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.
Kate, it's your ride
Get your petals out and lay them in the aisle
Pretend
You're God and grow, and it's your day to wed
We found your man
He's drinking up, he's all-American
And he'll drive
He's volunteered with grace to end your life
We'll tidy up
It's sad to hold, but leave your shell to us
You explode
You firefly, you tiny boat, with oars
Feather oars
The world tilts back and pours and pours and so
You satellite
You tidal wave, you're a big surprise
And I've one more night
To be your mother
The signal interrupts
My baby's frequency, not strong enough
Remain in my hands and smile
We will miss you, but in time you'll get set up
And we will write
Hey, beauty supreme
Yeah, you were right about me
But can I get myself out from underneath
This guilt that will crush me?
And in the choir
I saw our sad Messiah
He was bored and tired of my laments
Said, "I died for you one time, but never again"
Never again, never again, never again, never again
Never again, never again, never again, never again
Well, I love you so much (Never again)
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply (Never again)
No, 'cause I can dish it out (Never again)
But I can't take it (Never again) - 2x
One will love you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Two will love you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Three will love you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Four will love you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Five will love you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Six will love you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Seven loves you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Seven loves you so much (We'll never have to buy adjacent plots of earth)
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply (We'll never have to rot together underneath the dirt)
'Cause I can dish it out (I'll never have to lose my baby in the crowd)
But I can't take it (I should be laughing right now) - 3x
Get your petals out and lay them in the aisle
Pretend
You're God and grow, and it's your day to wed
We found your man
He's drinking up, he's all-American
And he'll drive
He's volunteered with grace to end your life
We'll tidy up
It's sad to hold, but leave your shell to us
You explode
You firefly, you tiny boat, with oars
Feather oars
The world tilts back and pours and pours and so
You satellite
You tidal wave, you're a big surprise
And I've one more night
To be your mother
The signal interrupts
My baby's frequency, not strong enough
Remain in my hands and smile
We will miss you, but in time you'll get set up
And we will write
Hey, beauty supreme
Yeah, you were right about me
But can I get myself out from underneath
This guilt that will crush me?
And in the choir
I saw our sad Messiah
He was bored and tired of my laments
Said, "I died for you one time, but never again"
Never again, never again, never again, never again
Never again, never again, never again, never again
Well, I love you so much (Never again)
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply (Never again)
No, 'cause I can dish it out (Never again)
But I can't take it (Never again) - 2x
One will love you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Two will love you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Three will love you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Four will love you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Five will love you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Six will love you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Seven loves you so much
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply
'Cause I can dish it out
But I can't take it
Seven loves you so much (We'll never have to buy adjacent plots of earth)
But do me a favor, baby, don't reply (We'll never have to rot together underneath the dirt)
'Cause I can dish it out (I'll never have to lose my baby in the crowd)
But I can't take it (I should be laughing right now) - 3x
Lyrics submitted by bnjared, edited by robbeh118, fob0403, nikkiixc, Mellow_Harsher, empiricynicism, XanderBoi
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