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.
Well your eyes just haven't been the same, Joseph
Are you bad at dealing with the fame, Joseph
There's a pale moonshine, above you
Do you see both sides, do they shove you, around
Is the touchstone forcing you to hide, Joseph
Are the rumors eating you alive, Joseph
When the holy night is upon you
Will you do what's right, the position is yours
From the temple walls to the New York night
Our decisions rest on a child
When she took her stand
Did she hold your hand
Will your faith stand still or run away
Run away
When they've driven you so far
That you think you're gonna drop
Do you wish you were back there at the carpenter shop
With the plane and the lathe
The work never drove you mad
You're a maker, a creator
Not just somebody's dad
From the temple walls to the New York night
Our decisions rest on a man
When I take the stand
When I take the stand
Will he hold my hand
Will my faith stand still or run away
(Run away)
And the desert
It's a hell of a place to find heaven
Forty years lost in the wilderness looking for God
And you climb to the top of the mountain
Looking down on the city
Where you were born
(On the years since you left gave you time to sit back and reflect)
Better you than me (better you than me)
Better you than me
Yes
Well the Holy night is upon you (better you than me, better you than me)
Do you see both sides, do they shove you, around
Better you than me, Joseph (better you than me)
Better you than me
Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, Joseph
Than me
Better you than me
Better you than me (better you, better you, better you)
Than me
Well your eyes just haven?t been the same, Joseph
Are you bad at dealing with the fame, Joseph
There's a pale moonshine, above you
Do you see both sides, do they shove you, around
Is the touchstone forcing you to hide, Joseph
Are the rumors eating you alive, Joseph
When the holy night is upon you
Will you do what's right, the position is yours
From the temple walls to the New York night
Our decisions rest on a child
When she took her stand
Did she hold your hand
Will your faith stand still or run away
Run away
When they've driven you so far
That you think you're gonna drop
Do you wish you were back there at the carpenter shop
With the plane and the lathe
The work never drove you mad
You're a maker, a creator
Not just somebody's dad
From the temple walls to the New York night
Our decisions rest on a man
When I take the stand
When I take the stand
Will he hold my hand
Will my faith stand still or run away
(Run away)
And the desert
It's a hell of a place to find heaven
Forty years lost in the wilderness looking for God
And you climb to the top of the mountain
Looking down on the city
Where you were born
(On the years since you left gave you time to sit back and reflect)
Better you than me (better you than me)
Better you than me
Yes
Well the Holy night is upon you (better you than me, better you than me)
Do you see both sides, do they shove you, around
Better you than me, Joseph (better you than me)
Better you than me
Joseph, Joseph, Joseph, Joseph
Than me
Better you than me
Better you than me (better you, better you, better you)
Than me
Well your eyes just haven?t been the same, Joseph
Lyrics submitted by ShotgunXXWedding, edited by unillama
Joseph, Better You Than Me Lyrics as written by Elton John Neil Tennant
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Ya, this one's about Joseph from the bible. "Bad at dealin with the fame" = all the people around bringing gifts to baby jesus and other things. he's not used to all these people around him like a celebrity almost.
"Are the rumors eatin you alive" = he didnt conseive the baby so people are bound to talk....
"When she took her stand did she hold your hand Will your faith stand still or run away" = Will you stay with Mary, or leave her?
"And the desert It's a hell of a place to find heaven Forty years lost in the wilderness looking for God" = This is referring to Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt. Not sure how this fits in with Joseph, considering he would have been born yet...
"Better you than me Joseph" = This is obviously a hard situation to be in so the singers are saying they couldnt handle this much responsibility, and 'good for you Joseph' kind of thing
Great song....at least thats how i take this song.
I think the line "Bad at dealin with the fame" could also be referring to how his whole community would be talking about Mary and her pre-marital pregnancy, as well as his role in it. He has a tough decision to make at it is, and all of the rumors and staring eyes wouldn't help.