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.
On my way up north
Up on the Ventura
Pulled back the hood
And I was talking to you
And I knew then it would be
A life long thing
But I didn't know that we
We could break a silver lining
And I'm so sad
Like a good book
I can't put this day back
A sorta fairytale with you (a sorta fairytale with you)
A sorta fairytale with you
Things you said that day
Up on the one-oh-one
The girl come undone
I tried to downplay it
With a bet about us
You said that you'd take it
As long as I could
I could not erase it
And I'm so sad
Like a good book
I can't put this day back
A sorta fairytale with you
A sorta fairytale with you
And I ride alongside you then
And I rode alongside you then
And I rode along side 'till you lost me there in the open road
And I rode along side till the honey spread itself so thin
For me to break your bread
For me to take your word
I had to steal it
And I'm so sad
Like a good book
I can't put this day back
A sorta fairytale with you (a sorta fairytale with you)
I could pick back up whenever I feel
Down New Mexico way
Something about the open road
I knew that he was looking for some Indian blood and
Find a little in you find a little in me
we may be on this road but
We're just impostors in this country you know
So we go along and we said we'd fake it
Feel better with Oliver Stone
Till I almost smacked him seemed right that night and
I don't know what takes hold
Out there in the desert cold
These guys think they must
Try and just get over on us
And I'm so sad
Like a good book
I can't put this day back
A sorta fairytale with you (A sorta fairytale with you
A sorta fairytale with you
And I was ridin' by
Ridin' along side
For a while till you lost me
And I was ridin' by
Ridin' along till you lost me
'Till you lost Me in The rear view
You lost me I said
Way up North I took my day
All in all was a pretty nice day and
I put the hood right back where
You could taste heaven perfectly
Feel out the summer breeze
Didn't know when we'd be back and I
I don't, didn't think
We'd end up like
Like this
Up on the Ventura
Pulled back the hood
And I was talking to you
And I knew then it would be
A life long thing
But I didn't know that we
We could break a silver lining
And I'm so sad
Like a good book
I can't put this day back
A sorta fairytale with you (a sorta fairytale with you)
A sorta fairytale with you
Things you said that day
Up on the one-oh-one
The girl come undone
I tried to downplay it
With a bet about us
You said that you'd take it
As long as I could
I could not erase it
And I'm so sad
Like a good book
I can't put this day back
A sorta fairytale with you
A sorta fairytale with you
And I ride alongside you then
And I rode alongside you then
And I rode along side 'till you lost me there in the open road
And I rode along side till the honey spread itself so thin
For me to break your bread
For me to take your word
I had to steal it
And I'm so sad
Like a good book
I can't put this day back
A sorta fairytale with you (a sorta fairytale with you)
I could pick back up whenever I feel
Down New Mexico way
Something about the open road
I knew that he was looking for some Indian blood and
Find a little in you find a little in me
we may be on this road but
We're just impostors in this country you know
So we go along and we said we'd fake it
Feel better with Oliver Stone
Till I almost smacked him seemed right that night and
I don't know what takes hold
Out there in the desert cold
These guys think they must
Try and just get over on us
And I'm so sad
Like a good book
I can't put this day back
A sorta fairytale with you (A sorta fairytale with you
A sorta fairytale with you
And I was ridin' by
Ridin' along side
For a while till you lost me
And I was ridin' by
Ridin' along till you lost me
'Till you lost Me in The rear view
You lost me I said
Way up North I took my day
All in all was a pretty nice day and
I put the hood right back where
You could taste heaven perfectly
Feel out the summer breeze
Didn't know when we'd be back and I
I don't, didn't think
We'd end up like
Like this
Lyrics submitted by BlackDahlia
A Sorta Fairytale Lyrics as written by Myra Ellen Amos
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
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
Love in a Vacuum
'Til Tuesday
'Til Tuesday
Jesse with the long hair....
Robert Earl Keen, Jr.
Robert Earl Keen, Jr.
Classic love story true to his western tx roots. One of my favorites as a story, but I think there are alot of songs that are amazing not even listed on this site. I guess I should figure out how to add them, because I have about 8 REK cd's.
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
Show Me a Little Shame
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
He certainly did earn that reputation.
Grand Theft Auto
Insane Ian
Insane Ian
The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
the song tells a story-so, its your own story...tori means its a kind of a fairytale in the real life. i mean this song is great, because this is a pianoversion, tori shows it can be make without drums and percussions