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.
Mm, mm, mm, mm, mm, mm
Mm, mm, mm, mm mm, mm, mm mm
Yeah, come on
Lovin' you has got to be (take me to the other side)
Like the Devil in the deep blue sea (take me to the other side)
Forget about your foolish pride (take me to the other side)
Oh, take me to the other side (take me to the other side)
My mama told me there'd be days like this
And man she wasn't foolin'
'Cause I just can't believe the way you kiss
You opened up your mouth with bated breath
You said you'd never leave me
You love me, you hate me, I tried to take the loss
You're cryin' me a river but I got to get across
Lovin' you has got to be (take me to the other side)
Like the Devil in the deep blue sea (take me to the other side)
Forget about your foolish pride (take me to the other side)
Oh take me to the other side (take me to the other side)
I'm lookin' for another kind of love
Oh lordy, how I need it
The kind that likes to leap without a shove
Oh honey, best believe it
To save a lot of time and foolish pride
I'll say what's on my mind, girl
You love me, you hate me, you cut me down to size
You blinded me with love and, yeah, it opened up my eyes
Lovin' you has got to be (take me to the other side)
Like the Devil in the deep blue sea (take me to the other side)
My conscience got to be my guide (take me to the other side)
Oh honey, take me, take me, take, take, take, take
Take me to the other side
I'm lookin' for another kind of love
Oh, lordy, how I need it
The kind that likes to leap without a shove
Honey, you best believe it
Now, I ain't one for saying long goodbyes
I hope all is forgiven
You loved me, you hate me, I used to be your lover
You know you had it coming, girl
So take me to the other (side)
(Take me to the other side)
(Take me to the other side)
Lovin' you has got to be (take me to the other side)
Like the Devil in the deep blue sea (take me to the other side)
My conscience got to be my guide (take me to the other side)
Oh honey, take me to the other side (take me to the other side)
Lovin' you has got to be (take me to the other side)
Like the Devil in the deep blue sea (take me to the other side)
Forget about your foolish pride (take me to the other side)
Honey, take me, take me, take me, take me
Take me to the other side, take me to the other side
(Take me to the other side)
Take me to, take me to (take me to the other side)
(Take me to the other side)
Take me to
Lovin' you has got to be (take me to the other side)
Like the Devil in the deep blue sea (take me to the other side)
My conscience got to be my guide (take me to the other side)
Mm, mm, mm, mm mm, mm, mm mm
Yeah, come on
Lovin' you has got to be (take me to the other side)
Like the Devil in the deep blue sea (take me to the other side)
Forget about your foolish pride (take me to the other side)
Oh, take me to the other side (take me to the other side)
My mama told me there'd be days like this
And man she wasn't foolin'
'Cause I just can't believe the way you kiss
You opened up your mouth with bated breath
You said you'd never leave me
You love me, you hate me, I tried to take the loss
You're cryin' me a river but I got to get across
Lovin' you has got to be (take me to the other side)
Like the Devil in the deep blue sea (take me to the other side)
Forget about your foolish pride (take me to the other side)
Oh take me to the other side (take me to the other side)
I'm lookin' for another kind of love
Oh lordy, how I need it
The kind that likes to leap without a shove
Oh honey, best believe it
To save a lot of time and foolish pride
I'll say what's on my mind, girl
You love me, you hate me, you cut me down to size
You blinded me with love and, yeah, it opened up my eyes
Lovin' you has got to be (take me to the other side)
Like the Devil in the deep blue sea (take me to the other side)
My conscience got to be my guide (take me to the other side)
Oh honey, take me, take me, take, take, take, take
Take me to the other side
I'm lookin' for another kind of love
Oh, lordy, how I need it
The kind that likes to leap without a shove
Honey, you best believe it
Now, I ain't one for saying long goodbyes
I hope all is forgiven
You loved me, you hate me, I used to be your lover
You know you had it coming, girl
So take me to the other (side)
(Take me to the other side)
(Take me to the other side)
Lovin' you has got to be (take me to the other side)
Like the Devil in the deep blue sea (take me to the other side)
My conscience got to be my guide (take me to the other side)
Oh honey, take me to the other side (take me to the other side)
Lovin' you has got to be (take me to the other side)
Like the Devil in the deep blue sea (take me to the other side)
Forget about your foolish pride (take me to the other side)
Honey, take me, take me, take me, take me
Take me to the other side, take me to the other side
(Take me to the other side)
Take me to, take me to (take me to the other side)
(Take me to the other side)
Take me to
Lovin' you has got to be (take me to the other side)
Like the Devil in the deep blue sea (take me to the other side)
My conscience got to be my guide (take me to the other side)
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
The power in this song is unbelievable. The beat is just so powerful and pummels through the song so perfectly. The guitar solo is amazing, the hook is amazing... well... the whole song is amazing.
I agree with what The Soul said about this song. This song has not gotten old to me, perhaps because it's underplayed! This song got attention when it came out and then was forgotten-about in the minds of most people, why?
The song seems to be about a relationship that is testing his patience. This woman takes him through a rollercoaster relationship. I think he's trying to decide whether to stay with her, but I have no idea what he means by "take me to the other side." Anyone have any ideas?
This song is about a relationship between a guy and a girl (wow, like that's never been done before...)
What probably has NOT been done before is using the "other side" for something other than heaven.
The 2 people are having some relationship troubles. "You're cryin' me a river but I got to get across " describes how the girl is putting up an emoitional wall and closing him out. He wants to get past her "wall" and reconcile with her. Hence he must get to the "other side" of her river of tears, or 'wall'.
This song, in my opinion, is not about drugs or sex. It's about about a couple who is splitting up, because the guy is tired of how the woman is acting. He clearly states that he wants to be in a relationship that guides itself and is not so hard and with a woman who is not all about the dramatics. This is a great Aerosmith song and is totally under-appreciated. Side note: Steven Tyler is the sexiest man alive. haha!
This song is so melodic. Perfect for making love once again like most aerosmith music. ANyone argee?
"the other side"
maybe heaven or hell??? just a suggestion...
I sorta like this song. deff not one of there bests. maybe im not too crazy about it..because i feel its too much like the red hot chili peppers song "Otherside.." and i LOVE that song. the lyrics are kinda the same too. chili peppers- "Take it on take it on the otherside... take me to the othersideee" and thats about drugs
aerosmith "Take me to the other side.." idk it fits in my mind. it could be about drugs. i think. but than again who knows? well in any event..i love red hot chili peppers and i love aerosmith. my 2 favorite bands of all time. =]]
my fav Aerosmith song
This is my all time favorite song and has been for seems like over 5 years. The way I relate to it is with drugs, take me to the other side - take me out of what I am feeling, give me some dope and soon i'm on the other side. Mama told me I'd have days like these-------so, please take me to the other side. Relationships - always - you hate - you love me
Great dart-throwing song!
the live version from "A little south of sanity" is killer!