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.
Chea! Uh huh (it's poppin', it's poppin', it's poppin!)
Okay, yeah
I gotta ask 'em cause if I don't (it's poppin', it's poppin', it's poppin!)
I dunno
Let's go!
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is cool, my lip gloss be poppin
I'm standin at my locker, and all the boys keep stoppin
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is poppin, my lip gloss is cool
All the boys keep jockin, they chase me after school
Mac (Mac) L'Oreal, yep cause I'm worth it
Love the way, I puts it on so perfect
Wipe, the corners of my mouth so I work it
When I walk down the hallway they can't say nothin
Oh! Oh! Oh! My lips so luscious
The way I spice it up with the Mac-Mac brushes
L'Oreal got them wat-ballermelon crushes
That's probably the reason all these boys got crushes
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is cool, my lip gloss be poppin
I'm standin at my locker, and all the boys keep stoppin
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is poppin, my lip gloss is cool
All the boys keep jockin, they chase me after school
When it's, time for lunch, my lips still rock
Lil' Mama melon with da hot pink top
Cherry, vanilla, flavors is a virtue
Dey, lovin! Lip gloss universal
The boys really like it, the girls don't speak
Rollin they eyes, they lip gloss cheap
It ain't my fault, but I could upgrade ya
Show you how to use nice things with nice flavas
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is cool, my lip gloss be poppin
I'm standin at my locker, and all the boys keep stoppin
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is poppin, my lip gloss is cool
All the boys keep jockin, they chase me after school
Cuz my lip gloss
Is poppin! (Is poppin)
Is poppin! (Is poppin)
Cuz my lip gloss
Is poppin! (Is poppin)
Is poppin! (Is poppin)
Sittin in eighth period, thought I was in trouble
Dean called me on the loudspeaker on the double
I stepped in her office like "yes Ms. Mcclarkson?"
She like, "Gurl, I ran out of my lip gloss and
Write down where you get yours from
Cuz I must admit, that bubblegum
Is poppin! (Is poppin)
Is poppin!" She ain't frontin
N-uh, I be lovin it, I be I be lovin it n-uh
I be usin it, I be I be usin it n-uh
I be rubbin it, I be I be rubbin it
On my lips, my lips (ah) my lip gloss
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is cool, my lip gloss be poppin
I'm standin at my locker, and all the boys keep stoppin
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is poppin, my lip gloss is cool
All the boys keep jockin, they chase me after school
Okay, yeah
I gotta ask 'em cause if I don't (it's poppin', it's poppin', it's poppin!)
I dunno
Let's go!
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is cool, my lip gloss be poppin
I'm standin at my locker, and all the boys keep stoppin
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is poppin, my lip gloss is cool
All the boys keep jockin, they chase me after school
Mac (Mac) L'Oreal, yep cause I'm worth it
Love the way, I puts it on so perfect
Wipe, the corners of my mouth so I work it
When I walk down the hallway they can't say nothin
Oh! Oh! Oh! My lips so luscious
The way I spice it up with the Mac-Mac brushes
L'Oreal got them wat-ballermelon crushes
That's probably the reason all these boys got crushes
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is cool, my lip gloss be poppin
I'm standin at my locker, and all the boys keep stoppin
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is poppin, my lip gloss is cool
All the boys keep jockin, they chase me after school
When it's, time for lunch, my lips still rock
Lil' Mama melon with da hot pink top
Cherry, vanilla, flavors is a virtue
Dey, lovin! Lip gloss universal
The boys really like it, the girls don't speak
Rollin they eyes, they lip gloss cheap
It ain't my fault, but I could upgrade ya
Show you how to use nice things with nice flavas
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is cool, my lip gloss be poppin
I'm standin at my locker, and all the boys keep stoppin
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is poppin, my lip gloss is cool
All the boys keep jockin, they chase me after school
Cuz my lip gloss
Is poppin! (Is poppin)
Is poppin! (Is poppin)
Cuz my lip gloss
Is poppin! (Is poppin)
Is poppin! (Is poppin)
Sittin in eighth period, thought I was in trouble
Dean called me on the loudspeaker on the double
I stepped in her office like "yes Ms. Mcclarkson?"
She like, "Gurl, I ran out of my lip gloss and
Write down where you get yours from
Cuz I must admit, that bubblegum
Is poppin! (Is poppin)
Is poppin!" She ain't frontin
N-uh, I be lovin it, I be I be lovin it n-uh
I be usin it, I be I be usin it n-uh
I be rubbin it, I be I be rubbin it
On my lips, my lips (ah) my lip gloss
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is cool, my lip gloss be poppin
I'm standin at my locker, and all the boys keep stoppin
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know 'bout me?
Whatchu know 'bout me? Whatchu, whatchu know?
They say my lip gloss is poppin, my lip gloss is cool
All the boys keep jockin, they chase me after school
Lyrics submitted by girlabstract
Lip Gloss Lyrics as written by James Chambers Ii Niatia Jessica Kirkland
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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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There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
LOL @ wanddado