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.
Waited for your call, for the moon
To release me from the longest afternoon
I've re-arranged parts of my living room
But time is hard to kill since I met you
Looking at the cars that drive on by
While spring is making promise outside
Red cars are quite rare I realize
Then I wonder which color you like
Seven little numbers baby, they could be a start
Seven little numbers baby, I know yours by heart
Woo-oh, oh-oh, all the pretty things that we could be
Woo-oh, oh-oh, I feel you in every heart beat
Woo-oh, oh-oh, were you ever in a dream that could come true
These numbers could be lucky for you
Watch the sky change to a darkened blue
I can't think of another thing to do
And every song just makes me think of you
Because the singers sounds as if she was longing,
As if she was longing, too
Seven little numbers baby, they could be a start
Seven little numbers baby, I know yours by heart
Seven little numbers baby, they could make a change
Seven little numbers baby, make a fire out of this flame
Woo-oh, oh-oh, all the pretty things that we could be
Woo-oh, oh-oh, I feel you in every heart beat
Woo-oh, oh-oh, were you ever in a dream that could come true
These numbers could be lucky for you
I read your name on every wall, on every wall, tell me
Is there a cure for me at all, for me at all, tell me
I read your name on every wall, on every wall, tell me
Is there a cure for me at all, for me at all
Woo-oh, oh-oh, all the pretty things that we could be
Woo-oh, oh-oh, I feel you in every heart beat
Woo-oh, oh-oh, were you ever in a dream that could come true
These numbers could be lucky for you
Woo-oh, oh-oh
Woo-oh, oh-oh
Woo-oh, oh-oh
These numbers could be lucky
These numbers could be lucky for you
To release me from the longest afternoon
I've re-arranged parts of my living room
But time is hard to kill since I met you
Looking at the cars that drive on by
While spring is making promise outside
Red cars are quite rare I realize
Then I wonder which color you like
Seven little numbers baby, they could be a start
Seven little numbers baby, I know yours by heart
Woo-oh, oh-oh, all the pretty things that we could be
Woo-oh, oh-oh, I feel you in every heart beat
Woo-oh, oh-oh, were you ever in a dream that could come true
These numbers could be lucky for you
Watch the sky change to a darkened blue
I can't think of another thing to do
And every song just makes me think of you
Because the singers sounds as if she was longing,
As if she was longing, too
Seven little numbers baby, they could be a start
Seven little numbers baby, I know yours by heart
Seven little numbers baby, they could make a change
Seven little numbers baby, make a fire out of this flame
Woo-oh, oh-oh, all the pretty things that we could be
Woo-oh, oh-oh, I feel you in every heart beat
Woo-oh, oh-oh, were you ever in a dream that could come true
These numbers could be lucky for you
I read your name on every wall, on every wall, tell me
Is there a cure for me at all, for me at all, tell me
I read your name on every wall, on every wall, tell me
Is there a cure for me at all, for me at all
Woo-oh, oh-oh, all the pretty things that we could be
Woo-oh, oh-oh, I feel you in every heart beat
Woo-oh, oh-oh, were you ever in a dream that could come true
These numbers could be lucky for you
Woo-oh, oh-oh
Woo-oh, oh-oh
Woo-oh, oh-oh
These numbers could be lucky
These numbers could be lucky for you
Lyrics submitted by bluebetty, edited by carizza, HappyCactus
Little Numbers Lyrics as written by Valeska Anna Steiner Sonja Glass
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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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This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
She's met someone who's sparked her soul to fly, and now no one else can measure close to him. They spent some time together and she got to know him. Then they had to part, long-distance being the barrier between them. Things have slowed down, but she can't forget about him. She wants him to call her (the 7 digits are her phone number), and can do nothing but wait for him until he does something. So she continues living, with him in and on her mind, relevant to everything else. She keeps in mind the potential they have together.
I agree with your meaning of the song almost completely. Almost. I believe instead of talking about a "he", that the singer is talking about a "she", her fellow band member in particular. I especially think this because of watching the music video :) Though I really just hope that it's true, because I really hope they're a couple. I mean honestly, how ADORABLE would that be??!?! <3 <3 <3
@Brighterrr Yes. I agree. The numbers refer to an American number. This seems to go along with the other songs like New York, where she is talking about a local wild horse to come and pick her up. Sounds like she met a guy from the USA with a red car. The band is from Germany/Switzerland where I believe, phone numbers have 12 digits. That's basically why she says 7 "little" numbers.