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.
Bawitdaba, da bang, da dang diggy diggy, diggy, said the boogie, said up jump the boogie
My name is kid
Kid rock!
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
And this is for the questions that don't have an answer
The midnight glances
And the topless dancers
The can of freaks
Cars packed with speakers
The g's with the forty's
And the chicks with beepers
The northern lights
And the southern comfort
And it don't even matter if your veins are punctured
All the crackheads, the critics, the cities
And all my heroes at the methodone clinics
All you bastards at the i.r.s.
For the crooked cops and the cluttered desks
For the shots of jack and the caps of meth
Half pints of love and a fifth of stress
All the hookers that are tricking out in hollywood
And for my hoods of the world misunderstood
I said it's all good and it's all in fun
Now get in the pit and try to love someone!
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
For the time bombs clicking and the heads they hang
All the gangs gettin' money and the heads they bang, bang
Wild mustangs
The porno flicks
All my homies in the county in cell block six
The grits when there ain't enough eggs to cook
And to d.b. cooper and the money he took
You can look for answers but that ain't fun
Now get in the pit and try to love someone
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
My name is kid
Kid rock!
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
And this is for the questions that don't have an answer
The midnight glances
And the topless dancers
The can of freaks
Cars packed with speakers
The g's with the forty's
And the chicks with beepers
The northern lights
And the southern comfort
And it don't even matter if your veins are punctured
All the crackheads, the critics, the cities
And all my heroes at the methodone clinics
All you bastards at the i.r.s.
For the crooked cops and the cluttered desks
For the shots of jack and the caps of meth
Half pints of love and a fifth of stress
All the hookers that are tricking out in hollywood
And for my hoods of the world misunderstood
I said it's all good and it's all in fun
Now get in the pit and try to love someone!
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
For the time bombs clicking and the heads they hang
All the gangs gettin' money and the heads they bang, bang
Wild mustangs
The porno flicks
All my homies in the county in cell block six
The grits when there ain't enough eggs to cook
And to d.b. cooper and the money he took
You can look for answers but that ain't fun
Now get in the pit and try to love someone
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
Bawitdaba da bang da bang diggy diggy diggy
Shake the boogie said up jump the boogie
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its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
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i dont understand why people who dont like the song come on the page and say they dont like the song. What have you accomplished?