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 wish there was something I could do for you
I wish there were some words I could say
But I know that you thought it out so well
And I know there is nothing I should say
Figured it all out, figured it all out
And nothing stands up to my ideology
And truth is built on shaky ground
Depression's all I get from philosophy
Do I really, do I really want the truth I found?
Who is to blame
The educated remains of dead scholars?
So tell me, what's the point of surviving?
Why do we try so hard to stay alive?
We know that nothing we do really matters
And it will wash away with time
It will wash away with time (wash away with time)
But there's a feeling I get when the amp is loud enough
There's a feeling I get when she smiles at me
And there's a feeling I get when staying awake with you
Stay awake with you
And that is all there is, then that is all I need
And someday you will see it's true
Body grows tired when no sleep can mend it
And time has chased and killed all of our friends
There is no place left in the sky for them to send us to
Just lay down and let the light come under the door?
Cover up our dreams, cover up the years
And you take, our bodies will make raspberries grow
I wish there were some words I could say
But I know that you thought it out so well
And I know there is nothing I should say
Figured it all out, figured it all out
And nothing stands up to my ideology
And truth is built on shaky ground
Depression's all I get from philosophy
Do I really, do I really want the truth I found?
Who is to blame
The educated remains of dead scholars?
So tell me, what's the point of surviving?
Why do we try so hard to stay alive?
We know that nothing we do really matters
And it will wash away with time
It will wash away with time (wash away with time)
But there's a feeling I get when the amp is loud enough
There's a feeling I get when she smiles at me
And there's a feeling I get when staying awake with you
Stay awake with you
And that is all there is, then that is all I need
And someday you will see it's true
Body grows tired when no sleep can mend it
And time has chased and killed all of our friends
There is no place left in the sky for them to send us to
Just lay down and let the light come under the door?
Cover up our dreams, cover up the years
And you take, our bodies will make raspberries grow
Lyrics submitted by PLANES
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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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He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
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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?
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Insane Ian
Insane Ian
The way this song speaks to me🥺🥺when I sing it I feel like I relate
"And nothing stands up to my ideology" although this does make sense- i think it may be: "And nothing stands up to biology"
mentioning a subject based on truths, ect. ideology doesnt really fit
why is this song so damn good.
'just lay down, and get black in the dirt'
i assumed the dirt would 'cover up our dreams'
cover up our dreams, cover up the years and you take, our bodies will make raspberries grow. That is such an odd line, but it makes it memorable. i love bright eyes.
Discovery of the fake concept of life, we are far more material than we would like, I dont know. He cant find the point of keep going on, everything is temporary and will wash away eventually, but realizes life is far more wide than nihilistic side is trying to credit it for.
And nothing stands up to biology And truth is built on shady ground Depression's all I get from philosophy Do I really, do I really want the truth I found?
I think those are the real lyrics, but I'm not totally sure. I LOVE this song. It's so nice because you can relate to it- it conveys a feeling of real helplessness and fatigue. I think it's very nice.
wow this song is amazing, if anyone has a recording of it, please let me know on AIM, my sn is L337Klopping
"refused by light" (by commander venus) has the line:
go find yourself a dry place where the storm can't touch you any more
i love the way conor sings this song.
i always thought it was "truth is built on SHAKY ground". anyway, good song.
I think there are a few corrections to these lyrics:
and nothing stands up to my idealogy and truth is built on shaky ground depression's all i get from philosophy and do i really, do i really want the truth i've found? do i want the truth i've found?
who's to blame? the educated remains *of dead scholars?
so tell me what's the point of surviving why do we try *so hard to stay alive? we know that nothing we do really matters and it will wash away with time it will wash with time
but there's a feeling i get when the amp is loud enough and there's a feeling i get when she smiles at me and there's a feeling i get when i'm staying up late with you stay up late with you that is all there is and that is all i need and someday you will see it's true
the body grows tired when no sleep can mend it and time has chased and killed all of our friends there is no place left in the sky for them to send us to just lay down and let the light under (through?) the door cover up our dreams, cover up the years and you take, our bodies will make the raspberries grow.
Hope that helps.