So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
Before the story begins, is it such a sin
For me to take what's mine, until the end of time?
We were more than friends, before the story ends
And I will take what's mine, create what God would never design
Our love had been so strong for far too long
I was weak with fear that somethin' would go wrong
Before the possibilities came true
I took all possibility from you
Almost laughed myself to tears
Conjuring her deepest fears (come here you fucking bitch)
Must have stabbed her fifty fucking times
I can't believe it
Ripped her heart out right before her eyes
Eyes over easy, eat it, eat it, eat it
She was never this good in bed, even when she was sleepin'
Now she's just so perfect I've never been quite so fucking deep in
It goes on and on and on
I can keep you lookin' young and preserved forever
With a fountain to spray on your youth whenever
'Cause I really always knew that my little crime
Would be cold, that's why I got a heater for your thighs
And I know, I know it's not your time
But bye, bye
And a word to the wise, when the fire dies
You think it's over but it's just begun
Baby, don't cry
You had my heart, at least for the most part
'Cause everybody's gotta die sometime
We fell apart, let's make a new start
'Cause everybody's gotta die sometime, yeah, yeah
But baby, don't cry
Now possibilities I'd never considered
Are occurring the likes of which I'd never heard
Now an angry soul comes back from beyond the grave
To repossess a body with which I'd misbehaved
Smiling right from ear to ear
Almost laughed herself to tears
Must have stabbed him fifty fucking times
I can't believe it
Ripped his heart out right before his eyes
Eyes over easy, eat it, eat it, eat it (eat the shit out of it)
Now that it's done, I realize the error of my ways
I must venture back to apologize from somewhere far beyond the grave
I gotta make up for what I've done
'Cause I was all up in a piece of heaven
While you burned in hell, no peace forever
'Cause I really always knew that my little crime
Would be cold, that's why I got a heater for your thighs
And I know, I know it's not your time
But bye, bye
And a word to the wise, when the fire dies
You think it's over but it's just begun
But baby, don't cry
You had my heart, at least for the most part
'Cause everybody's gotta die sometime
We fell apart, let's make a new start
'Cause everybody's gotta die sometime, yeah, yeah
But baby, don't cry
I will suffer for so long (what will you do, not long enough)
To make it up to you (I pray to God that you do)
I'll do whatever you want me to do (well, then, I'll grant you one chance)
And if it's not enough (if it's not enough, if it's not enough)
If it's not enough (not enough)
Try again (try again)
And again (and again)
Over and over again
We're coming back, coming back
We'll live forever, live forever
Let's have wedding, have a wedding
Let's start the killing, start the killing
Do you take this man in death for the rest of your unnatural life
Yes, I do
Do you take this woman in death for the rest of your unnatural life
I do
I now pronounce you
Becuse I really always knew that my little crime
Would be cold, that's why I got a heater for your thighs
And I know, I know it's not your time
But bye, bye
And a word to the wise, when the fire dies
You think it's over but it's just begun
But baby, don't cry
You had my heart, at least for the most part
'Cause everybody's gotta die sometime
We fell apart, let's make a new start, oh
'Cause everybody's gotta die sometime, yeah, yeah
But baby, don't cry
For me to take what's mine, until the end of time?
We were more than friends, before the story ends
And I will take what's mine, create what God would never design
Our love had been so strong for far too long
I was weak with fear that somethin' would go wrong
Before the possibilities came true
I took all possibility from you
Almost laughed myself to tears
Conjuring her deepest fears (come here you fucking bitch)
Must have stabbed her fifty fucking times
I can't believe it
Ripped her heart out right before her eyes
Eyes over easy, eat it, eat it, eat it
She was never this good in bed, even when she was sleepin'
Now she's just so perfect I've never been quite so fucking deep in
It goes on and on and on
I can keep you lookin' young and preserved forever
With a fountain to spray on your youth whenever
'Cause I really always knew that my little crime
Would be cold, that's why I got a heater for your thighs
And I know, I know it's not your time
But bye, bye
And a word to the wise, when the fire dies
You think it's over but it's just begun
Baby, don't cry
You had my heart, at least for the most part
'Cause everybody's gotta die sometime
We fell apart, let's make a new start
'Cause everybody's gotta die sometime, yeah, yeah
But baby, don't cry
Now possibilities I'd never considered
Are occurring the likes of which I'd never heard
Now an angry soul comes back from beyond the grave
To repossess a body with which I'd misbehaved
Smiling right from ear to ear
Almost laughed herself to tears
Must have stabbed him fifty fucking times
I can't believe it
Ripped his heart out right before his eyes
Eyes over easy, eat it, eat it, eat it (eat the shit out of it)
Now that it's done, I realize the error of my ways
I must venture back to apologize from somewhere far beyond the grave
I gotta make up for what I've done
'Cause I was all up in a piece of heaven
While you burned in hell, no peace forever
'Cause I really always knew that my little crime
Would be cold, that's why I got a heater for your thighs
And I know, I know it's not your time
But bye, bye
And a word to the wise, when the fire dies
You think it's over but it's just begun
But baby, don't cry
You had my heart, at least for the most part
'Cause everybody's gotta die sometime
We fell apart, let's make a new start
'Cause everybody's gotta die sometime, yeah, yeah
But baby, don't cry
I will suffer for so long (what will you do, not long enough)
To make it up to you (I pray to God that you do)
I'll do whatever you want me to do (well, then, I'll grant you one chance)
And if it's not enough (if it's not enough, if it's not enough)
If it's not enough (not enough)
Try again (try again)
And again (and again)
Over and over again
We're coming back, coming back
We'll live forever, live forever
Let's have wedding, have a wedding
Let's start the killing, start the killing
Do you take this man in death for the rest of your unnatural life
Yes, I do
Do you take this woman in death for the rest of your unnatural life
I do
I now pronounce you
Becuse I really always knew that my little crime
Would be cold, that's why I got a heater for your thighs
And I know, I know it's not your time
But bye, bye
And a word to the wise, when the fire dies
You think it's over but it's just begun
But baby, don't cry
You had my heart, at least for the most part
'Cause everybody's gotta die sometime
We fell apart, let's make a new start, oh
'Cause everybody's gotta die sometime, yeah, yeah
But baby, don't cry
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More Featured Meanings
Ave Grave
Thee More Shallows
Thee More Shallows
Love in a Vacuum
'Til Tuesday
'Til Tuesday
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.
Grand Theft Auto
Insane Ian
Insane Ian
The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
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.
if you watch the video it makes sense. the song is just telling a story, basically a poem. if you read porphyria's lover by robert browning, its the same theme, just without the 'raping her dead body and her coming back from the dead' bit