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 got a way
of finding out what you said,
but I want to hear it from the butcher's mouth.
I've got a way
of freaking out all your friends when I'm talking out loud.
But it ends me when I can tell that I've become the person I can't take, that I hate,
a person so much like you.
I've got a way.
Your jealous eyes, with reckless pride, feasting on the wealth.
I've got a way.
This little click, brick by brick, has turned upon itself.
You're a broken record repeating these vanities.
Over and over again.
You find your words and made them work for you,
and trust me, people will drink them in.
The absence of a witness, no one to see this.
Hid your affection for self-obsession and the greed.
But now it's back to your, back to your knees.
I've got a way.
Your jealous eyes, with reckless pride, feasting on the wealth.
I've got a way.
This little click, brick by brick, has turned upon itself.
You're a broken record repeating these vanities.
Over and over, the same old story.
(Throw yourself a pity party,
pulling each and every heartstring.
We brought you here.
We brought you here.
And no one will come to your defense.)
Let's break that smile right off your face.
Taking time to save the place
where names are of no use
and ridiculous answers will find their sleep,
and you will find your sleep too.
(Way, I've got a way.)
You're a broken record repeating these vanities.
Over and over again
of finding out what you said,
but I want to hear it from the butcher's mouth.
I've got a way
of freaking out all your friends when I'm talking out loud.
But it ends me when I can tell that I've become the person I can't take, that I hate,
a person so much like you.
I've got a way.
Your jealous eyes, with reckless pride, feasting on the wealth.
I've got a way.
This little click, brick by brick, has turned upon itself.
You're a broken record repeating these vanities.
Over and over again.
You find your words and made them work for you,
and trust me, people will drink them in.
The absence of a witness, no one to see this.
Hid your affection for self-obsession and the greed.
But now it's back to your, back to your knees.
I've got a way.
Your jealous eyes, with reckless pride, feasting on the wealth.
I've got a way.
This little click, brick by brick, has turned upon itself.
You're a broken record repeating these vanities.
Over and over, the same old story.
(Throw yourself a pity party,
pulling each and every heartstring.
We brought you here.
We brought you here.
And no one will come to your defense.)
Let's break that smile right off your face.
Taking time to save the place
where names are of no use
and ridiculous answers will find their sleep,
and you will find your sleep too.
(Way, I've got a way.)
You're a broken record repeating these vanities.
Over and over again
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Love in a Vacuum
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Gadjits, The
Gadjits, The
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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Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
He certainly did earn that reputation.
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Doors, The
Doors, The
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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Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
you're the reason why women were once trapped in a kitchen. not enough brains.
also, how many women does it take to screw in a light bulb?
answer: one if she knows what's good for her.
(written by a girl who understands that yes, all women are cunts, and maybe if we didn't act like it, this song wouldn't have been written.)