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.
This story's a sad one, the sort that you hear all the time
But this time I'll bore you with details and open your mind
It's the tale of a young girl who once was the talk of the town
The first time I saw her the skin was so thin on her bones
Her eyes they were lost on that street though she called it her home
So I thought, can I save her, can I get her out of harms way
And she looked at me with those eyes so what could I say
So I said, what's your name
And she said, you're all the same
So I said, don't act so strange
I only asked your name
The stars in the night sky she'd seen only once in her life
But stars over girls parts on cold cut she sees every night
She said, somewhere in my tattooed jungle you will find my mum
But she will disown me should she ever learn what I've done
And she said, what became
Of my promised fame
All I got was shame
And she said, you're all to blame
And then her eyes said, don't you leave me standing on my own
Can't you see that the street side is my home
I'm held by men at night but still I'm cold
I'm so lonely but you know I'm not alone, I'm not alone, I'm not alone
She had hair like a willow tree choked at the side of the road
Cardboard boxes for pillows she weeps as she reaps what she sows
So I asked her if one day she'd mind joining me in my grave
You know like them big ones you see with the family name
But she said all she'd ever been
Was a hoar and a slave
And she didn't know
If she had any soul left to save
And she said, why do you care
So I said, because I did
Ever since I saw you standing there
Well, I couldn't help but stare
And then her eyes said don't you leave me standing on my own
Can't you see that the street side is my home
I'm held by men at night but still I'm cold
I'm so lonely but you know I'm not alone, I'm not alone, I'm not alone
And she must have had the most lonely face I've ever known
Yeah, she must have had the most lonely face I've ever known
Well, I tried to hold on but my grip it just was not that strong
And I can still see her eyes as she fell and she fell for so long
If you ever see her I hope you succeed where I failed
You know I cried for the cutey of kings cross the day she derailed
Oh, somebody please can you save her and take her away
You know London will kill her, you can't let the smoke have its way
But this time I'll bore you with details and open your mind
It's the tale of a young girl who once was the talk of the town
The first time I saw her the skin was so thin on her bones
Her eyes they were lost on that street though she called it her home
So I thought, can I save her, can I get her out of harms way
And she looked at me with those eyes so what could I say
So I said, what's your name
And she said, you're all the same
So I said, don't act so strange
I only asked your name
The stars in the night sky she'd seen only once in her life
But stars over girls parts on cold cut she sees every night
She said, somewhere in my tattooed jungle you will find my mum
But she will disown me should she ever learn what I've done
And she said, what became
Of my promised fame
All I got was shame
And she said, you're all to blame
And then her eyes said, don't you leave me standing on my own
Can't you see that the street side is my home
I'm held by men at night but still I'm cold
I'm so lonely but you know I'm not alone, I'm not alone, I'm not alone
She had hair like a willow tree choked at the side of the road
Cardboard boxes for pillows she weeps as she reaps what she sows
So I asked her if one day she'd mind joining me in my grave
You know like them big ones you see with the family name
But she said all she'd ever been
Was a hoar and a slave
And she didn't know
If she had any soul left to save
And she said, why do you care
So I said, because I did
Ever since I saw you standing there
Well, I couldn't help but stare
And then her eyes said don't you leave me standing on my own
Can't you see that the street side is my home
I'm held by men at night but still I'm cold
I'm so lonely but you know I'm not alone, I'm not alone, I'm not alone
And she must have had the most lonely face I've ever known
Yeah, she must have had the most lonely face I've ever known
Well, I tried to hold on but my grip it just was not that strong
And I can still see her eyes as she fell and she fell for so long
If you ever see her I hope you succeed where I failed
You know I cried for the cutey of kings cross the day she derailed
Oh, somebody please can you save her and take her away
You know London will kill her, you can't let the smoke have its way
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
how come this has no comments? this is such a powerful song
okay well i think its about homeless girl who was given empty promises by the wrong crowd at a young age
so she left home and realised that things wernt all like they were cracked up to be "and she said what became of my promised fame all i got was shame"
she could only find shelter with the other homeless people in the streets of london "cardboard boxes for pillows" "the streetside is my home"
yet she got into prostitution, for money, but emotionally she was unfulfilled "i'm held by men at night but still i'm cold" "she said all she'd ever been was a whore and a slave"
she knew there were other people like her, but she could talk to anyone "i'm so lonely but you know i'm not alone"
he suggests help for her, to make her life better but we see shes given up all types of hope, and she went into self distruction "and she didn't know if she had any soul left to save" "well i tried to hold on but my grip it just was not that strong i can still see her eyes as she fell and she fell for so long" "i cried for the cutey of kings cross the day she derailed"
amazingly written