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.
He knew what he wanted to say
But he did not want to word it
The dirty little Herbert
Was seeking an escape
But the place was well-guarded
The guiltiness that started
Soon as the other part had stopped
"D" is for delightful
And try and keep your trousers on
I think you should know you're his favorite worst nightmare
"D" is for desperately trying to simulate
What it was that was all right
Three quarters of an hour ago
That had led him to be in a position
On the brink of a mission
On the brink of an episode
He's nearing the brink but he thinks first
A parallel universe perhaps could be the perfect scene
He's nearing the brink but he thinks first
A parallel universe perhaps could be the perfect scene
He's nearing the brink but he thinks first
A parallel universe perhaps could be the perfect scene
He's nearing the brink but he thinks first
A parallel
I think you should know you're his favorite worst nightmare
"D" is for delightful
And try and keep your trousers on
You should know you're his favorite worst nightmare
But he did not want to word it
The dirty little Herbert
Was seeking an escape
But the place was well-guarded
The guiltiness that started
Soon as the other part had stopped
"D" is for delightful
And try and keep your trousers on
I think you should know you're his favorite worst nightmare
"D" is for desperately trying to simulate
What it was that was all right
Three quarters of an hour ago
That had led him to be in a position
On the brink of a mission
On the brink of an episode
He's nearing the brink but he thinks first
A parallel universe perhaps could be the perfect scene
He's nearing the brink but he thinks first
A parallel universe perhaps could be the perfect scene
He's nearing the brink but he thinks first
A parallel universe perhaps could be the perfect scene
He's nearing the brink but he thinks first
A parallel
I think you should know you're his favorite worst nightmare
"D" is for delightful
And try and keep your trousers on
You should know you're his favorite worst nightmare
Lyrics submitted by dark kirby
D Is For Dangerous Lyrics as written by Alex Turner
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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i find bueller84's explanation interesting, though it was not what sprang to mind for me.
I think this is more about a relationship between a man and woman, and guy they're talking about in the first verse was planning to escape from a relationship.
The bit about 'try and keep your trousers on' is what does it for me, sounds like he's been dropping his trousers for another girl, which explains his 'guiltiness'.
This album is basically sex i think anyway, i can't see it being specifically about andy, though i found bueller's explanation quite convincing.