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.
As I walk along these streets
I see a man that walks alone
Distant echo of people's feet
He has no place to call his own
A shot rings out from a roof overhead
A crackhead asks for change nearby
An old man lies in an alleyway dead
A little girl lost just stands there and cries
What would you do, if it was you
Would you take everything
For granted like you do
A boy just thirteen on the corner for sale
Swallows his pride for another hit
Overpopulation there's no room in jail
But most of you don't give a shit
That your daughters are porno stars
And your sons sell death to kids
You're so lost in your little worlds
Your little worlds you'll never fix
You turn away
You turn away
You turn away
You turn away
As I walk along the streets
Soaking up the acid rain
Underneath the taxi cabs
I hear the streets cry out in vain
I see a man that walks alone
Distant echo of people's feet
He has no place to call his own
A shot rings out from a roof overhead
A crackhead asks for change nearby
An old man lies in an alleyway dead
A little girl lost just stands there and cries
What would you do, if it was you
Would you take everything
For granted like you do
A boy just thirteen on the corner for sale
Swallows his pride for another hit
Overpopulation there's no room in jail
But most of you don't give a shit
That your daughters are porno stars
And your sons sell death to kids
You're so lost in your little worlds
Your little worlds you'll never fix
You turn away
You turn away
You turn away
You turn away
As I walk along the streets
Soaking up the acid rain
Underneath the taxi cabs
I hear the streets cry out in vain
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Classic love story true to his western tx roots. One of my favorites as a story, but I think there are alot of songs that are amazing not even listed on this site. I guess I should figure out how to add them, because I have about 8 REK cd's.
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Usually I don't get involved in arguments on these posts since they're supposed to be about the songs meaning. But the meaning of this song to me is that you have to get involved in the world and try to fight the moral decay.
So many points to argue against in this conservative rant... First off, You don't like the way the conservatives are turned into a scape goat? Do unto others. I don't like the way you're scapegoating us liberals.
As for the girl who threw the baby out the window? Well let's think here for a second. A 13 year old girl gets pregnant. Her mother was probably afraid of taking her to an abortion clinic because of people like you standing around outside ready to hurl insults, lies, and anything close at hand at the murdering little whore. So instead, the child carries a child to term, and being mentally, emotionally, and psychologically unprepared for motherhood, throws the child out the window. And it's all the fault of the liberals. I'm not saying that it's right for a 13 year old to have sex, but it should be ok for her to NOT have to carry a child. The emotional and psychological scars of having an abortion would be enough punishment.
As for your examples of leftists... There's one very important figure you left out if we go by your definitions.
George W. Bush - He kills those who dare use religion to show how evil he is, not to mention how he uses Democracy as a means to control the Populace.
Kim Jong Il's nuclear threat? Gee, Didn't our country use that threat in a decades long cold war?
"Zarqawi isn't conservative. Uses violence to show distaste for ideologies other than his own. Also threatens to "bring down democracy."
George W. Bush - Uses violence to show distaste for ideologies other than his own. Also threatens to bring Democracy to the world.
Christian organizations don't open soup kitchens out of any desire to help people on the streets. If that was the case, then the homeless wouldn't be force fed Religion alongside their soup and bread.
I've worked with several organizations over the years that helped the homeless, and while they weren't religious organizations, They were far from atheist. You need to broaden your scope and stop taking such a narrow world view.
I won't deny that us liberals deserve some of the blame for the problems in this country, but the conservatives shoulder some of the responsibility as well. If the left and right up on capital hill could stop fighting for dominance and simply work for what's best for the country,..
As far as Britney, Christina and their Ilk go, they are pathetic and non political. If you want to attack prominent left wing musicians, Try P. Diddy. I'm sure that you believe his attempt to get the youth of the nation out to vote on election day was some leftist plot, while I believe that the apparent lack of youth turnout at the elections was a well devised conservative plot.
I leave you with this thought... "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds." - Bob Marley