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.
(Title should be "Eternal Shore")
Crash against her and be broken
Lying dormant in the depths of her consciousness
She always knew I was there
Kept me away
Kept me at bay
Witness the birth of a goddess
What do you know of unlimited power?
She's all she could want to be
She is fire!
Life incarnate!
Now and forever
She is the rock of the eternal shore
Crash against her and be broken
Hunger for the feeling of ecstacy
I crave the ultimate sensation
Lust for the feeling
Lust for the feeling of this destiny
It consumes me
Crash against her and be broken
She is fire!
Life incarnate!
Now and forever
She is the rock of the eternal shore
Crash against her and be broken
An essence of beautiful terror
Her power is a song wtihin herself
Ask not for pity
There is none in her
Ask not for mercy
There is none in her
Crash against her and be broken
What do you know of unlimited power?
She's all she could want to be
She is fire!
Life incarnate!
Now and forever
She is the rock of the eternal shore
Crash against her and be broken
She is fire!
Life incarnate!
Crash against her and be broken
Lying dormant in the depths of her consciousness
She always knew I was there
Kept me away
Kept me at bay
Witness the birth of a goddess
What do you know of unlimited power?
She's all she could want to be
She is fire!
Life incarnate!
Now and forever
She is the rock of the eternal shore
Crash against her and be broken
Hunger for the feeling of ecstacy
I crave the ultimate sensation
Lust for the feeling
Lust for the feeling of this destiny
It consumes me
Crash against her and be broken
She is fire!
Life incarnate!
Now and forever
She is the rock of the eternal shore
Crash against her and be broken
An essence of beautiful terror
Her power is a song wtihin herself
Ask not for pity
There is none in her
Ask not for mercy
There is none in her
Crash against her and be broken
What do you know of unlimited power?
She's all she could want to be
She is fire!
Life incarnate!
Now and forever
She is the rock of the eternal shore
Crash against her and be broken
She is fire!
Life incarnate!
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by thefrail86
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
Love in a Vacuum
'Til Tuesday
'Til Tuesday
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
Siberian Kiss
Glassjaw
Glassjaw
its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
when rules change
Life in Your Way
Life in Your Way
High life
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
Step
Ministry
Ministry
Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
![Album art](../../../images/art-default.png)
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Band stated in interview that each song is about a different comic book character(s), but that the lyrics are also written vaguely enough to be relateable.
Characters: I am 90% certain this is about Jean Grey becoming the Pheonix. The fire line in particular is telling. The line, "I am the rocks of the eternal shore: crash against me and be broken," is actually a quote from Apocalypse, but the lyrics are written about a female character.
General message: