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.
I'm gonna ask you so you understand
What you done with your time
Oh think it over baby
Just keep walkin' on
Until you find your man
Don't it feel so bad?
Well I'm used to that
Don't it feel so bad?
Get used to that
Don't push it baby
Please don't go to far
I swear I love ya
Just the way you are
All this justice in my hands
And what you done with your time?
I could stand it if I just kept breathin' oh
What you done with your time?
Don't it feel so bad?
Well I'm used to that
Don't it feel so bad?
Well get used to that
Don't push it baby
Please don't go to far
I swear I love ya
Just the way ya are
Oh skin and bones baby
Yes you are my star
I swear I love ya
Just the way you are
Don't push it baby
Don't push it baby
Don't push it baby
Please don't go to far
I swear I love ya
Just the way ya are
Oh skin and bones baby
Yes you are my star
I swear I love ya
Just the way ya are
Don't push it baby.
What you done with your time
Oh think it over baby
Just keep walkin' on
Until you find your man
Don't it feel so bad?
Well I'm used to that
Don't it feel so bad?
Get used to that
Don't push it baby
Please don't go to far
I swear I love ya
Just the way you are
All this justice in my hands
And what you done with your time?
I could stand it if I just kept breathin' oh
What you done with your time?
Don't it feel so bad?
Well I'm used to that
Don't it feel so bad?
Well get used to that
Don't push it baby
Please don't go to far
I swear I love ya
Just the way ya are
Oh skin and bones baby
Yes you are my star
I swear I love ya
Just the way you are
Don't push it baby
Don't push it baby
Don't push it baby
Please don't go to far
I swear I love ya
Just the way ya are
Oh skin and bones baby
Yes you are my star
I swear I love ya
Just the way ya are
Don't push it baby.
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This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
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Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
i agree that he's saying don't change for me, i love you the way you are. but i also think that there's more with the whole "skin and bones" bit. he seems to be talking about some sort of eating disorder that his girl has. he's worried about her and says "don't push it baby" and "i love just the way you are" to get her to feel better about herself and get better.