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.
Hand over hand
I crawl back to land
There is no retreat
That option's far and away
I have to be brave
But I always did crave
The golden sunlight
It's been about me
But I'm setting that free
For golden sunlight, oh
[Chorus:]
There's a door open to walk through
All I want is just beyond
What if I could let my guard down
Into freedom, on and on
Somehow it came out
When I can't talk about
Someone to help me
As free as I wanna be
I cannot erase
But you helped me face
The songs and the flowers
At last perception
Of my self deception
The songs and the flowers, oh
[Chorus]
There's a door open to walk through
All I want is just beyond
What if I could let my guard down
Into freedom, on and on
[Bridge]
What if I could just let my guard down
What if I could live wide open, yeah
What if I could just let my guard down
And go beyond into the great unknown
Sweetheart, I've been bothered
A golden sun lit path
I've been after
Grass hills, wild flowers
Sharp road trails
For a daughter
I want to be her father
I want to hear her laughter
Under meteor showers
The dogs will howl at the midnight hour
[Chorus]
There's a door open to walk through
All I want is just beyond
What if I could let my guard down
Into freedom, on and on
[Bridge]
What if I could just let my guard down
What if I could live wide open, yeah
What if I could just let my guard down
And go beyond into the great unknown
I crawl back to land
There is no retreat
That option's far and away
I have to be brave
But I always did crave
The golden sunlight
It's been about me
But I'm setting that free
For golden sunlight, oh
[Chorus:]
There's a door open to walk through
All I want is just beyond
What if I could let my guard down
Into freedom, on and on
Somehow it came out
When I can't talk about
Someone to help me
As free as I wanna be
I cannot erase
But you helped me face
The songs and the flowers
At last perception
Of my self deception
The songs and the flowers, oh
[Chorus]
There's a door open to walk through
All I want is just beyond
What if I could let my guard down
Into freedom, on and on
[Bridge]
What if I could just let my guard down
What if I could live wide open, yeah
What if I could just let my guard down
And go beyond into the great unknown
Sweetheart, I've been bothered
A golden sun lit path
I've been after
Grass hills, wild flowers
Sharp road trails
For a daughter
I want to be her father
I want to hear her laughter
Under meteor showers
The dogs will howl at the midnight hour
[Chorus]
There's a door open to walk through
All I want is just beyond
What if I could let my guard down
Into freedom, on and on
[Bridge]
What if I could just let my guard down
What if I could live wide open, yeah
What if I could just let my guard down
And go beyond into the great unknown
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Love in a Vacuum
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The Spy
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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?
when rules change
Life in Your Way
Life in Your Way
High life
Step
Ministry
Ministry
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.
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
This is my favorite song after listening to the whole album.
one of my favorite songs off the new album, which ive been so stoked for. but i think this song means not being so hard headed, and opening up. "letting your guard down." perhaps becoming more open minded, and learning to enjoy the world. this door he has walked through brings him happiness.
"I cannot erase But you helped me face The songs and the flowers"
I wonder if this is any add on to the idea they were singing about in Long for the Flowers in their previous album?
I think this song is about wanting something in life, but certain things such as having a guard up and self-deception is stopping that, so the song is about what could be if that all went away.
This song seems to have a real "zen-like" quality about it. Reminds me of a book I just read by author Eckhart Tolle about Ego and Perceptions. It is called A New Earth>a good read, very mind opening. It is about getting past negative thoughts and staying positive and open....being free from the "pain body". Anyways it seems like 311 has always been extremly open-minded and this seems to be reflected in numerous songs......like the song "Its Alright" that just came out as well. All the songs I have heard so far off Uplifter sound really good....maybe that is why 311 is my favorite band. ;)
This album is good, but it definetly doesn't compare to any of their older stuff... Maybe in a couple years, we can look back and reminisce, and maybe it will seem better than it does now.
To me anyways.
@Sweetlove311 <br /> Maybe 7 years later it's as good as it's always been. Older stuff??? Doesn't compare??? They have musically evolved... Hence Evolver Helooooo.....
@Tavery no one asked you, Tyler.
Don't you think since Nick and Sa were having a child that maybe this song is about keeping an open mind about life changing events and "letting your guard down" with a new event in life that you have never experianced before. There is something about the Line..."Want to be a father, want to hear her laughter...under meter showers" then he names his daughter Nova, that just strikes me. Not only that but the golden sunlight....is a new day of dawn....A new begining! Lyically i feel 311 has come a long way with deeper meaning that grassroots....which is my fav. _Kat and baby Zoe.
Stupid song.