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.
Stand on up and take a bow
There is something there and it's showing
There is no need to look around you're the best we got going
Shout out to the dreams you'll chase
Shout out to the hearts you'll break
Nothing is gonna stop you now
I guess you better be going
You'll never be far, I'm keeping you near, inside of my heart, you're here
Go on, It's got to be time, you're starting to shine cause what you've got is gold
I know you're gold
Oh, I know I know
I don't even need stars in the night
I found my treasure
All I need is you by my side
So shine forever
Gold, I know you're gold
Oh I know you're gold
It won't take you long to get when you feel like your soaring
So write it all and don't forget, you gotta tell us your story
Shout out to the friends back home
Shout out to the hearts you've known
You gave them nothing but the best
Yeah, and you can tell them your story
You never be far
I'm keeping you near
Inside of my heart you're here oh
It's got to be time, your starting to shine cause what you have got is gold
I know you're gold
Oh, I know I know
I don't need stars in the night
I have found my treasure
All I need is you by my side
So shine forever
Gold I know you're gold
Oh, I know your gold
'Cause what you have got is gold
I know you're gold
Oh I know I know
I don't even need stars in the night
I found my treasure
All I need is you by my side
So shine forever
Gold, I know you're gold
Oh I know you're gold
You're gold
You're gold
There is something there and it's showing
There is no need to look around you're the best we got going
Shout out to the dreams you'll chase
Shout out to the hearts you'll break
Nothing is gonna stop you now
I guess you better be going
You'll never be far, I'm keeping you near, inside of my heart, you're here
Go on, It's got to be time, you're starting to shine cause what you've got is gold
I know you're gold
Oh, I know I know
I don't even need stars in the night
I found my treasure
All I need is you by my side
So shine forever
Gold, I know you're gold
Oh I know you're gold
It won't take you long to get when you feel like your soaring
So write it all and don't forget, you gotta tell us your story
Shout out to the friends back home
Shout out to the hearts you've known
You gave them nothing but the best
Yeah, and you can tell them your story
You never be far
I'm keeping you near
Inside of my heart you're here oh
It's got to be time, your starting to shine cause what you have got is gold
I know you're gold
Oh, I know I know
I don't need stars in the night
I have found my treasure
All I need is you by my side
So shine forever
Gold I know you're gold
Oh, I know your gold
'Cause what you have got is gold
I know you're gold
Oh I know I know
I don't even need stars in the night
I found my treasure
All I need is you by my side
So shine forever
Gold, I know you're gold
Oh I know you're gold
You're gold
You're gold
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I've listened to this song quite a few times, and there's one meaning that allows ALL the lyrics to make sense to me, and I can relate to it very well.
It's likely a song about graduation, and having to part with friends and move onto different paths. The singer wants to wish all his friends good luck with their futures, encouraging them to believe in their potentials (the "gold" they've got). And he'll always treasure those friends.
I originally thought that this song could be sung from the point of view of a teacher to a very talented student, but a teacher is not likely to consider one student their "treasure" and that "all I need is you by my side". It could also be from a parent to a child, even though the writer (Adam Young) is fairly young doesn't have children. And "by my side" would more likely be speaking to friends of the same age.
I'd love to have this song played or even perform it at my graduation the end of this year (: