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.
You used to say that I'd never be
Nothing without you and I believe
I'm shot in the lungs, I gasp, I can't breathe
Just lay here with me, baby, hold me please
And I'd beg and I'd plead, drop to knees
And I'd cry and I'd scream, "Baby, please don't leave"
Snatch the keys from your hand
I would squeeze and you'd laugh
And you'd tease, you're just fucking with me
And you must hate me
Why do you date me if you say I make you sick?
And you've had enough of me
I smother you, I'm 'bout to jump off the edge
But you won't break me
You'll just make me stronger than I was
Before I met you, I bet you I'll be just fine without you
And if I stumble, I won't crumble
I'll get back up and uhhh
I'ma still be humble when I scream, "Fuck you"
'Cause I'm stronger than I was
A beautiful face is all that you had
'Cause on the inside you're ugly and mad
But you're all that I love
I grasp, you can't leave
Please stay here with me, baby, hold me please
And I'd beg and I'd plead, drop to knees
And I'd cry and I'd scream, "Baby, please don't leave"
But you left and you took everything I had left
And left nothing, nothing for me
So please don't wake me from this dream, baby
We're still together in my head
And you're still in love with me
'Til I woke up to discover that that dream was dead
But you won't break me
You'll just make me stronger than I was
Before I met you, I bet you I'll be just fine without you
And if I stumble, I won't crumble
I'll get back up and uhhh
I'ma still be humble when I scream, "Fuck you"
'Cause I'm stronger than I was
You walked out, I almost died
It was almost a homicide that you caused 'cause I was so traumatized
Felt like I was in for a long bus ride
I'd rather die than you not be by my side
Can't count how many times I vomited, cried
Go to my room, turn the radio on and hide
Thought we were Bonnie and Clyde, nah
On the inside you were Jekyll and Hyde, I
Felt like my whole relationship with you was a lie
It was you and I, why did I think it was ride or die?
'Cause if you could've took my life you would've
It's like you put a knife to my chest and pushed it right through to the
Other side of my back and stuck a spike, too, should've
Put up more of a fight but I couldn't at the time
No one could hurt me like you could've
Take you back now, what's the likelihood of that?
Bite me, bitch, chew on a nineteen footer
'Cause this morning I finally stood up
Held my chin up, finally showed a sign of life in me for the
First time since you left and left me with nothing but shattered dreams
And a life we could've had and we could've been
But I'm breaking out of this slump I'm in
Pulling myself out of the dumps once again
I'm getting up once and for all, fuck this shit
I'ma be late for the pity party
But you're never gonna beat me to the fucking punch again
Took it on the chin like a champ so don't lump me in with them chump-ions
I'm done being your punching bag
It was the November 31st today, would've been our anniversary
Two years, but you left on the first of May
I wrote it on the calendar
Was gonna call, but couldn't think of the words to say
But it came to me just now, so I put 'em in a verse to lay
And I thank you (uh) 'cause you made me (uh)
A better person than I was
But I hate you (uh) 'cause you drained me (uh)
I gave you all, you gave me none
But if you blame me (uh), you're crazy (uh)
And after all that's said and done
I'm still angry, yeah, I may be
I may never trust someone
But you won't break me
You'll just make me stronger than I was
Before I met you, I bet you I'll be just fine without you
And if I stumble, I won't crumble
I'll get back up and uhhh
I'ma still be humble when I scream, "Fuck you"
'Cause I'm stronger than I was
Nothing without you and I believe
I'm shot in the lungs, I gasp, I can't breathe
Just lay here with me, baby, hold me please
And I'd beg and I'd plead, drop to knees
And I'd cry and I'd scream, "Baby, please don't leave"
Snatch the keys from your hand
I would squeeze and you'd laugh
And you'd tease, you're just fucking with me
And you must hate me
Why do you date me if you say I make you sick?
And you've had enough of me
I smother you, I'm 'bout to jump off the edge
But you won't break me
You'll just make me stronger than I was
Before I met you, I bet you I'll be just fine without you
And if I stumble, I won't crumble
I'll get back up and uhhh
I'ma still be humble when I scream, "Fuck you"
'Cause I'm stronger than I was
A beautiful face is all that you had
'Cause on the inside you're ugly and mad
But you're all that I love
I grasp, you can't leave
Please stay here with me, baby, hold me please
And I'd beg and I'd plead, drop to knees
And I'd cry and I'd scream, "Baby, please don't leave"
But you left and you took everything I had left
And left nothing, nothing for me
So please don't wake me from this dream, baby
We're still together in my head
And you're still in love with me
'Til I woke up to discover that that dream was dead
But you won't break me
You'll just make me stronger than I was
Before I met you, I bet you I'll be just fine without you
And if I stumble, I won't crumble
I'll get back up and uhhh
I'ma still be humble when I scream, "Fuck you"
'Cause I'm stronger than I was
You walked out, I almost died
It was almost a homicide that you caused 'cause I was so traumatized
Felt like I was in for a long bus ride
I'd rather die than you not be by my side
Can't count how many times I vomited, cried
Go to my room, turn the radio on and hide
Thought we were Bonnie and Clyde, nah
On the inside you were Jekyll and Hyde, I
Felt like my whole relationship with you was a lie
It was you and I, why did I think it was ride or die?
'Cause if you could've took my life you would've
It's like you put a knife to my chest and pushed it right through to the
Other side of my back and stuck a spike, too, should've
Put up more of a fight but I couldn't at the time
No one could hurt me like you could've
Take you back now, what's the likelihood of that?
Bite me, bitch, chew on a nineteen footer
'Cause this morning I finally stood up
Held my chin up, finally showed a sign of life in me for the
First time since you left and left me with nothing but shattered dreams
And a life we could've had and we could've been
But I'm breaking out of this slump I'm in
Pulling myself out of the dumps once again
I'm getting up once and for all, fuck this shit
I'ma be late for the pity party
But you're never gonna beat me to the fucking punch again
Took it on the chin like a champ so don't lump me in with them chump-ions
I'm done being your punching bag
It was the November 31st today, would've been our anniversary
Two years, but you left on the first of May
I wrote it on the calendar
Was gonna call, but couldn't think of the words to say
But it came to me just now, so I put 'em in a verse to lay
And I thank you (uh) 'cause you made me (uh)
A better person than I was
But I hate you (uh) 'cause you drained me (uh)
I gave you all, you gave me none
But if you blame me (uh), you're crazy (uh)
And after all that's said and done
I'm still angry, yeah, I may be
I may never trust someone
But you won't break me
You'll just make me stronger than I was
Before I met you, I bet you I'll be just fine without you
And if I stumble, I won't crumble
I'll get back up and uhhh
I'ma still be humble when I scream, "Fuck you"
'Cause I'm stronger than I was
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The lyrics is all wrong, I submitted the right one a few days ago and it changes the meaning of this song. As an example the first werses are : You used to say that I'd never be nothing without you, and I believed. I'm shot in the lungs, I gasp I can't breathe, just lay here with me! Baby hold me please. Also he's ALWAYS singing with I'd in this song, he don't use I since this is all a thought he's having.
Maybe I'm stretching it here but the whole album could be starting with the past and him being dumb/an asshole and wanting to kills his girlfriend and closer to the end of the album he's changing his view on it all and even says sorry to his mom in the song Headlights and want to meet her no mather what. (Which I've also submitted correct lyrics to but they haven't been fullt integrated.)
The song is obviously about some sort of toxic relationship.
But everyone is failing to acknowledge a key line that continues to puzzle me. "It was November 31st today. Would've been our anniversary; two years, but you left on the first of May."
There is no 31st of November. So why would he reference this date? And continually talk about a dream? Did this girl never exist? Is it simply Kim? Maybe it's deeper? Who knows.
Well it's definitely about a relationship. Most likely a poor one. Seems to me like he is talking about a verbally abusive relationship. He is talking about how he just puts up with it because he wants things to work out but the relationship is very up and down. When things first started he was weak and would take anything but as things have gone on he's gaining courage and is going to stand up and get out of it.
It's most likely about Kim. Many think it is supposed to be from her perspective, though it is hard to tell.
has anyone thought about the idea of him talking about his relationship with rap and his personal life with drugs and what not. it's making him a stronger person that before he had it. because with it it's helped him become sober and raise his daughter and move on from life. but I also think it's about Kim or someone.
I personally think Mr.Mather's is referring to his 1st stages when he entered rehab. It sounds like he is describing his relationship AMD the struggles with being separated from his drug of choice.
There are too many examples to list without writing every word in the song.Just re-read/listen to the lyrics and its quite fitting to what a person struggles with when giving up an addiction. There is an attachment to the drug and its common to compare it to a very one-sided, love/hate dysfunctional relationship. Addiction drains a person and by the time they enter rehab, they feel as if they have given all of themselves to the substance because they've put more important things in their life to the side as a side effect of being high &, dependent. He mentions how he much he vomited. He made reference how at one point he was to weak to pass up on the temptation when he says he should have been stronger to fight back, he mentions how it could have killed him etc.
I could provide examples for the entire song but this is my interpretation to this song. Just my thoughts......
I forgot to mention in my 1st post, in the song when he mentions dreaming of "them" being together, I think he is referring to the cravings he had/has for the drug. He dreams of the good times he remembered. He makes reference to the two sides of life that the drug gave him. He was delusioned into thinking the drug was good for him (during those euphoric highs) but in reality, it was really messing up his life in every way.
I meant to include this in my 1st post. Sorry for the 2nd post!
This song is talking about his relationship with his ex wife Kim. If you are a true Stan you'll remember his old songs about his ex Kim, and in every album he has a couple songs about his relationship with her. But, this song is more depressing then all of the other, although it is showing how Marshall is getting over her.