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.
Yes I am
I hope you think you beat me
Hope I start talking crazy
Before you understand me
Are we through
You think that I'm beneath you
But you like the things that I do
Wrap em up and take em with you
I'm alright
Hope I can sleep for one night
If not to cool my insides
Maybe to calm my backside
Rain on me
I got a weakness in me
I think that weakness feeds me
I don't think you think you need me
Sunshine, you're the best time
I ever, ever had
But I think I made you feel bad
A black fly on your necktie
Time after time
But when the sun starts sinking
On your beautiful soul
Make you cry, cry baby
Make you feel so cold
Don't you know it's alright
Sometimes you just got to show how you feel
Cause that's you baby
Hell, you're so real
Run this round in your head
Like you don't know what's on the inside
You don't know me too well
You ain't seen my bad side
Shame on me, shame on the things that I be
If you could complicate me
If you could get inside me
Sometimes, you're the best time
I've ever, ever known
A pretty girl with a wicked smile on
But I've cried for the last time
Something just don't feel right
But when the sun starts sinking
On your beautiful soul
Make you cry, cry baby
Make you feel so cold
Don't you know it's alright
Sometimes you just got to show how you feel
Cause that's you baby
Hell, you're so real
You always know just who you are
You never needed someone else
To realize yourself
How when the sun starts sinking
On your beautiful soul
Make you cry, cry baby
Make you feel so cold
Don't you know it's alright
Sometimes you just got to show how you feel
Cause that's you baby
Hell, you're so real
Yeah baby, you're so real
Yeah baby, you're so real
So real, so real
Oh god, yeah
Yeah, yeah
I hope you think you beat me
Hope I start talking crazy
Before you understand me
Are we through
You think that I'm beneath you
But you like the things that I do
Wrap em up and take em with you
I'm alright
Hope I can sleep for one night
If not to cool my insides
Maybe to calm my backside
Rain on me
I got a weakness in me
I think that weakness feeds me
I don't think you think you need me
Sunshine, you're the best time
I ever, ever had
But I think I made you feel bad
A black fly on your necktie
Time after time
But when the sun starts sinking
On your beautiful soul
Make you cry, cry baby
Make you feel so cold
Don't you know it's alright
Sometimes you just got to show how you feel
Cause that's you baby
Hell, you're so real
Run this round in your head
Like you don't know what's on the inside
You don't know me too well
You ain't seen my bad side
Shame on me, shame on the things that I be
If you could complicate me
If you could get inside me
Sometimes, you're the best time
I've ever, ever known
A pretty girl with a wicked smile on
But I've cried for the last time
Something just don't feel right
But when the sun starts sinking
On your beautiful soul
Make you cry, cry baby
Make you feel so cold
Don't you know it's alright
Sometimes you just got to show how you feel
Cause that's you baby
Hell, you're so real
You always know just who you are
You never needed someone else
To realize yourself
How when the sun starts sinking
On your beautiful soul
Make you cry, cry baby
Make you feel so cold
Don't you know it's alright
Sometimes you just got to show how you feel
Cause that's you baby
Hell, you're so real
Yeah baby, you're so real
Yeah baby, you're so real
So real, so real
Oh god, yeah
Yeah, yeah
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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.
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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."
I swear this song was written for me about my ex-boyfriend. My sis-in-law pointed that out to me one day.
"Sunshine You're the best time I ever, ever had But I think I made you feel bad The black fly on your necktie Time after time"
Yeah, hell, he's so real.
one of my favorite matchbox twenty songs. lyrics are wrong in a few places though. here are the correct lyrics: Yes I am I hope you think you read me Hope I start talking crazy Before you understand me Are we through You think that I'm beneath you But you like the things that I do Wrap 'em up and take 'em with you
I'm alright Hope I can sleep for one night If not to cool my insides Maybe to calm my backside Rain on me I got a weakness in me I think that weakness feeds me I don't think you think you need me Sunshine You're the best time I ever, ever had But I think I made you feel bad The black fly on your necktie Time after time But when the sun starts sinking On your beautiful soul Make you cry, cry baby Make you feel so cold Don't you know it's all right Sometimes You just got to show how you feel Cuz that's you baby Yeah, you're so real
Run this round in your head Like you don't know what's on the inside You don't know me too well You ain't seen my bad side Shame on me Shame on the things that I'd be If you could complicate me If you could get inside me Sometimes You're the best time I've ever, ever known Pretty girl with your wicked smile on But I've cried For the last time Something just don’t feel right Yeah when the sun starts sinking On your beautiful soul Make you cry, cry baby Make you feel so cold Don't you know it's all right Sometimes You just got to show how you feel Cuz that's you baby Yeah, you're so real
You always know just who you are You never needed someone else To realize yourself Hell when the sun starts sinking On your beautiful soul Make you cry, cry baby Make you feel so cold Don't you know it's all right Sometimes You just got to show how you feel Cuz that's you baby Yeah, you're so real (repeat)
I actually read the lyrics to this song before I heard it, and I have to admit I don't feel the two match up. When I read the lyrics, I got the impression of a slower, almost sadder song, and the actual music is upbeat. I like the song, but I love the lyrics.
its about the stage after a break up where you think your ex is stupid and he/she screwed up and you gain a sense of pride.
I think they don't really know each other. She thinks she's better than him, and even though they have a good time sometimes, it's not worth it. I love the line "wrap em up and take em with you" and get the hell out of my life!
To alliecat387, I think a lot of MB20 songs are like that. I can't remember the song I have in mind, but I was definately shocked by it once I actually heard it. You're So Real is a lovely song, lyrically and musically.
I don't know, I don't see a breakup song here. I've always thought of it like a provoking, daring song. Rob is saying that he wants her to be how complicated and mixed up as she is, he like it and he needs some of that emotion in his life... I've always related to it in that way.
"If you could complicate me If you could get inside me..." (wooow) :p
"You think that I'm beneath you But you like the things that I do; Wrap them up and take them with you,"
So ... wicked. He knows she won't forget him(though she probably won't admit that) and he takes some solace in that, because he likes her a lot, but as this verse later says:
"You're the best time I've ever, ever known A pretty girl with a wicked smile on But I've cried for the last time Something just don't feel right..."
He realizes she causes him more pain than good, so he's got to move on. He seems to think that she won't really care that much about him being gone, probably because she acts as if she's got it all, because she's so "real" all the time(or rather good at faking it). She'll probably pretend she's fine without him...which is a big part of why he's leaving. She never admits he's important to her. He's taking a lot of blame in the song, but a few parts let you see into the fact he doesn't really think it's all his fault.
Basically, I agree a lot with what Hisoe said.
More than anything, I view this song as a summary of the whole album.
These words in this song's refrain are titles of others: "Soul" "Cold" "Feel" The first verse says "Talking crazy," which makes me think of "Disease". "Beautiful" could, as a stretch, refer to the earlier song (diff album) "Last Beautiful Girl". "What's on the inside" -> the theme of "Hand Me Down"
"Hope I Can Sleep for one night" -> Bed of Lies (earlier album)