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.
Somewhere between my tongue and cheek
I can feel the hands on me
Pulls me in so we are face to face
I don't want to see it, I don't want to see
Hold my head up, can't avert my eyes
Spots and rats on me, I don't want to see
Claw the ground up, get me out of this
Never wanted this, never needed this!
And you left me and I left you
And you left me and I left you, too
Chair is stained and I can't stay awake
Bring forth evidence to keep me sane
I can't keep this riddle locked inside
Seven ways to keep my secrets tied
Can't believe this, I belong in chains
Separated, it was me and something else
Now I'm numbing, get me out of this
Never wanted this, never needed this!
And you left me and I left you
And you left me oh, but then I left you and:
And you left me and I left you
And you left me and I left you, too
Arms stretched out, giving thanks to pain
Spotlight looking down, I'm ashamed
Kneeling with my forehead to the ground
I can't help but flinch before I'm found
I don't need you! can't you see behind?
Doesn't matter now, doesn't matter anymore!
Maybe made me, get me out of this
Never wanted this, never needed this!
And you left me and I left you
And you left me and motherfucker,
Then I left you and
And you left me and I left you
And you left me and I left you, too
Safe! I just want to be safe!
Safe! I just, want to, be safe!
Safe! don't you want to be safe?
Safe! why can't you let me be, safe?
I can feel the hands on me
Pulls me in so we are face to face
I don't want to see it, I don't want to see
Hold my head up, can't avert my eyes
Spots and rats on me, I don't want to see
Claw the ground up, get me out of this
Never wanted this, never needed this!
And you left me and I left you
And you left me and I left you, too
Chair is stained and I can't stay awake
Bring forth evidence to keep me sane
I can't keep this riddle locked inside
Seven ways to keep my secrets tied
Can't believe this, I belong in chains
Separated, it was me and something else
Now I'm numbing, get me out of this
Never wanted this, never needed this!
And you left me and I left you
And you left me oh, but then I left you and:
And you left me and I left you
And you left me and I left you, too
Arms stretched out, giving thanks to pain
Spotlight looking down, I'm ashamed
Kneeling with my forehead to the ground
I can't help but flinch before I'm found
I don't need you! can't you see behind?
Doesn't matter now, doesn't matter anymore!
Maybe made me, get me out of this
Never wanted this, never needed this!
And you left me and I left you
And you left me and motherfucker,
Then I left you and
And you left me and I left you
And you left me and I left you, too
Safe! I just want to be safe!
Safe! I just, want to, be safe!
Safe! don't you want to be safe?
Safe! why can't you let me be, safe?
Lyrics submitted by downthesun836
Blue Study Lyrics as written by Josh Rand Joel Ekman
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
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He certainly did earn that reputation.
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
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.
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Exactly.