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.
She played for the Angels
I played for the Tribe
The summer had been stolen and the bases were all loaded
There was big money on the line
Big money all the time, yeah
There was big money on the line
I can't walk so I guess I'm gonna stay at home
They can have my legs just leave my mail alone
I was in the kitchen
The year was in the fall
A friend of mine had told me that there were no point in mopin'
No, there were no point at all
There was big fire in the hall, yeah
There weren't no points at all
I can't walk so I guess I'm gonna stay at home
They can have my legs just leave my mail alone
And I can't talk so I guess I got nothin' to say
I'll keep my eyes just take these tears away
Lock, stock, and barrel all the dogs were gone to feral
And the car ran like a broken percolator
His liver had gone hard and he wouldn't mow the yard
There was big money on the line
And I heard that his brother was a Viking
He liked to solve a problem with a gun
If you wanna know the facts you gotta teach him how to act
And I hate cough syrup, don't you?
I'd rather be a sailor than a fighter
I'd like to sail a ship into the sun
If you wanna know the truth, you gotta dig up Johnny Booth
And I hate cough syrup, don't you?
I know that your mother is a martyr
I heard she's got connections with the mob
If you wanna learn the fight, you gotta drink up all the light
And I hate cough syrup, don't you?
I'd rather be a matchstick than a lighter
I like to see the wood curl up and burn
If you wanna touch the sky, you must be prepared to die
And I hate cough syrup, don't you?
I hate cough syrup and I hate the food in Europe
And I hate cough syrup, it's true
You wanna know the truth, you gotta dig up Johnny Booth
And I hate cough syrup, don't you?
I hate cough syrup, it's true
I played for the Tribe
The summer had been stolen and the bases were all loaded
There was big money on the line
Big money all the time, yeah
There was big money on the line
I can't walk so I guess I'm gonna stay at home
They can have my legs just leave my mail alone
I was in the kitchen
The year was in the fall
A friend of mine had told me that there were no point in mopin'
No, there were no point at all
There was big fire in the hall, yeah
There weren't no points at all
I can't walk so I guess I'm gonna stay at home
They can have my legs just leave my mail alone
And I can't talk so I guess I got nothin' to say
I'll keep my eyes just take these tears away
Lock, stock, and barrel all the dogs were gone to feral
And the car ran like a broken percolator
His liver had gone hard and he wouldn't mow the yard
There was big money on the line
And I heard that his brother was a Viking
He liked to solve a problem with a gun
If you wanna know the facts you gotta teach him how to act
And I hate cough syrup, don't you?
I'd rather be a sailor than a fighter
I'd like to sail a ship into the sun
If you wanna know the truth, you gotta dig up Johnny Booth
And I hate cough syrup, don't you?
I know that your mother is a martyr
I heard she's got connections with the mob
If you wanna learn the fight, you gotta drink up all the light
And I hate cough syrup, don't you?
I'd rather be a matchstick than a lighter
I like to see the wood curl up and burn
If you wanna touch the sky, you must be prepared to die
And I hate cough syrup, don't you?
I hate cough syrup and I hate the food in Europe
And I hate cough syrup, it's true
You wanna know the truth, you gotta dig up Johnny Booth
And I hate cough syrup, don't you?
I hate cough syrup, it's true
Lyrics submitted by itchasg, edited by AwfulToTheEar
Cough Syrup Lyrics as written by Jeffrey Coffey Gibson Haynes
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Love in a Vacuum
'Til Tuesday
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The Spy
Doors, The
Doors, The
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?
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"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.
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Anyone ever drank cough syrup, such as Robitussin MAX? Not that it helps this song make any more sence, but if you've tripped on DXM before the thought process of just random things and such is kinda understandable. If you are gonna try it, or do use it, check out Erowid for safty tips. Kurt Cobain was a big cough syrup user (him and Courtny "the c*nt" met while both on it), it had it's run in the late 80s/early to mid 90s. Alot of good songs were inspired by it. And I hate cough syrup Don`t you?