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.
Breathe in for luck, breathe in so deep
This air is blessed, you share with me
This night is wild, so calm and dull
These hearts, they race, from self control
Your legs are smooth as they graze mine
We're doing fine, we're doing nothing at all
My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me
So won't you kill me, so I die happy?
My heart is yours to fill or burst to break or bury
Or wear as jewelry, whichever you prefer
The words are hushed, let's not get busted
Just lay entwined here, undiscovered
Safe in here from all the stupid questions
"Hey, did you get some?" Man, that is so dumb
Stay quiet, stay near, stay close, they can't hear
So we can get some
My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me
So won't you kill me, so I die happy?
My heart is yours to fill or burst, to break or bury
Or wear as jewelry, whichever you prefer
Hands down, this is the best day I can
Ever remember, I'll always remember the sound
Of the stereo, the dim of the soft lights
The scent of your hair that you twirled in your fingers
And the time on the clock when we realized it's so late
And this walk that we shared together
The streets were wet, and the gate was locked
So I jumped it and I let you in
And you stood at your door with your hands on my waist
And you kissed me like you meant it
And I knew that you meant it
That you meant it
That you meant it
And I knew that you meant it
That you meant it
This air is blessed, you share with me
This night is wild, so calm and dull
These hearts, they race, from self control
Your legs are smooth as they graze mine
We're doing fine, we're doing nothing at all
My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me
So won't you kill me, so I die happy?
My heart is yours to fill or burst to break or bury
Or wear as jewelry, whichever you prefer
The words are hushed, let's not get busted
Just lay entwined here, undiscovered
Safe in here from all the stupid questions
"Hey, did you get some?" Man, that is so dumb
Stay quiet, stay near, stay close, they can't hear
So we can get some
My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me
So won't you kill me, so I die happy?
My heart is yours to fill or burst, to break or bury
Or wear as jewelry, whichever you prefer
Hands down, this is the best day I can
Ever remember, I'll always remember the sound
Of the stereo, the dim of the soft lights
The scent of your hair that you twirled in your fingers
And the time on the clock when we realized it's so late
And this walk that we shared together
The streets were wet, and the gate was locked
So I jumped it and I let you in
And you stood at your door with your hands on my waist
And you kissed me like you meant it
And I knew that you meant it
That you meant it
That you meant it
And I knew that you meant it
That you meant it
Lyrics submitted by BrandNew1208
Hands Down Lyrics as written by Christopher Andrew Carrabba
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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this song is..i believe..the first date between him and this girl. the feelings that they have towards each other are so great, and during this time that they are together, those feelings are all they are aware of. when he says "hands down this is the best day i can ever remember"..you can just tell that he really likes the girl, and the beginning of this relationship is full of memories and love that they have. also when he says "Always remember the sound of the stereo, the dim of the soft lights, the scent of your hair that you twirled in your fingers And the time on the clock when we realized it's so late And this walk that we shared together "..just shows that the little things are the most important, and that out of everything that happens, its the simplest things that mean the most