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.
Dear darling
Your mom, my friend
Left a message on my machine
She was frantic
Saying you were talking crazy
That you wanted to do away with yourself
Guess she thought I would be the perfect resort
Because we've had this inexplicable connection since our youth
And yes, they're in shock
They are panicked
You and your chronic
Them and their drama
You this embarrassment
Us in the middle of this delusion
If we were our bodies
If we were our futures
If we were our defenses
I'd be joining you
If we were our culture
If we were our leaders
If we were our denials
Id be joining you
I remember vividly a day years ago
We were camping
You knew more than you thought you should know
You said I don't want ever to be brainwashed
And you were mind boggling, you were intense
You were uncomfortable in your own skin
You were thirsty
But mostly you were beautiful
If we were our name tags
If we were our rejections
If we were our outcomes
I'd be joining you
If we were our indignities
If we were our successes
If we were our emotions
I'd be joining you
You and I, were like four year olds
We want to know why, and how come about everything
We want to reveal ourselves at will, and speak our minds
And never talk small talk and be intuitive
And question mightily, and find God my tortured beacon
We need to find like-minded companions
If we were their condemnations
If we were their projections
If we were our paranoias, I'd be joining you
If we were our incomes
If we were our obsessions
If we were our afflictions, Id be joining you
We need a reflection
We need a really good memory
Feel free to call me a little more often
Your mom, my friend
Left a message on my machine
She was frantic
Saying you were talking crazy
That you wanted to do away with yourself
Guess she thought I would be the perfect resort
Because we've had this inexplicable connection since our youth
And yes, they're in shock
They are panicked
You and your chronic
Them and their drama
You this embarrassment
Us in the middle of this delusion
If we were our bodies
If we were our futures
If we were our defenses
I'd be joining you
If we were our culture
If we were our leaders
If we were our denials
Id be joining you
I remember vividly a day years ago
We were camping
You knew more than you thought you should know
You said I don't want ever to be brainwashed
And you were mind boggling, you were intense
You were uncomfortable in your own skin
You were thirsty
But mostly you were beautiful
If we were our name tags
If we were our rejections
If we were our outcomes
I'd be joining you
If we were our indignities
If we were our successes
If we were our emotions
I'd be joining you
You and I, were like four year olds
We want to know why, and how come about everything
We want to reveal ourselves at will, and speak our minds
And never talk small talk and be intuitive
And question mightily, and find God my tortured beacon
We need to find like-minded companions
If we were their condemnations
If we were their projections
If we were our paranoias, I'd be joining you
If we were our incomes
If we were our obsessions
If we were our afflictions, Id be joining you
We need a reflection
We need a really good memory
Feel free to call me a little more often
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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.
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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."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
In my opinion the mother of a friend of her calls her but its her friend, not the daughter of her friend who wants to commit suicide. --You and I we're like 4 year olds --
With the rest i agree...