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.
You want to have her
Two years have gone now
But I can't relate
To the never ending
Games that you play
As desire passes through
And you're open
To the truth
I hope you understand
[Chorus]
And your love
Is standing next to me
Is standing next to me
The one you fell for
Makes it seem juvenile
And you laugh
At yourself
Again and again
But as you drink
To the thoughts
She'll remember you
Maybe tomorrow
[Chorus: x2]
Is standing next to me
Is standing next to me
You want to have her
Two years have gone now
But I can't relate
To the never ending
Games that you play
As desire passes through
Then you're open
To the truth
I hope you understand
[Chorus]
Is standing next to me
Is standing next to me
Two years have gone now
But I can't relate
To the never ending
Games that you play
As desire passes through
And you're open
To the truth
I hope you understand
[Chorus]
And your love
Is standing next to me
Is standing next to me
The one you fell for
Makes it seem juvenile
And you laugh
At yourself
Again and again
But as you drink
To the thoughts
She'll remember you
Maybe tomorrow
[Chorus: x2]
Is standing next to me
Is standing next to me
You want to have her
Two years have gone now
But I can't relate
To the never ending
Games that you play
As desire passes through
Then you're open
To the truth
I hope you understand
[Chorus]
Is standing next to me
Is standing next to me
Lyrics submitted by MuisicallyJenny
Standing Next to Me Lyrics as written by Miles Kane Alex Turner
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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here is my thoughts on this song, or at least, my interpritation. ok so our guy, the guy who is singing, he has a GirlFriend, and there is another guy(i'll refurr to him as X) so X is trying to steal away the Girlfriend of our guy. and my interpritation of "want her, have her, 2years have gone now but i cant relaite to the games that u play" hes basically saying "if u want to try to get my girl, go ahead, TRY, ive been with her for 2years and u aint getting nowhere with her, and im not gonna play these little games with u so i can keep the girl that i already have and it would be a waste of time on my part"
where he says "as desire passes thru then youll open to the truth i hope u understand and your love is standing next to me" MY INTERPRITATION- "when you're done liking my girl, THATS when you will be able to see clearly that she is with me and she is in love with me and she isnt going to leave me for you"
"the one you fell for, makes it too juvinile, and youll laugh at yourself again and again, and we'll drink to the thought that she'll remember you, maybe tomorrow" MY INTERPRITATION= "the fact that you're 'in love' with my girl-that u bearly know, is kiddish and childish, you'll look back on this and laugh one day on how silly this situation really is...and shes gonna forget u so u shud forget her"
well thats my inturpentation of this complex song. As poet, this song is pure and i enjoyed the medium in which it was presented to me(music) I love the shadow puppets for this reason.
One love, J. Temptation (myspace.com/money_mann)
I was thinking something like this as well, thanks for writing it down so clearly.
I was thinking something like this as well, thanks for writing it down so clearly.