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.
Come here, please hold my hand for now
Help me, I'm scared, please show me how to fight this
God has a master plan and I guess
I am in His demand
Please save me, this time I cannot run
And I'll see you when this is done
And now I have come to realize
That you are the one who's left behind
Please stay until I'm gone
I'm here, hold on
To me, I'm right here waiting
I see a light, it feels good
And I'll come back soon just like you would
It's useless, my name has made the list
And I wish, I gave you one last kiss
Please stay until I'm gone
I'm here, hold on
To me, I'm right here waiting
And take my one last breath
And don't forget
That I will be right here waiting
Please stay until I'm gone
I'm here, hold on
To me, I'm right here waiting
And take my one last breath
And don't forget
That I will be right here waiting
Please stay until I'm gone
I'm here, hold on
To me, I'm right here waiting
And take my one last breath
And don't forget
That I will be right here waiting
Help me, I'm scared, please show me how to fight this
God has a master plan and I guess
I am in His demand
Please save me, this time I cannot run
And I'll see you when this is done
And now I have come to realize
That you are the one who's left behind
Please stay until I'm gone
I'm here, hold on
To me, I'm right here waiting
I see a light, it feels good
And I'll come back soon just like you would
It's useless, my name has made the list
And I wish, I gave you one last kiss
Please stay until I'm gone
I'm here, hold on
To me, I'm right here waiting
And take my one last breath
And don't forget
That I will be right here waiting
Please stay until I'm gone
I'm here, hold on
To me, I'm right here waiting
And take my one last breath
And don't forget
That I will be right here waiting
Please stay until I'm gone
I'm here, hold on
To me, I'm right here waiting
And take my one last breath
And don't forget
That I will be right here waiting
Lyrics submitted by strungagnstthric, edited by Traangas
Not Now Lyrics as written by Mark Hoppus Thomas Delonge
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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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The song itself is about death. Period. Tom said it himself. The video has, however, created a new interpretation and meaning for fans of the band, but that doesn't change the original intention of this song. However, "I Feel So..." is without a doubt about Tom being disappointed with his early work in blink and wishing he could start over. Which he then did not too long after...
I think this song didn't make it to the new album because it's so similar in subject matter to "Letters To God," Tom's other song about death. They're both great songs, and exceedingly different stylistically.
And I concur with whomever said the main progression of this is exactly like Alkaline Trio's "For Your Lungs Only." The guitar in "Cat Like Theif" is also identical to the bass in the Trio's "You've Got So Far To Go." Tom apparently likes them a lot. With good reason.