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.
In you I see further
Can it last forever?
Identify your patients, XY configurations
Words are lost in your eyes
One thought inside my heart
Drop addicts in the mixture, falcons have blown the fixture
Think of me as days pass us by
Shards of glass
Skies of gold
Steal my breath
Blood runs cold
Violet waves
Oceans blue
All my love
Lost in you
In you I see further
Can it last forever?
Sinkhole that we would frequent
White heels safe from extinction
Words are lost in your eyes
One thought inside my heart
I said that I don't need you, but I'm a liar, I swear I do, I do
Strip away
Vanity
I do
Just as you
Consume me
I do
Broken smile
Starless sky
I do
Save it all
Say goodbye
You're out in left field, and lacking interest
You fight the boredom but it makes no difference
Your mental health kid, that's what's in question
Keep acting obscure, we'll keep them guessing
The moment ideas are conceived
They'll be out of touch, obsolete
They're faking champions hand picked
And all the fights have been fixed
You wake to suffer through the day
Trade a dream for the pay
Well here's the fact I hope it sticks
You're just alive out of habit
Shards of glass
Skies of gold
Steal my breath
Blood runs cold
Violet waves
Oceans blue
All my love
Lost in you
Strip away
Part of me
Just as you consume me
Broken smile
Starless sky
End it all
Say good-bye
Think of me as I say good-bye
Can it last forever?
Identify your patients, XY configurations
Words are lost in your eyes
One thought inside my heart
Drop addicts in the mixture, falcons have blown the fixture
Think of me as days pass us by
Shards of glass
Skies of gold
Steal my breath
Blood runs cold
Violet waves
Oceans blue
All my love
Lost in you
In you I see further
Can it last forever?
Sinkhole that we would frequent
White heels safe from extinction
Words are lost in your eyes
One thought inside my heart
I said that I don't need you, but I'm a liar, I swear I do, I do
Strip away
Vanity
I do
Just as you
Consume me
I do
Broken smile
Starless sky
I do
Save it all
Say goodbye
You're out in left field, and lacking interest
You fight the boredom but it makes no difference
Your mental health kid, that's what's in question
Keep acting obscure, we'll keep them guessing
The moment ideas are conceived
They'll be out of touch, obsolete
They're faking champions hand picked
And all the fights have been fixed
You wake to suffer through the day
Trade a dream for the pay
Well here's the fact I hope it sticks
You're just alive out of habit
Shards of glass
Skies of gold
Steal my breath
Blood runs cold
Violet waves
Oceans blue
All my love
Lost in you
Strip away
Part of me
Just as you consume me
Broken smile
Starless sky
End it all
Say good-bye
Think of me as I say good-bye
Lyrics submitted by ChokingDownEmbers
Alive Out of Habit Lyrics as written by Brian Mcternan Brian Deneeve
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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