1
Why are you striving these days?
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying?
Let me lift up your face, just don't turn away
Why are you looking for love?
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough?
To where will you go child?
Tell me where will you run, to where will you run?
'cause I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Look at these hands at my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in and give you life
I wanna give you life
And I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Here at my side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
'Cause I, I love you, I want you to know
That I, yeah I love you, I'll never let you go
No, no
And I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Here at my side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Here at my side
My hands are holding you
Why are you trying to earn grace?
Why are you crying?
Let me lift up your face, just don't turn away
Why are you looking for love?
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough?
To where will you go child?
Tell me where will you run, to where will you run?
'cause I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Look at these hands at my side
They swallowed the grave on that night
When I drank the world's sin
So I could carry you in and give you life
I wanna give you life
And I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Here at my side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
'Cause I, I love you, I want you to know
That I, yeah I love you, I'll never let you go
No, no
And I'll be by your side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Here at my side wherever you fall
In the dead of night whenever you call
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you
My hands are holding you
Here at my side
My hands are holding you
Lyrics submitted by thatshot135
By Your Side Lyrics as written by Michael Donehey Phillip Larue
Lyrics © ESSENTIAL MUSIC PUBLISHING, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Spirit Music Group, Peermusic Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
I've been struggling with wanting to just give up because i feel like i'm just not good enough. but this song has taught me that i am His. It reminds me that He is always here and there is nothing else that will satisfy me like His joy. I won't turn away.
I think that this speaking from God's point of view. He's asking why are we trying to fill ourselves up, when all we need is Him? We don't need love from any other source. Then, in the chorus, He's saying that He'll never leave us no matter how bad it gets, and to not reject him, as He only wants to help you.
I totally agree with you, Tenth Avenue North is a Christian band therefore he is speaking as if he were God, like its what God is saying.<br />
"When I drank the world's sin"? I don't see how this song could be interpreted as being in a relationship with another human. It seems to me to just be a love song from God's point of view to humankind. The song is saying that even when you are at your lowest and you feel like you can't take another step, God will hold you in the palm of his hand and be unconditionally "by your side." This may be the best song ever made. I've had it for 9 months, and it's approaching 600 plays on my iTunes.
This song reminds me very vividly of a certain time in my life. This past March, when I was 16 (still am), my then-best friend, who is a guy, seemed like he was starting to change a little and drift from me and his other friends, and then I found out he was going out with a certain girl who I'd always known and had always warned him was completely not right for him. Besides the fact that we'd very recently admitted to each other that we liked each other as more than best friends, I'd seen the way his relationships had gone in the past and I was extremely concerned about him getting into another one. This was the best song I could think of to send to him to remind him of how much God loves him and doesn't want him to hurt himself. Upon receiving this song from me, he said that I apparently knew him better than I thought I did; he has always tried to "earn grace" instead of just accepting it. I reminded him that he was still searching for empty love as though God were not enough, and I reminded him of how much God and I both loved him, and that we would never let him go, and that Jesus died to give him life to the fullest...but unfortunately, we very quickly went from best friends to strangers, and he basically dropped off the face of the earth for 5 months and didn't see anyone but his girlfriend. Ever since then, I have prayed with all my heart that he would realize his mistake and get out of that relationship, and last Thursday, he did. I finally talked to him today, and it was normal and wonderful. Thank God for answered prayers--he really is by our side, and by YOUR side. Anyway...sorry for giving my life story, but this song is such an incredible expression of how much God really, really loves us and will ALWAYS be there for us. When you're at your lowest, or when you need anything, you can always look up. I will never get tired of this song. :)
Beautiful song.
If they ever make a movie based on the novel Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, this HAS TO BE one of the songs on the soundtrack. If you've read it, you will understand. It describes the relationship between Angel and Hosea extremely well, in my opinion. And the Angel/Hosea relationship resembles our relationship as sinners with a God who wants only to rescue us. It is a beautiful song, as well. I love Tenth Avenue North. They write with such honesty and emotion.
When I feel so low, I play this song loudly and on repeat. It reminds me even during the times I feel like I'm alone, God has and always will be by my side. He's telling us to never forget that. Even if we can't see him, he's still there.
This song is gorgeous. I don't think you have to necessarily look at this song from a religious view, maybe I'm being biased because I'm Atheist, but I think you can look at it from any point of view of just... having someone there.
Not necessarily; it says "look at these hands and my side that swallowed the grave on that night ... to give you life" When Jesus was crucified, his wrists (aka hands) were pierced when he was nailed to the cross, and they made a hole in his side with a spear, draining the blood and water from his body (showing that he is truly dead, which makes his ressurection all the more amazing!). And he died that we might have eternal life in heaven through him. :)<br /> <br /> However, yes, it could be seen sort of as having someone there for you. It's just that that someone is Jesus.
^I know you've heard about Jesus and his crucifiction otherwise you wouldn't have chosen to be an atheist. This song is definately a promise from God that we are never alone. He loves you, even if you don't love him back, what amazing grace! You'll be in my prayers
You are correct--this song can be viewed from another view. For all other commentators please read carefully; MayaMoo never said that this wasn't a Christian band and did not argue with any of your views but simply stated that there could be another view. I have been a follower of Christ for 5 years and I am now a Worship leader for my church, so I look at this song through many of your same views and I know that it is about Christ. But, I often have to look at a song and think of the audience it is playing to. A song like this never says Christ, Jesus, or almost any other reference to who it is from other than the facts that only we who are studied up on His word know. For those who do not see things through our Christian worldview, things are not as black and white. Just because it said, "Look at these hands and my side they swallowed the grave on that night When I drank the world's sin So I could carry you in" doesn't mean it is clear to everyone. Before I knew Christ these lines would have said nothing to me, and I could've interpreted them any way I wanted. Remember that your view is not the only one, even if it is the right one.
Clearly a christian band.. so I'm agreeing it with it being from God's view. but it can be interpreted it sooo many ways. its a completely beautiful song no matter what (:
I dont see how you could think this is a non-christian band. I saw them at creationfest and at a show last spring. they're really nice:]
I think that parts of this song are religious:
Look at these hands and my side They swallowed the grave on that night When I drank the world's sin So I could carry you in And give you life I want to give you life
but I also think you could take this in another way, like having someone there when you need them.
Idk, i just think that it could be interpreted both ways. either way, awesome song(: