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 said, you said
"Turn the lights down, I wanna be alone"
I ran your head away
I couldn't stand how it pleaded
I needed to take
Take a break, take me down, take me down there
I wanna stare at the tears, how they water your years
Take a break, take me down, take me down there
I wanna stare at your tears, how they
I, I, I lied, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I cried 'til my body ache
I, I, I lied, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I cried 'til my body ache
You sweat, and you bled
I couldn't look cause your body, your body would shake
And you feared a lonely death
Like a lake leaves you alone in her depths
Take a break, take me down, take me down there
I wanna stare at the tears, how they water your years
Take a break, take me down, take me down there
I wanna stare at your tears, how they
I, I, I lied, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I cried 'til my body ache
I, I, I lied, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I cried 'til my body ache
I wanna know what's your
I wanna know what's your quietest feeling
I saw you break out, I saw you break out
Saw you unreeling
I lied, now I'm lying awake
I cried until my body ache
I lie, now I'm lying awake
Now I'm lying awake, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I lied, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I cried 'til my body ache
I, I, I lied, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I cried 'til my body ache
Now I'm lying awake, now I'm lying awake
Until my body ache, until my body ache
I, I, I cried 'til my body
Body ache, I, I, I, body
"Turn the lights down, I wanna be alone"
I ran your head away
I couldn't stand how it pleaded
I needed to take
Take a break, take me down, take me down there
I wanna stare at the tears, how they water your years
Take a break, take me down, take me down there
I wanna stare at your tears, how they
I, I, I lied, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I cried 'til my body ache
I, I, I lied, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I cried 'til my body ache
You sweat, and you bled
I couldn't look cause your body, your body would shake
And you feared a lonely death
Like a lake leaves you alone in her depths
Take a break, take me down, take me down there
I wanna stare at the tears, how they water your years
Take a break, take me down, take me down there
I wanna stare at your tears, how they
I, I, I lied, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I cried 'til my body ache
I, I, I lied, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I cried 'til my body ache
I wanna know what's your
I wanna know what's your quietest feeling
I saw you break out, I saw you break out
Saw you unreeling
I lied, now I'm lying awake
I cried until my body ache
I lie, now I'm lying awake
Now I'm lying awake, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I lied, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I cried 'til my body ache
I, I, I lied, now I'm lying awake
I, I, I cried 'til my body ache
Now I'm lying awake, now I'm lying awake
Until my body ache, until my body ache
I, I, I cried 'til my body
Body ache, I, I, I, body
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
Bodyache Lyrics as written by Megan James Corin Roddick
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
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He reuses the verse melody from the previous album's "Dirty Little Religion", the topics of the verses are all over the place, and he packs too many words into one line (goes to show...) and too few in another (it's pretty hard to find), and rhymes "Henley Regatta" with "Persona non grata", but gets away with it all as only he could.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
I think the song is about how the artist is in a relationship and she sees the emotional toll her partner takes being with her. Maybe she has some sort of mental illness that is very taxing on the both of them. Her partner works so hard to make sure she's okay, and keeps their troubles to themselves. She wants to see her partner let go, to show themself to her. She feels guilt over how her partner is also suffering but she can't help. She wants them to open up to her and the song is her admitting guilt and trying to get them to open up.