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.
What an amazing time
What a family
How did the years go by?
Now it's only me
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la)
Like a cat in heat stuck in a moving car
A scary conversation
Shut my eyes, can't find the brake
What if they say that you're a climber?
Naturally I'm worried if I do it alone
Who really cares? 'Cause it's your life
You never know, it could be great
Take a chance 'cause you might grow
Oh, oh-oh
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for?
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for?
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Take a chance you stupid ho
Like an echo pedal, you're repeating yourself
You know it all by heart
Why are you standing in one place? (Uh-huh)
Born to blossom, bloom to perish
Your moment will run out 'cause of your sex chromosome
I know it's so messed up how our society all thinks (for sure)
Life is short, you're capable (uh-huh)
Oh, oh-oh
Look at your watch now
You're still a super hot female
You got your million dollar contract
And they're all waiting for your hot track
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for?
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for?
I can't wait to go
Back and do Japan
Get me lots of brand new fans
Osaka, Tokyo
You Harajuku girls
Damn, you've got some wicked style, go
Look at your watch now
You're still a super hot female
You got your million dollar contract
And they're all waiting for your hot track
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for?
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for?
What you waiting for?
What you waiting for?
Take a chance you stupid ho
Take a chance you stupid ho
What you waiting for?
What you waiting for?
Take a chance you stupid ho
Take a chance you stupid ho
What a family
How did the years go by?
Now it's only me
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la)
Like a cat in heat stuck in a moving car
A scary conversation
Shut my eyes, can't find the brake
What if they say that you're a climber?
Naturally I'm worried if I do it alone
Who really cares? 'Cause it's your life
You never know, it could be great
Take a chance 'cause you might grow
Oh, oh-oh
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for?
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for?
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
Take a chance you stupid ho
Like an echo pedal, you're repeating yourself
You know it all by heart
Why are you standing in one place? (Uh-huh)
Born to blossom, bloom to perish
Your moment will run out 'cause of your sex chromosome
I know it's so messed up how our society all thinks (for sure)
Life is short, you're capable (uh-huh)
Oh, oh-oh
Look at your watch now
You're still a super hot female
You got your million dollar contract
And they're all waiting for your hot track
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for?
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for?
I can't wait to go
Back and do Japan
Get me lots of brand new fans
Osaka, Tokyo
You Harajuku girls
Damn, you've got some wicked style, go
Look at your watch now
You're still a super hot female
You got your million dollar contract
And they're all waiting for your hot track
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for?
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for?
What you waiting for?
What you waiting for?
Take a chance you stupid ho
Take a chance you stupid ho
What you waiting for?
What you waiting for?
Take a chance you stupid ho
Take a chance you stupid ho
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He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
when rules change
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High life
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Insane Ian
Insane Ian
The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
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.
i love gwen. amazing voice. just awesome all around. this song, in my opinion, is about her contemplating about trying something new, without no doubt. i think it was a hard decision for her to make. but, its about how she should just do it, and go on a limb. im glad she did. nothing wrong with trying something new.