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 have my mother's dreams
I have my father's eyes
You can't take that from me
Just go ahead and try
The crescent city sleeps
While giants in the sky
Preparing to unleash
Let loose a mighty cry
Can nobody save us?
Will anyone try?
The bayou is burning
The cypress has died
And all along they're saying
Help is on the way (They said they said)
Help is on the way (They said they said)
One by land, two by sea, right there in front of me
Help is on the way
Five thousand feet below
As black smoke engulfs the sky
The ocean floor explodes
Eleven mothers cry
My bones all resonate
A burning lullaby
You can't take that from me
Just go ahead and try
She says that's a shoreline
With hands in the air
Her words pierce the dark night
Does anyone care?
And all along can say it
Help is on the way (They said they said)
Help is on the way (They said they said)
Hold my hand, to help see, right there in front of me
Help is on the way
Right here
Right here
Right here
Right here
Right here
Right here
Choking on the black gold
Upon which we here rely
We keep axes in the attic
To see cameras in the sky
Help is on the way (They said they said)
Help is on the way (They said they said)
We were told, just to sit tight
'Cause somebody will soon arrive
Help is on the way
They never came
They never came
Help is on the way (They said they said)
Help is on the way (They said they said)
One by land, two by sea, right there in front of me
Help is on the way
On the way
I have my father's eyes
You can't take that from me
Just go ahead and try
The crescent city sleeps
While giants in the sky
Preparing to unleash
Let loose a mighty cry
Can nobody save us?
Will anyone try?
The bayou is burning
The cypress has died
And all along they're saying
Help is on the way (They said they said)
Help is on the way (They said they said)
One by land, two by sea, right there in front of me
Help is on the way
Five thousand feet below
As black smoke engulfs the sky
The ocean floor explodes
Eleven mothers cry
My bones all resonate
A burning lullaby
You can't take that from me
Just go ahead and try
She says that's a shoreline
With hands in the air
Her words pierce the dark night
Does anyone care?
And all along can say it
Help is on the way (They said they said)
Help is on the way (They said they said)
Hold my hand, to help see, right there in front of me
Help is on the way
Right here
Right here
Right here
Right here
Right here
Right here
Choking on the black gold
Upon which we here rely
We keep axes in the attic
To see cameras in the sky
Help is on the way (They said they said)
Help is on the way (They said they said)
We were told, just to sit tight
'Cause somebody will soon arrive
Help is on the way
They never came
They never came
Help is on the way (They said they said)
Help is on the way (They said they said)
One by land, two by sea, right there in front of me
Help is on the way
On the way
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its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
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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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Techno Ted may be a person who caused Chris incredible emotional pain & trepidation as well as moments of peace & happiness but now is removed and awaiting his fate. Darling may be a different person who is also free of him and can live her life free of Ted's tyranny. "In between all the laughing, and daydreams ... lies: a desert of truth" Lies are like a desert or the omission of Truth: Where there were Lies then Truth was absent. The song, "Techno Ted", may be a cathartic celebration of the downfall of this person.
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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.
same thing with Haiti, the media had a field day over it but then lost interest