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.
A long, long, long, long time ago
Before the wind, before the snow
Lived a man, lived a man I know
Lived a freak of nature named Sir Psycho
Sir Psycho Sexy that is me
Sometimes I find I need to scream
He's a freak of nature
But we love him so
He's a freak of nature
But we let him go
Deep inside the garden of Eden
Standing there with my hard on bleedin'
There's a devil in my dick and some demons in my semen
Good God no that would be treason
Believe me Eve she gave good reason
Botty looking too good not to be squeezin'
Creamy beaver hotter than a fever
I'm a givin' 'cause she's the receiver
I won't and I don't hang up until I please her
Makin' her feel like an over achiever
I take it away for a minute just to tease her
Then I give it back a little bit deeper
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (he's the man that I met one time)
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (he's the man that left me blind)
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (he's the man he's the man he's the man)
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (yeah)
He's a freak of nature
But we love him so
He's a freak of nature
But we let him go
I got stopped by a lady cop
In my automobile
She said get out and spead your legs
And then she tried to cop a feel
That cop she was all dressed in blue
Was she pretty? Boy I'm tellin' you
She stuck my butt with her big black stick
I said, "What's up?" now suck my dick
Like a ram getting ready to jam the lamb
She whimpered just a little when she felt my hand
On her crotch so very warm
I could feel her getting wet through her uniform
Proppin' her up on the black and white
Unzipped and slipped, "Ooh, that's tight"
I swatted her like no swat team can
Turned a cherry pie right into jam
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (I'm the man that you met one time)
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (I'm the man that will leave you blind)
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man)
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah
Hello young woman that I love
Pretty punk rock mama that I'm thinking of
Hold me naked if you will
In your arms in your legs in your pussy I'd kill
To be with you, to kiss with you, I do miss you
I love you
Lay me down, lay me down, lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down, lay me down, lay me down, lay me down
Descending waves of graceful pleasure
For your love there is no measure
Her curves they bend with subtle splendor
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the funk will make me freak
If I should die before I waked
Allow me Lord to rock out naked
Bored by the ordinary time to take a trip
Calling up a little girl with a bull whip
Lickety split go snap, snap
Girl gettin' off all in my lap
The tallest tree the sweetest sap
Blowin' my ass right off the map
Ooh and it's nice out here
I think I'll stay for a while
Before the wind, before the snow
Lived a man, lived a man I know
Lived a freak of nature named Sir Psycho
Sir Psycho Sexy that is me
Sometimes I find I need to scream
He's a freak of nature
But we love him so
He's a freak of nature
But we let him go
Deep inside the garden of Eden
Standing there with my hard on bleedin'
There's a devil in my dick and some demons in my semen
Good God no that would be treason
Believe me Eve she gave good reason
Botty looking too good not to be squeezin'
Creamy beaver hotter than a fever
I'm a givin' 'cause she's the receiver
I won't and I don't hang up until I please her
Makin' her feel like an over achiever
I take it away for a minute just to tease her
Then I give it back a little bit deeper
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (he's the man that I met one time)
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (he's the man that left me blind)
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (he's the man he's the man he's the man)
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (yeah)
He's a freak of nature
But we love him so
He's a freak of nature
But we let him go
I got stopped by a lady cop
In my automobile
She said get out and spead your legs
And then she tried to cop a feel
That cop she was all dressed in blue
Was she pretty? Boy I'm tellin' you
She stuck my butt with her big black stick
I said, "What's up?" now suck my dick
Like a ram getting ready to jam the lamb
She whimpered just a little when she felt my hand
On her crotch so very warm
I could feel her getting wet through her uniform
Proppin' her up on the black and white
Unzipped and slipped, "Ooh, that's tight"
I swatted her like no swat team can
Turned a cherry pie right into jam
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (I'm the man that you met one time)
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (I'm the man that will leave you blind)
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah (I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man)
Sir Psycho, Sir Psycho, yeah
Hello young woman that I love
Pretty punk rock mama that I'm thinking of
Hold me naked if you will
In your arms in your legs in your pussy I'd kill
To be with you, to kiss with you, I do miss you
I love you
Lay me down, lay me down, lay me down, lay me down
Lay me down, lay me down, lay me down, lay me down
Descending waves of graceful pleasure
For your love there is no measure
Her curves they bend with subtle splendor
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the funk will make me freak
If I should die before I waked
Allow me Lord to rock out naked
Bored by the ordinary time to take a trip
Calling up a little girl with a bull whip
Lickety split go snap, snap
Girl gettin' off all in my lap
The tallest tree the sweetest sap
Blowin' my ass right off the map
Ooh and it's nice out here
I think I'll stay for a while
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Love in a Vacuum
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The Spy
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Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
This is a song about Anthony, Sir Psycho Sexy himself. About his love for women, and sex. I love the way Ant talks about himself in this song....very cocky (no pun intended ;) )