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 don't need your answered prayers
Or the chains your lover wears
I don't need your rings of gold
Or the secrets that you hold
Lift me up,
Lift me up and I'll fall with you lift me up
Let your love lift me up
I don't need your sacred vow
Or the promise tomorrow brings
Veiled behind the morning clouds
I'll take the fate the daylight brings
Lift me up, darling
Lift me up and I'll fall with you lift me up
Let your love lift me up
When the morning bright
Lifts away this night
In the light above
We will find our love, we will find our love
Your skin, your hand upon my neck
This skin, your fingers on my skin
This kiss, this heartbeat, this breath
This heart, this heart, this wilderness
Lift me up, darling
Lift me up and I'll fall with your lift me up
Let your love lift me up
Or the chains your lover wears
I don't need your rings of gold
Or the secrets that you hold
Lift me up,
Lift me up and I'll fall with you lift me up
Let your love lift me up
I don't need your sacred vow
Or the promise tomorrow brings
Veiled behind the morning clouds
I'll take the fate the daylight brings
Lift me up, darling
Lift me up and I'll fall with you lift me up
Let your love lift me up
When the morning bright
Lifts away this night
In the light above
We will find our love, we will find our love
Your skin, your hand upon my neck
This skin, your fingers on my skin
This kiss, this heartbeat, this breath
This heart, this heart, this wilderness
Lift me up, darling
Lift me up and I'll fall with your lift me up
Let your love lift me up
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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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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.
One comment? Really? I heard this from the Essential Collection, and it immediately grabbed my interest. I heard it on what was one of the shittiest days of my entire life. On the way to school I saw my cat dead on the side of the road, and everything else in the day went wrong too. This and Yesterday by The Beatles were the two songs that I discovered that were really uplifting (irresistible pun). One of Springsteen's greatest works. It's a shame there are only a couple bands producing good music these days.
I've just joined SongMeanings for the sole intention of reponding to your comment! I've been listening to this repeatedly after rediscovering it on the Essential Collection. Since my first Springsteen concert in 1988 I've admired Bruce for the emotions he stirs as an influential musician, writer, performer, writer and supporter of human rights causes. As a female there are other obvious attractions but I do favour gravelly voiced male singer and can't abide high-voiced male singing. BUT, this song is beautiful, his ability to maintain such a high pitch is incredible and it makes you feel as though you are floating on air :0)<br /> <br /> Also, in response to Bob Stein, yes, I do believe it says "I'll follow you"...will have to check it out.
Played at the end of the movie Limbo, this song ads a beautiful melancholy depth to an already potent moment. I see no connection between song and movie meanings however.
To me the song calls for love in the immediate and the short term (fate the daylight brings, fingers on skin, this heartbeat, this breath), as opposed to tradition and the long term (rings of gold, sacred vow, secrets, chains).
Is the line in the chorus "I'll fall with you" or "I'll follow you"?
Maybe if it is "I'll fall with you", then the reference could be one alluding to a fall from grace...i.e. having rejected tradition such as marriage, the narrator is following a more 'sinful' path...just a thought :0)
I've joined SongMeanings just so that I can respond to the ideas about this song!
It's just so beautiful. Since my first Springsteen concert in 1988 at the age of 15, I've admired him (often at the amusement of my friends) for the emotions he stirs as an influential writer, musician, performer and as a supporter of human rights causes. Being female there is another obvious attraction, but it's the voice, the feeling and passion of his songs. Being a fan of gravelly-voiced singers, this ethereal song took me quite by surprise. His ability to maintain that high pitch is amazing and the song is so sorrowful yet incredibly uplifting as though you are floating on air. I think the lyric sounds like "I'll follow you" but "I'll fall with you" may be alluding to the rejection of tradition i.e. marriage in favour of a falling into a more 'sinful' life....just a thought :0)