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.
[Intro]
Ohhh...oi its real out here
Like no one understands sometimes
People can see whats really goin on
People just go in mad infront of me, you get me
Everyones growin up too fast
Friends don't understand us, adults don't understand us
No one understands us
We just live life for what we do like, its real, its raskit
Yo, shout to all the men them , yo, i'm reppin
I'm tryin listen, yo
[Verse 1]
Sometimes i wake up wishin i could sleep forever
I spend my whole life tryin to pull myself together
Tryin to re-assure myself that i ain't goin mad
I gotta come to a conclusion its now or never
Sometimes i wake up wishin i could sleep for years
I've been through anger, pain, blood, sweat and tears
You think that any kid in my position i would be glad (you would)
Quite the opposite, more worrys, more fears
Sometimes i wake up wishin i could sleep for days
Its like i'm lost in love and i'm only in it coz it pays
I find myself back on road things are gettin bad
More and more i'm goin back to my old ways
Sometimes i wake up wishin i could sleep for good
And if i had the guts to end it all believe i would
Its gettin borin always being miserable and sad
Shit i would love to be polite really i wish i could
But lifes impressions always get me down
Theres not a lot to smile about so i frown
And i talk a big whole heap of badness
Because my lifes a big whole heap of madness
I've seen a lot, maybe more than i can take (real)
Under pressure everyday tryin not to break (ooohhh)
But i'll survive coz its what i do best (get me)
I'm a challenger put me to the test
[Chorus]
Sleep tight everything will be alright
By the end of the night will be the day
Just pray that you see it
Strongly got to be it if you wanna get through it
Stretch your mind to the limit you can do it
Sleep tight everything will be alright
By the end of the night will be the day
Just pray that you see it
Strongly got to be it if you wanna get through it
Stretch your mind to the limit
[Verse 2]
Its almost like i got the world on my shoulders
Sometimes yo i struggle
yo sometimes you know i'm hittin petty crimes
But we livin in hard times
No one to turn to and no one to talk to
Lifes a doorway everybody walkthrough
Everybodys talkin and nobodys listenin
Everyday some new shit week out and week in
All this negativity why you tryin to get all up in my life(raaa)
Where did you get the energy
I don't feel well but you still bother me
Your givin me a headache man you might aswell just clobber me
Blud lately i've been lonely but you only phone me
When you want a favour then you wonder why i'm moany
Don't really ask much so i don't owe much
Don't receive a lot of love so i don't show much
But the little that i'll do i put it in a song for you
Handle your business because i do
[Chorus]
Sleep tight everything will be alright
By the end of the night will be the day
Just pray that you see it
Strongly got to be it if you wanna get through it
Stretch your mind to the limit you can do it (you can do it)
Sleep tight everything will be alright
By the end of the night will be the day
Just pray that you see it
Strongly gotta be it if you wanna get through it
Stretch your mind to the limit you can do it
[Outro]
Shout to all the youngers
E3 do your thing but i swear to use school
Get me you come out of school its real out here (raskits from bow E3, that
Dizzee rascal from bow E3...yo don't worry)
Shout to everybody still hustlin (think i ain't got you in mind)
Make it focus i swear to you
You can do anything (that dizzee rascal's from bow)
Real
And you need to talk more
Ohhh...oi its real out here
Like no one understands sometimes
People can see whats really goin on
People just go in mad infront of me, you get me
Everyones growin up too fast
Friends don't understand us, adults don't understand us
No one understands us
We just live life for what we do like, its real, its raskit
Yo, shout to all the men them , yo, i'm reppin
I'm tryin listen, yo
[Verse 1]
Sometimes i wake up wishin i could sleep forever
I spend my whole life tryin to pull myself together
Tryin to re-assure myself that i ain't goin mad
I gotta come to a conclusion its now or never
Sometimes i wake up wishin i could sleep for years
I've been through anger, pain, blood, sweat and tears
You think that any kid in my position i would be glad (you would)
Quite the opposite, more worrys, more fears
Sometimes i wake up wishin i could sleep for days
Its like i'm lost in love and i'm only in it coz it pays
I find myself back on road things are gettin bad
More and more i'm goin back to my old ways
Sometimes i wake up wishin i could sleep for good
And if i had the guts to end it all believe i would
Its gettin borin always being miserable and sad
Shit i would love to be polite really i wish i could
But lifes impressions always get me down
Theres not a lot to smile about so i frown
And i talk a big whole heap of badness
Because my lifes a big whole heap of madness
I've seen a lot, maybe more than i can take (real)
Under pressure everyday tryin not to break (ooohhh)
But i'll survive coz its what i do best (get me)
I'm a challenger put me to the test
[Chorus]
Sleep tight everything will be alright
By the end of the night will be the day
Just pray that you see it
Strongly got to be it if you wanna get through it
Stretch your mind to the limit you can do it
Sleep tight everything will be alright
By the end of the night will be the day
Just pray that you see it
Strongly got to be it if you wanna get through it
Stretch your mind to the limit
[Verse 2]
Its almost like i got the world on my shoulders
Sometimes yo i struggle
yo sometimes you know i'm hittin petty crimes
But we livin in hard times
No one to turn to and no one to talk to
Lifes a doorway everybody walkthrough
Everybodys talkin and nobodys listenin
Everyday some new shit week out and week in
All this negativity why you tryin to get all up in my life(raaa)
Where did you get the energy
I don't feel well but you still bother me
Your givin me a headache man you might aswell just clobber me
Blud lately i've been lonely but you only phone me
When you want a favour then you wonder why i'm moany
Don't really ask much so i don't owe much
Don't receive a lot of love so i don't show much
But the little that i'll do i put it in a song for you
Handle your business because i do
[Chorus]
Sleep tight everything will be alright
By the end of the night will be the day
Just pray that you see it
Strongly got to be it if you wanna get through it
Stretch your mind to the limit you can do it (you can do it)
Sleep tight everything will be alright
By the end of the night will be the day
Just pray that you see it
Strongly gotta be it if you wanna get through it
Stretch your mind to the limit you can do it
[Outro]
Shout to all the youngers
E3 do your thing but i swear to use school
Get me you come out of school its real out here (raskits from bow E3, that
Dizzee rascal from bow E3...yo don't worry)
Shout to everybody still hustlin (think i ain't got you in mind)
Make it focus i swear to you
You can do anything (that dizzee rascal's from bow)
Real
And you need to talk more
Lyrics submitted by Selling Absolutions
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