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 got pipe dreams of crack rocks and stripper poles
Of fucking center folds
So I got secrets only me and all my niggas know
Of kicking in the doors
I'll send a bitch to get ya
So don't play fucking stupid
I know you got the product
'Cause I could smell the money
I could taste the weed
Give me somethin' or a body, only way I'll leave
I love to watch 'em squirm
I love when bitches bleed
If she's sucking on the barrel, you can't hear her scream
So kiss the fucking carpet
This aggravated Larson
And then I'm out the door
It's monsters in your home
Black gloves, mask on, muzzle plated chrome
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
That's the first one to go
The first shot I blow
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
Shotta, shotta
Who be that, the number one shotta?
Put a missile on you when I'm on your blocka
And you'll be thin, you'll be issue when I'm off it, off it, I'm off it
I got the magazine from the pistol
For any politician talkin' shit, givin' issue
Another black man in the street, it's official
We riding out the spirit, here go another pistol
Ha, fuck, another cracka!
Cop coming on my block for the answers
Huh? I no got time for your question
Huh, just put mi mommy and mi bredren
I hate the way I think, I hate the way it looms
I hate the way the things I say incinerate a room
I know I'm tryna change, but it'll never work
Just end up more broken down than when I started
And that concrete feels the hardest every time I seem to touch it
Started thinking I ain't meant for life but that's too deep
Falling up into the ceiling while I'm drowning in the
Creek of my emotions trying harder to be open
Talking 'bout release dates
I'm trying to make it to tomorrow
Internal honesty could be the hardest pill to swallow
So I need two shots of everything that's on the fuckin' menu
I'm dancing with myself; setting fire to the venue, motherfucker
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
That's the first one to go
The first shot I blow
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
Fuck you!
I'll break your neck so you can watch your back
Fuck you!
I'll break your neck so you can watch your back
I'll break your neck so you can watch your back
Fuck you!
I'll break your neck so you can watch your back
Fuck you
My old friend fucked my girlfriend, I should've shot him
Pray to god about him
Man, I hit the lotto
Yeah, my bitch got badder
Shit, my ass got badder
And I forgave them bitches
So now it's off to millions
I been fucking sinning
Hit the forehead, chest, left, right, I'm grinning
Asses on the ceiling
And I got mirror feelings
For all you lil' demons
Yeah, you see the chain
'Fore all you changed on me
Rearranged on me
Suck a dick about it
I hope you get offended
And this ain't clean shit
This is pissing off the yacht with my bitch on me
Wearin' mink on me
Sippin' Cris' on ya
Bet ya life on it
I came to fight for it
Came in, raided all your pockets
And your bitch came in and rubbed up on me
I'm burning rubber, I pulled up on you
Of fucking center folds
So I got secrets only me and all my niggas know
Of kicking in the doors
I'll send a bitch to get ya
So don't play fucking stupid
I know you got the product
'Cause I could smell the money
I could taste the weed
Give me somethin' or a body, only way I'll leave
I love to watch 'em squirm
I love when bitches bleed
If she's sucking on the barrel, you can't hear her scream
So kiss the fucking carpet
This aggravated Larson
And then I'm out the door
It's monsters in your home
Black gloves, mask on, muzzle plated chrome
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
That's the first one to go
The first shot I blow
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
Shotta, shotta
Who be that, the number one shotta?
Put a missile on you when I'm on your blocka
And you'll be thin, you'll be issue when I'm off it, off it, I'm off it
I got the magazine from the pistol
For any politician talkin' shit, givin' issue
Another black man in the street, it's official
We riding out the spirit, here go another pistol
Ha, fuck, another cracka!
Cop coming on my block for the answers
Huh? I no got time for your question
Huh, just put mi mommy and mi bredren
I hate the way I think, I hate the way it looms
I hate the way the things I say incinerate a room
I know I'm tryna change, but it'll never work
Just end up more broken down than when I started
And that concrete feels the hardest every time I seem to touch it
Started thinking I ain't meant for life but that's too deep
Falling up into the ceiling while I'm drowning in the
Creek of my emotions trying harder to be open
Talking 'bout release dates
I'm trying to make it to tomorrow
Internal honesty could be the hardest pill to swallow
So I need two shots of everything that's on the fuckin' menu
I'm dancing with myself; setting fire to the venue, motherfucker
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
That's the first one to go
The first shot I blow
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
Who done called the cops on my niggas?
Fuck you!
I'll break your neck so you can watch your back
Fuck you!
I'll break your neck so you can watch your back
I'll break your neck so you can watch your back
Fuck you!
I'll break your neck so you can watch your back
Fuck you
My old friend fucked my girlfriend, I should've shot him
Pray to god about him
Man, I hit the lotto
Yeah, my bitch got badder
Shit, my ass got badder
And I forgave them bitches
So now it's off to millions
I been fucking sinning
Hit the forehead, chest, left, right, I'm grinning
Asses on the ceiling
And I got mirror feelings
For all you lil' demons
Yeah, you see the chain
'Fore all you changed on me
Rearranged on me
Suck a dick about it
I hope you get offended
And this ain't clean shit
This is pissing off the yacht with my bitch on me
Wearin' mink on me
Sippin' Cris' on ya
Bet ya life on it
I came to fight for it
Came in, raided all your pockets
And your bitch came in and rubbed up on me
I'm burning rubber, I pulled up on you
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