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.
Uh-oh (young man went out and made a name for himself)
Yeah
Dr. Seuss (Dr. Seuss)
Drop it on 'em
Young man went out and made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
DMX the great
The brother got the rap
Dr. Seuss, drop it on 'em
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Drop it on 'em (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The born loser, not because I choose to be
But because all the bad shit happens to me
I got kids, but their mothers don't want them to know me
My sisters used to like me, but now they call me "homie"
I used to have a family, now I'm out on my own
Had to scrap with a pit because I tried to take his bone
Bitches don't like me, they don't kiss me or hug me
They call me "kill pretty" because I'm mad ugly
I used to get pussy, but I busted off quick
Now I gets none so I gotta beat my dick
Times are hard in the ghetto, I gotta steal for a living
Eating turkey-flavored Now and Laters for Thanksgiving
If that ain't enough, life is rough I swear
I don't have an address so I can't get welfare
They kicked me out the shelter because they said I smelled a
Little like the living dead and looked like Helter Skelter
My clothes are so funky, they're bad for my health
Sometimes at night my pants go to the bathroom by they self
Even when I was little, nothing went my way
I got beat up and chased home from school every day
And despite the fact I won all the spelling bees
On my report card, I didn't get Fs, I got Zs
But for those who choose to snooze
Since I was born with no hope, I ain't got nothing to lose
(Drop it on 'em)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Young man went out and made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The born loser, a title I was branded with
Went to Liberty Island, and got stranded with
The Statue of Liberty, but they really didn't have to
Leave my black ass there until the day after
No time for laughter, this shit's for real
Ribs are showing through my back cause I haven't had a meal
In about a week, you can see bones in my hands
The raccoons beat me to the garbage cans
I'm starving Marvin, and it shouldn't be like that
The only thing that I'm carving is an alley cat
But sometimes in the daytimes I daydream of a Manwich
When all I'm really eating is an oxygen sandwich
For those that don't know, that's two pieces of bread slapped together
Or I'll have a rain sandwich depending on the weather
Born Loser, caught up in the game
And I ain't even got nobody to blame (drop it on 'em)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Young man went out (drop it on 'em)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
(Dr. Seuss)
The Born Loser, yeah, that used to me my M-O
When I couldn't get a soul to listen to my demo
Doors shut in my face until I started jamming them
I'm behind the doors now and I'm the one slamming them
I did what I had to to get where I got
Though I'll admit what I had to do was a lot
I still gave it a shot, and sometimes I had to shoot
Catching vics just to get a little loot
I thought it was cute and didn't care who knew
Mess around, get in my way and I'll bag you, too
'Cause I was born to lose straight from the beginning
Hit the dugout because I struck out the first inning
Winning was everything, that's why I had to
Ask my man to front me the loot, and he said "I'd be glad to"
Now who needs a major label? We got our own
I'm the Divine Master of the Unknown
Ain't nothing changed, I'm the same as before
When opportunity knocked I just answered the door
A criminal at heart even though I don't show it
I was always a winner but I just didn't know it (drop it on 'em)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
Drop it on 'em (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Young man went out (the brother got the rap, the brother got the rap)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap, the brother got the rap)
Yeah
Dr. Seuss (Dr. Seuss)
Drop it on 'em
Young man went out and made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
DMX the great
The brother got the rap
Dr. Seuss, drop it on 'em
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Drop it on 'em (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The born loser, not because I choose to be
But because all the bad shit happens to me
I got kids, but their mothers don't want them to know me
My sisters used to like me, but now they call me "homie"
I used to have a family, now I'm out on my own
Had to scrap with a pit because I tried to take his bone
Bitches don't like me, they don't kiss me or hug me
They call me "kill pretty" because I'm mad ugly
I used to get pussy, but I busted off quick
Now I gets none so I gotta beat my dick
Times are hard in the ghetto, I gotta steal for a living
Eating turkey-flavored Now and Laters for Thanksgiving
If that ain't enough, life is rough I swear
I don't have an address so I can't get welfare
They kicked me out the shelter because they said I smelled a
Little like the living dead and looked like Helter Skelter
My clothes are so funky, they're bad for my health
Sometimes at night my pants go to the bathroom by they self
Even when I was little, nothing went my way
I got beat up and chased home from school every day
And despite the fact I won all the spelling bees
On my report card, I didn't get Fs, I got Zs
But for those who choose to snooze
Since I was born with no hope, I ain't got nothing to lose
(Drop it on 'em)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Young man went out and made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The born loser, a title I was branded with
Went to Liberty Island, and got stranded with
The Statue of Liberty, but they really didn't have to
Leave my black ass there until the day after
No time for laughter, this shit's for real
Ribs are showing through my back cause I haven't had a meal
In about a week, you can see bones in my hands
The raccoons beat me to the garbage cans
I'm starving Marvin, and it shouldn't be like that
The only thing that I'm carving is an alley cat
But sometimes in the daytimes I daydream of a Manwich
When all I'm really eating is an oxygen sandwich
For those that don't know, that's two pieces of bread slapped together
Or I'll have a rain sandwich depending on the weather
Born Loser, caught up in the game
And I ain't even got nobody to blame (drop it on 'em)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Young man went out (drop it on 'em)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
(Dr. Seuss)
The Born Loser, yeah, that used to me my M-O
When I couldn't get a soul to listen to my demo
Doors shut in my face until I started jamming them
I'm behind the doors now and I'm the one slamming them
I did what I had to to get where I got
Though I'll admit what I had to do was a lot
I still gave it a shot, and sometimes I had to shoot
Catching vics just to get a little loot
I thought it was cute and didn't care who knew
Mess around, get in my way and I'll bag you, too
'Cause I was born to lose straight from the beginning
Hit the dugout because I struck out the first inning
Winning was everything, that's why I had to
Ask my man to front me the loot, and he said "I'd be glad to"
Now who needs a major label? We got our own
I'm the Divine Master of the Unknown
Ain't nothing changed, I'm the same as before
When opportunity knocked I just answered the door
A criminal at heart even though I don't show it
I was always a winner but I just didn't know it (drop it on 'em)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap)
And made a name for himself (the brother got the rap)
Drop it on 'em (the brother got the rap)
The brother got the rap, the brother got the rap
Young man went out (the brother got the rap, the brother got the rap)
Young man went out (the brother got the rap, the brother got the rap)
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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
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?
Step
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Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
This is one of the illest fuckin songs i've ever heard and it's madd funny, more people should post for this.