'll be alright)
Ohh, tell him ((tell him)
Tell him I need him (I need you)
Tell him I love him (be alright)
It'll be alright, ohh (be alright, it's gonna be alright)
Tell him (it's gonna be alright in the morning)
That I need him (in the afternoon) (be alright)
(I need him, uh) ohh
(Be alright) it'll
It'll be alright (yeah, it'll be alright, see)
(Tell him) it'll be alright, see
Yeah, when the morning comes (be alright)
When the, when the, when the evening comes (be alright)
(Tell him) ohh, in the nighttime
(Be alright) in the morning
(Be alright) in the evening, baby
(Tell him) ohh, tell him
Yeah (be alright)
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
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I love this song and the first time i heard it the vocal arrangement really struck me. Later on i found out that the lyrics are from 1 Corinthians 13 in the New Testament of the Bible. I took a a Bible as Lit class and had to memorize that chapter and realized that it's this exact song. Here are some parts of the song with parts directly from the bible:
LAURYN: "let me be patient, let me be kind make me unselfish without being blind though i may suffer I'll envy it not and endure what comes"
CORINTHIANS IN THE BIBLE: "Charity suffereth long [meaning that love is patient], and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up"
LAURYN: "Now I may have faith to make mountains fall But if I lack love then I am nothin' at all I can give away everything I possess But left without love then I have no happiness" CORINTHIANS: "though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."
LAURYN: "Now I may have wisdom and knowledge on Earth But if I speak wrong then what is it worth? See what we now know is nothing compared to the love that was shown when our lives were spared" CORINTHIANS: "Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth" [which means to speak wrong doesn't do anything good]
"Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." [which means that knowledge on earth will fade away...]
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." [meaning what we know now isn't complete in comparison to the love that is shown to us]
The song is surely influenced by religion, but i think it also transcends into a deeper and spiritual kind of love, something that's so profoundly unconditional. i adore this song.
I may be the only one who has this thought but here it goes!
It sounds to me like the "Tell Him" chorus is more of a conversation than a simple declaration.
If you can imagine Jesus on the Cross, his life, his walk, and his victory was the epitome of love...
Jesus pleaded: Tell Him I need Him God declared: Tell Him I love Him then God whispered to Jesus: Everything's gonna be alright
Meanwhile, the rest of the lyrics feel like they are Jesus' inner most thoughts leading up to the cross
Though I may suffer I'll envy-eth not And endure what comes Cause He's [His Father in Heaven] all that I got
While I don't think this is exactly what Lauryn intended to illustrate from this song, it speaks to me this way! :)
@Robinlove Love this, our interpretations vary slightly but are in solid agreement of thinking that this song is about Christ, love & Christ, the sacrifice on the cross and the love of Him (God & Christ) in heaven being all, truly<br /> <br /> Thanks for your reply.
so much truth in it...
oh my. she is singing that to me.
hey, is it just me, or does this song sound like it's about god? look at this line...
"See what we now know is nothing compared to the love that was shown when our lives were spared and tell him..."
that sounds like when jesus was cruxified. i dont know the history of this song, i just found it while downloading random songs by Lauryn Hill off of Kazaa. is it meant to be for/about god/jesus? or is it just me reading into it?
@Raul Jose I think your right that this song is about love of Christ and the sacrifice on the cross being the greatest + all...and having nothing at all without Him, that greatest love
I don't know if the song is ABOUT God or not, but that's certainly what she's talking about there. The entire song is a Bible reference, all being taken from Corinthians. To me, this song is a reminder of what love truly should be whether you're talking about the love of God or human love.
i highly doubt its talking about god, i think its referring that there is love beyond what we know(to religious people)... She just means remember what has happened for us... but im pretty sure(besides that segment) that this song about someone she loves very much.
oh yea umm lyric correction...
I'll never be jealous I'll never be too PROUD ..
instead of I'll never be jealous and i wont be too KIND..
and another one is..
Now I may have wisdom and knowledge on Earth But if I speak BOLD then what is it worth? (thats the right lyrics)
If i Speak ''Warm''
i feel that this song is about making an appeal to God to make sure the man she's in love with knows it and to bless the love.
this is my favourite lauryn hill song along with 'turn your lights down low'...and yes, I believe she's talking TO God but not about him/her...She's praying to god to give her strength with her unrequited love and for God to let this man know somehow that she loves him and to give her a chance because she can't go on much longer without him