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.
She's got these brand new friends, I've got a few new songs
But mostly new headaches, and reasons not to call
I slept through all today and rearranged my head
Couldn't forget your face or how we watched our breath
Flee from our tired mouths, they were lost
Please, I've got enough on my mind
And I'll be fine, I'm sure you're justified
I can't believe my conscience told me that we'd be alright
So roll your eyes, like you need to one more time
Take your time away
I'm wide awake all night
Alright
So what did you expect
When you've got me cornered here like this
Where I can feel your breath
I don't want reminders that I can't leave
When I'm last to know when you leave
Oh, I want this, the closure you keep
Behind locked doors and closed eyes
And I'm thinking will you accept that I am..
Fine, I'm sure you're justified
I can't believe my conscience told me that we'd be alright
So roll your eyes, like you need to one more time
Take your time away
I'm wide awake all night
Girl you keep on talking
Your hands on my face
I feel you start breathing
Your words are replaced by
The things I don't mean
And the feeling that leaves
Me holding here
But I don't know what you expect from me
When it's this hard to breathe
But I'll be fine, I'm sure you're justified
I can't believe my conscience told me that we'd be alright
So roll your eyes, like you need to one more time
Take your time away
I'm wide awake all night
And I'll be fine, I'm sure you're justified
I can't believe my conscience told me that we'd be alright
So roll your eyes, like you need to one more time
Take your time away
I'm wide awake all night
Alright
But mostly new headaches, and reasons not to call
I slept through all today and rearranged my head
Couldn't forget your face or how we watched our breath
Flee from our tired mouths, they were lost
Please, I've got enough on my mind
And I'll be fine, I'm sure you're justified
I can't believe my conscience told me that we'd be alright
So roll your eyes, like you need to one more time
Take your time away
I'm wide awake all night
Alright
So what did you expect
When you've got me cornered here like this
Where I can feel your breath
I don't want reminders that I can't leave
When I'm last to know when you leave
Oh, I want this, the closure you keep
Behind locked doors and closed eyes
And I'm thinking will you accept that I am..
Fine, I'm sure you're justified
I can't believe my conscience told me that we'd be alright
So roll your eyes, like you need to one more time
Take your time away
I'm wide awake all night
Girl you keep on talking
Your hands on my face
I feel you start breathing
Your words are replaced by
The things I don't mean
And the feeling that leaves
Me holding here
But I don't know what you expect from me
When it's this hard to breathe
But I'll be fine, I'm sure you're justified
I can't believe my conscience told me that we'd be alright
So roll your eyes, like you need to one more time
Take your time away
I'm wide awake all night
And I'll be fine, I'm sure you're justified
I can't believe my conscience told me that we'd be alright
So roll your eyes, like you need to one more time
Take your time away
I'm wide awake all night
Alright
Lyrics submitted by amixtapesong
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I fucking love this song. It's catchy as hell. And that's before the harpsichord comes in. This album is terrific. I'm guessing brand, new and friends are seperated with commas becuase he's saying her firends care about really material things like brands and new stuff and he can't stand them and is having second thoughts about her. Awesome tune