So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
I'm driving a big lazy car rushin' up the highway in the dark
I got one hand steady on the wheel and one hand's tremblin' over my heart
It's pounding baby like it's gonna bust right on through
And it ain't gonna stop till I'm alone again with you
A friend of mine became a father last night
When we spoke in his voice I could hear the light
Of the skies and the rivers the timberwolf in the pines
And that great jukebox out on Route 39
They say he travels fastest who travels alone
But tonight I miss my girl mister tonight I miss my home
Is it the sound of the leaves
Left blown by the wayside
That's got me out here on this spooky old highway tonight
Is it the cry of the river
With the moonlight shining through
That ain't what scares me baby
What scares me is losing you
They say if you die in your dreams you really die in your bed
But honey last night I dreamed my eyes rolled straight back in my head
And God's light came shinin' on through
I woke up in the darkness scared and breathin' and born anew
It wasn't the cold river bottom I felt rushing over me
It wasn't the bitterness of a dream that didn't come true
It wasn't the wind in the grey fields I felt rushing through my arms
No no baby it was you
So hold me close honey say you're forever mine
And tell me you'll be my lonely valentine
I got one hand steady on the wheel and one hand's tremblin' over my heart
It's pounding baby like it's gonna bust right on through
And it ain't gonna stop till I'm alone again with you
A friend of mine became a father last night
When we spoke in his voice I could hear the light
Of the skies and the rivers the timberwolf in the pines
And that great jukebox out on Route 39
They say he travels fastest who travels alone
But tonight I miss my girl mister tonight I miss my home
Is it the sound of the leaves
Left blown by the wayside
That's got me out here on this spooky old highway tonight
Is it the cry of the river
With the moonlight shining through
That ain't what scares me baby
What scares me is losing you
They say if you die in your dreams you really die in your bed
But honey last night I dreamed my eyes rolled straight back in my head
And God's light came shinin' on through
I woke up in the darkness scared and breathin' and born anew
It wasn't the cold river bottom I felt rushing over me
It wasn't the bitterness of a dream that didn't come true
It wasn't the wind in the grey fields I felt rushing through my arms
No no baby it was you
So hold me close honey say you're forever mine
And tell me you'll be my lonely valentine
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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.
when rules change
Life in Your Way
Life in Your Way
High life
Battle Royale
Word Alive, The
Word Alive, The
This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
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.
First off, this is one of my all time favorite songs, and in my opinion, one of the best songs Springsteen ever wrote, but I have a bit of a different take than everybody else.
I believe this song is to an extent about the love of his life and the trappings of bachelorhood, but more than that it is about mortality and realizing your own mortality.
Look at the imagery in the words: dark highway, trembling heart, "blown leaves by the wayside", spooky old highway, moonlight, cold river bottoms, darkness, grey fields, etc. They are contrasted with "the light" in a friends voice and "God's light". The line about dieing in your dream is the most apparent, but its all in there. Chapter 2 of the Bruce Springsteen book of songwriting should be titled "Catholic imagery" and St. Valentine was martyred. (Chapter 1 should be titled "Cars and Roads as Metaphors")
In realizing his own mortality, and his own fragility, he also sees what is truly important and what matters to us. In this case, its family, music (the "great jukebox"), faith and love.
Ultimately, when he "dies in his dream" he doesn't feel the darkness, bitterness, coldness or anything else he's "supposed to"...he feels his woman in his arms, his salvation.
Damn this is a good song.
Thanks brother. I agree with you 100%. You did a great interpretation of this song, couldn't have said it better myself. I'm 25 and I struggle sometimes with the highs and lows of being in a relationship with a woman whos older(28) and with family/commitment. Am I ready for it? No. <br /> <br /> But do I see my good friend with a little baby andt think to myself "god, I'd love to be a Father." You bet. <br /> <br /> As you say; family, music, faith and love are what's important. I agree 1000%. Thanks so much for yout interpreation; it made things easier for the words I had a hard time to say outloud. Rock n Roll n bless, man!
I'm surprised no one has commented on this song. It's quite overlooked, especially on an overlooked album like Tunnel of Love. But regardless, I think its a great song about a bad relationship. He's obviously very attached to this woman and she haunts him in his sleep. But at the same time, there's this sad undertone to the entire thing. And what exactly is a lonely valentine? Sounds to me like he loves her more than she loves him.
but hes asking her to be his lonely valentine so its maybe her that loves him more and hes finally realising this and how much he loves her and hoping she'll still be there when he gets home. this is how i see it and its why i love it.
I have to disagree with the two previous guesses. To me, it's obviously about a man who is discovering that he is ready to gracefully give up the trappings of bachelorhood - typical male stoicism, freedom to go where you please without being accountable to anyone, etc. - for the security and fulfillment of true love. He has had an epiphany about it (his friend had a kid, he got to thinking, realized how deeply he feels about his girlfriend, and ends up being "born anew"). By the way, the version of this song by the band Hem is so fantastic that I can't even put a value on it.
Thanks!
It amazes me what Springsteen does on his albums. Such honest emotion.. I really believe he is my favorite Musician of all time.
I am going to agree with rooibos on this one. The song is about him going back to that love of his life. And the second stanza is about how he is ready to give up everything for this women and make her his forever. The line about how he sees his friend who just had a kid and his voice is somehow different. And in my opinion the last stanza is the one of the most beautiful things i have heard.
i agree with VolantSolo and also with the rest of you. Most of Springsteen's can be interpreted in so many different levels is what i think. but one thing most agree is that he is an amazing musician and new age poet.
Be my "lonely valentine" - perhaps asking his lady love, who he fears to lose, to be faithful while he is away. Springsteen likely wrote this either while he was on the road or musing about his loneliness while away from the woman he loves. Perhaps it was in this moment he realised how important and precious the love of this one woman is to him. So why does he fear losing the love of his chosen woman? Let's face it, a guy like Bruce doesn't lose women to a male rival. Perhaps he fears he will somehow ruin the relationship by succumbing to the temptation of so many suitable people (women) willing to assuage his loneliness on the road. In any case, this is a guy who is far away from the woman he has devoted himself to, and he feels deeply vulnerable about it - about how fragile such a love can seem from such a far distance.