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 woke up this mornin' and I sat up straight in bed
I had the strangest feeling of this weight off of my chest
I hadn't felt that hopeful since the day that you left
And it felt nice, so nice
And everybody told me it would happen in time
The fire would burn out and all the storm clouds'd subside
And I always believed that it was some comforting lie
But it feels nice, so nice
'Cause I was half myself without you, now I feel so complete
And I can't even remember what made me lose all that sleep
I cried a million rivers for you, but that's over now
You're just a stranger I know everything about, ooh, ooh
You're just a stranger I know everything about
Made a pot of coffee and I poured myself a cup
I thought of all the things I did to try and win your love
How did that happen? I can't imagine ever doing all that stuff for just some guy
Like, you're just some guy
Oh, but I hope that you're happy, babe, you know I really do
And God knows that I am the girl I am because of you
You know I'll always think of you, I'll love ya 'til the end of time
You are the best thing that I'll ever keep so far out of my life
Yeah, I was half myself without you, now I feel so complete
And I can't even remember what made me lose all that sleep
I cried a million rivers for you, but that's over now
You're just a stranger I know everything about, ooh, ooh
You're just a stranger I know everything about
There's nothin' left for me to know
I had to stay, you had to go
And it was mean, but it doesn't matter anymore though
There's nothin' left for me to sing
I screamed, I cried, I did the whole thing
And I loved you mad, but it doesn't matter anymore, no
I was half myself without you, now I feel so complete
And if I'm not enough for you, you're not enough for me
I fought a million battles, but you can't get to me now
You're just a stranger I know everything about, ooh, ooh
You're just a stranger I know everything about
You're just a stranger I know everything about
I had the strangest feeling of this weight off of my chest
I hadn't felt that hopeful since the day that you left
And it felt nice, so nice
And everybody told me it would happen in time
The fire would burn out and all the storm clouds'd subside
And I always believed that it was some comforting lie
But it feels nice, so nice
'Cause I was half myself without you, now I feel so complete
And I can't even remember what made me lose all that sleep
I cried a million rivers for you, but that's over now
You're just a stranger I know everything about, ooh, ooh
You're just a stranger I know everything about
Made a pot of coffee and I poured myself a cup
I thought of all the things I did to try and win your love
How did that happen? I can't imagine ever doing all that stuff for just some guy
Like, you're just some guy
Oh, but I hope that you're happy, babe, you know I really do
And God knows that I am the girl I am because of you
You know I'll always think of you, I'll love ya 'til the end of time
You are the best thing that I'll ever keep so far out of my life
Yeah, I was half myself without you, now I feel so complete
And I can't even remember what made me lose all that sleep
I cried a million rivers for you, but that's over now
You're just a stranger I know everything about, ooh, ooh
You're just a stranger I know everything about
There's nothin' left for me to know
I had to stay, you had to go
And it was mean, but it doesn't matter anymore though
There's nothin' left for me to sing
I screamed, I cried, I did the whole thing
And I loved you mad, but it doesn't matter anymore, no
I was half myself without you, now I feel so complete
And if I'm not enough for you, you're not enough for me
I fought a million battles, but you can't get to me now
You're just a stranger I know everything about, ooh, ooh
You're just a stranger I know everything about
You're just a stranger I know everything about
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
stranger Lyrics as written by Olivia Rodrigo
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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