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.
My heart woke up my head like a thunderstorm;
A place where I can barely stand.
I spent a winter without my air
But now I feel it in my chest.
I'm just so sick of the scenery,
And all those hours without sex.
I get so tired of being me,
But now I'm feeling this again.
And God knows that you can't see after dark,
But I won't give this up 'cause I wrote this on my chest.
So tell me what you think of the atmosphere
And all those months inside my head.
Well do you really believe in me?
I will hold this like a gun
Because I've got some things to do.
"Stay what you are".
Because I've got some things to do.
I filled up all my future with written words.
I told the whole world I was spent.
I came around when they needed me,
And that's just how I learned to give
With all the feelings and losing sleep;
Now I never want to go.
And God knows that you can't see after dark,
But I won't give this up 'cause I wrote this on my chest.
So tell me what you think of the atmosphere
And all those months inside my head.
Well do you really believe in me?
I will hold this like a gun
Because I've got some things to do.
"Stay what you are".
Because I've got some things to do.
And I do.
I've got all these plans laid out again like this is war;
And I want to touch the coast again.
I'll forget to take my voice as going,
Forget to hold my breath as spoken,
And say don't you remember where you've been.
So tell me what you think of the atmosphere
And all those months inside my head.
Well do you really believe in me?
I will hold this like a gun
Because I've got some things to do.
"Stay what you are".
Because I've got some things to do.
Because I've got some things to do.
"stay what you are".
Because I've got some things to do.
A place where I can barely stand.
I spent a winter without my air
But now I feel it in my chest.
I'm just so sick of the scenery,
And all those hours without sex.
I get so tired of being me,
But now I'm feeling this again.
And God knows that you can't see after dark,
But I won't give this up 'cause I wrote this on my chest.
So tell me what you think of the atmosphere
And all those months inside my head.
Well do you really believe in me?
I will hold this like a gun
Because I've got some things to do.
"Stay what you are".
Because I've got some things to do.
I filled up all my future with written words.
I told the whole world I was spent.
I came around when they needed me,
And that's just how I learned to give
With all the feelings and losing sleep;
Now I never want to go.
And God knows that you can't see after dark,
But I won't give this up 'cause I wrote this on my chest.
So tell me what you think of the atmosphere
And all those months inside my head.
Well do you really believe in me?
I will hold this like a gun
Because I've got some things to do.
"Stay what you are".
Because I've got some things to do.
And I do.
I've got all these plans laid out again like this is war;
And I want to touch the coast again.
I'll forget to take my voice as going,
Forget to hold my breath as spoken,
And say don't you remember where you've been.
So tell me what you think of the atmosphere
And all those months inside my head.
Well do you really believe in me?
I will hold this like a gun
Because I've got some things to do.
"Stay what you are".
Because I've got some things to do.
Because I've got some things to do.
"stay what you are".
Because I've got some things to do.
Lyrics submitted by TSostarich, edited by someguySoupboy
This Is War Lyrics as written by Bryan Alan Czap A.j. Perdomo
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
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He certainly did earn that reputation.
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Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
i spent a year without you (my air, my reason for leaving) and now i feel it deep inside of me. im so sick of this. and i know you dont know, but you were in my head for months... do you reallybelieve in me? or was this all a dream?
he has been with a girl before and loves her like crazy............ she has ben in her head for months but wants to know if this is all true...
I know these are the lyrics from AJ himself, but there's a bit missing. I think it's "I came around when they needed me, and that's just how I learned to give with all the feelings and losing sleep, in a scene where I found hope; it was a piece that I buried deep but now I never want to go."
I think this is about the band and music, about being uncertain and giving up but then realising that he does really want this.
"And God knows that you can't see after dark, but I won't give this up 'cause I wrote this on my chest."
He doesn't really know what's going to happen but he refuses to give it up because it's what he wants in his heart or something. I'm not really sure about the "I wrote this on my chest" part but my best guess is that music is close to his heart, or he sees it as a part of him. I think this song was the first one they wrote after they got back together after that sort-of-break-up, and the atmosphere in the band was different to how it was before. Or maybe things between his family/friends and him were tense, after he'd stop isolating himself and he doesn't know if they believe in him or not, but he doesn't care because he's going to stick to music anyway.
"I filled up all my future with written words. I told the whole world I was spent. I came around when they needed me, and that's just how I learned to give with all the feelings and losing sleep, in a scene where I found hope; it was a piece that I buried deep but now I never want to go."
He used his lyrics to pave a future for himself. But maybe he felt he was giving away too much of himself and he wasn't sure if even that would be enough so he quit, but then he realised that he couldn't let down the people counting on him. And that deep down he still had hope even though he was trying to convince himself that they weren't going to make it.
"I'll forget to take my voice as going, forget to hold my breath as spoken, and say don't you remember where you've been."
I actually don't get this part much. Maybe he's saying that he's only going to concentrate on the music and forget everything else, except everything he's been through. Or maybe not.
"Stay what you are" is a reference to Saves The Day I think.
I think this song is about a broken heart and him trying to get over it. Its hard though, hints "This is War" And this is the second time he mentions winter, the first is in "Where I Wanna Be" So I'm guessing it was during winter And I think the line "so tell me what you think of the atmosphere, and all those months inside my head" is just genius. It also hits home, I know exactly what he means. Sometimes you just can't stop thinking of something or someone no matter how bad you want to. O ya, and I also think "I've got all these plans laid out again... like this is war" is nothing short of brilliant.