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.
You
Why do they always send the poor?
Barbarisms by Barbaras
With pointed heels
Victorious Victorias kneel
For brand new spanking deals
Marching forward, hypocritic
And hypnotic computers
You depend on our protection
Yet you feed us lies from the tablecloth
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, ooh
Everybody's going to the party
Have a real good time
Dancin' in the desert
Blowin' up the sunshine
Kneeling roses disappearing
Into Moses' dry mouth
Breaking into Fort Knox
Stealing our intentions
Hangers sitting, dripped in oil
Crying, "freedom"
Handed to obsoletion
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, ooh
Everybody's going to the party
Have a real good time
Dancin' in the desert
Blowing up the sunshine
Everybody's going to the party
Have a real good time
Dancin' in the desert
Blowin' up the sunshine
Blast off, it's party time
And we don't live in a fascist nation
Blast off, it's party time
And where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Kneeling roses disappearing
Into Moses' dry mouth
Breaking into Fort Knox
Stealing our intentions
Hangers sitting dripped in oil
Crying, "freedom"
Handed to obsoletion
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, ooh
Everybody's going to the party
Have a real good time
Dancin' in the desert
Blowing up the sunshine
Everybody's going to the party
Have a real good time
Dancin' in the desert
Blowin' up the sun
Where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
They always send the poor
They always send the poor
Why do they always send the poor?
Barbarisms by Barbaras
With pointed heels
Victorious Victorias kneel
For brand new spanking deals
Marching forward, hypocritic
And hypnotic computers
You depend on our protection
Yet you feed us lies from the tablecloth
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, ooh
Everybody's going to the party
Have a real good time
Dancin' in the desert
Blowin' up the sunshine
Kneeling roses disappearing
Into Moses' dry mouth
Breaking into Fort Knox
Stealing our intentions
Hangers sitting, dripped in oil
Crying, "freedom"
Handed to obsoletion
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, ooh
Everybody's going to the party
Have a real good time
Dancin' in the desert
Blowing up the sunshine
Everybody's going to the party
Have a real good time
Dancin' in the desert
Blowin' up the sunshine
Blast off, it's party time
And we don't live in a fascist nation
Blast off, it's party time
And where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Kneeling roses disappearing
Into Moses' dry mouth
Breaking into Fort Knox
Stealing our intentions
Hangers sitting dripped in oil
Crying, "freedom"
Handed to obsoletion
Still you feed us lies from the tablecloth
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la, ooh
Everybody's going to the party
Have a real good time
Dancin' in the desert
Blowing up the sunshine
Everybody's going to the party
Have a real good time
Dancin' in the desert
Blowin' up the sun
Where the fuck are you?
Where the fuck are you?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why don't presidents fight the war?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
Why do they always send the poor?
They always send the poor
They always send the poor
Lyrics submitted by muzac, edited by ToxicBetty
B.Y.O.B. Lyrics as written by Serj Tankian Daron V. Malakian
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
Love in a Vacuum
'Til Tuesday
'Til Tuesday
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
Siberian Kiss
Glassjaw
Glassjaw
its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
Grand Theft Auto
Insane Ian
Insane Ian
The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
not cool!