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.
Having an argument with myself down Elizabeth Street
Bumping into backpackers and
struggling with the parameters
and the basic construction of my feet
Kicking beer cans and rubbish along the concrete
Crossing the street and crossing galaxies of taxis and
backseats and drunk Swedes and half-Greeks
Shut up, no, you shut up!
What's the matter, take a number, Buttercup!
Every time I hear you say "Fuck it"
I would remind you of the photo in your pocket
How long it's been there, two years, I bet
have a sniff, it probably smells like a cigarette
When was the last time you smoked a cigarette?
And more importantly, who did you smoke it with?
Having an argument with myself down Victoria Street
Passing the market now, the windows in neon illuminating my path to defeat
Your grinning face scaring a poor parakeet
Your heavy breathing scaring the wind
So rich on Summer and so sweet
Fuck you, no, you fuck you!
You didn't come here for nothing, did you?
I know that's what you've been saying lately
But let me draw attention to exhibit B
A honeysuckle in a plastic envelope
and put the flower underneath a microscope
See what's written on the petals
Look closer, that's her initials
And now I'm walking by Bev and Mick's backpacker hostel on Victoria Street
Where it's reggae night tonight
And the backpackers are pouring out like a tidal wave of vomit
I have to sit down on the curbside and count the coins in my pocket
See if I have enough cash to take a taxi home
...No
Alright, yes, can we just try to figure this out?
Can we just talk about this, please?
Nah, I don't wanna talk to you
OK, you wanna keep fighting?
Yeah, I wanna keep on fighting
Alright, fair enough
1, 2, 3, here we go!
Having an argument with myself down Queensbury Street
The lonely light from the town hall clock tower
Chime of the bells striking
1, 2, 3
And it took shape in the form of an image in the form of a living memory
The way her shadow used to walk by your side
In a different time, in a different city
Oh please, no you oh please!
I wanna see you drop down on your knees
I wanna see your hand waving "Farewell"
Why you hittin' yourself, why you hittin' yourself?
History repeats itself twice, said Marx
First as tragedy, then as farce
But where did I find its source,
To make history of a love, a love like ours?
A love like ours
Bumping into backpackers and
struggling with the parameters
and the basic construction of my feet
Kicking beer cans and rubbish along the concrete
Crossing the street and crossing galaxies of taxis and
backseats and drunk Swedes and half-Greeks
Shut up, no, you shut up!
What's the matter, take a number, Buttercup!
Every time I hear you say "Fuck it"
I would remind you of the photo in your pocket
How long it's been there, two years, I bet
have a sniff, it probably smells like a cigarette
When was the last time you smoked a cigarette?
And more importantly, who did you smoke it with?
Having an argument with myself down Victoria Street
Passing the market now, the windows in neon illuminating my path to defeat
Your grinning face scaring a poor parakeet
Your heavy breathing scaring the wind
So rich on Summer and so sweet
Fuck you, no, you fuck you!
You didn't come here for nothing, did you?
I know that's what you've been saying lately
But let me draw attention to exhibit B
A honeysuckle in a plastic envelope
and put the flower underneath a microscope
See what's written on the petals
Look closer, that's her initials
And now I'm walking by Bev and Mick's backpacker hostel on Victoria Street
Where it's reggae night tonight
And the backpackers are pouring out like a tidal wave of vomit
I have to sit down on the curbside and count the coins in my pocket
See if I have enough cash to take a taxi home
...No
Alright, yes, can we just try to figure this out?
Can we just talk about this, please?
Nah, I don't wanna talk to you
OK, you wanna keep fighting?
Yeah, I wanna keep on fighting
Alright, fair enough
1, 2, 3, here we go!
Having an argument with myself down Queensbury Street
The lonely light from the town hall clock tower
Chime of the bells striking
1, 2, 3
And it took shape in the form of an image in the form of a living memory
The way her shadow used to walk by your side
In a different time, in a different city
Oh please, no you oh please!
I wanna see you drop down on your knees
I wanna see your hand waving "Farewell"
Why you hittin' yourself, why you hittin' yourself?
History repeats itself twice, said Marx
First as tragedy, then as farce
But where did I find its source,
To make history of a love, a love like ours?
A love like ours
Lyrics submitted by TheRandomGuy, edited by NotJensLekman
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"How long it's been there, two years, has it? ????? smell like cigarette"
I hear: "how long's it been there, two years i bet have a sniff it smells like a cigarette"
Also, "The lonely life from the town hall club tower" = "the lonely light from the town hall clock tower"
And about the last verse...yeah, I have no idea :(
One more: "backseats and drunks, sweets, and half-Greeks" = "backseats and drunk suites and half-Greeks"
Thanks for the corrections! Sometimes he just went too fast for me to really make out.
Compiling what others have said:<br /> <br /> Having an argument with myself down Victoria Street<br /> Passing the market now, the windows IN NEON illuminating my path to defeat<br /> Your grinning face scaring a poor parakeet<br /> Your HEAVY breathing scaring the wind<br /> <br /> So rich on Summer and so sweet<br /> <br /> Fuck you, no, you fuck you!<br /> You didn't come here for nothing, did you?<br /> I know that's what you've been saying lately<br /> But let me draw attention to a exhibit B<br /> <br /> A HONEYSUCKLE in a plastic envelope<br /> and put the flower UNDERNEATH A microscope<br /> See what's written on the petals<br /> Look closer, that's her initials