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.
From morning to night I stayed out of sight
Didn't recognize I'd become
No more than alive, I'd barely survive
In a word, overrun
Won't hear a sound (he's curled into the corner)
From my mouth (but still the screen is flickering)
I've spent too long (with an endless stream of garbage to)
On the inside out (curse the place)
My skin is cold (in a sea of random images)
To the human touch (the self-destructing animal)
This bleeding heart's (waiting for the waves to break)
Not beating much
I murmured a vow of silence and now
I don't even hear when I think aloud
Extinguished by light, I turn on the night
Wear its darkness with an empty smile
I'm creeping back to life
My nervous system all awry
I'm wearing the inside out
Look at him now
He's paler somehow
But he's coming around
He's starting to choke
It's been so long since he spoke
Well, he can have the words right from my mouth
And with these words I can see
Clear through the clouds that covered me
Just give it time then speak my name
Now we can hear ourselves again
I'm holding out (he's standing on the threshold)
For the day (caught in fiery anger)
When all the clouds (and hurled into the furnace)
Have blown away (he'll curse the place)
I'm with you now (he's torn in all directions)
Can speak your name (and still the screen is flickering)
Now we can hear (waiting for the flames to break)
Ourselves again
Didn't recognize I'd become
No more than alive, I'd barely survive
In a word, overrun
Won't hear a sound (he's curled into the corner)
From my mouth (but still the screen is flickering)
I've spent too long (with an endless stream of garbage to)
On the inside out (curse the place)
My skin is cold (in a sea of random images)
To the human touch (the self-destructing animal)
This bleeding heart's (waiting for the waves to break)
Not beating much
I murmured a vow of silence and now
I don't even hear when I think aloud
Extinguished by light, I turn on the night
Wear its darkness with an empty smile
I'm creeping back to life
My nervous system all awry
I'm wearing the inside out
Look at him now
He's paler somehow
But he's coming around
He's starting to choke
It's been so long since he spoke
Well, he can have the words right from my mouth
And with these words I can see
Clear through the clouds that covered me
Just give it time then speak my name
Now we can hear ourselves again
I'm holding out (he's standing on the threshold)
For the day (caught in fiery anger)
When all the clouds (and hurled into the furnace)
Have blown away (he'll curse the place)
I'm with you now (he's torn in all directions)
Can speak your name (and still the screen is flickering)
Now we can hear (waiting for the flames to break)
Ourselves again
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by Mellow_Harsher, HighHopesInsideOut, Daed
Wearing the Inside Out Lyrics as written by Anthony Jon Moore Richard Wright
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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