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.
With a purple umbrella and a fifty cent hat
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Missus cool rides out in her aged Cadillac
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Come on, babe on the round about, ride on the merry-go-round
We all know what your name is, so you better lay your money down
Alimony, alimony payin' your bills
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
When your conscience hits, you knock it back with pills
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Come on, babe on the round about, ride on the merry-go-round
We all know what your name is, so you better lay your money down
Tellin' tall tales of how it used to be
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
With the butler and the maid and the servants three
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman (ah, I'm kidding man)
Nobody hears a single word you say
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
But you keep on talkin' till your dyin' day
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Come on, babe on the round about, ride on the merry-go-round
We all know what your name is, so you better lay your money down
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Missus cool rides out in her aged Cadillac
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Come on, babe on the round about, ride on the merry-go-round
We all know what your name is, so you better lay your money down
Alimony, alimony payin' your bills
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
When your conscience hits, you knock it back with pills
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Come on, babe on the round about, ride on the merry-go-round
We all know what your name is, so you better lay your money down
Tellin' tall tales of how it used to be
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
With the butler and the maid and the servants three
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman (ah, I'm kidding man)
Nobody hears a single word you say
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
But you keep on talkin' till your dyin' day
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Come on, babe on the round about, ride on the merry-go-round
We all know what your name is, so you better lay your money down
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Livin', lovin', she's just a woman
Lyrics submitted by kevin, edited by Mellow_Harsher, SMvisitor
Living Loving Maid (She's Just a Woman) Lyrics as written by Robert Plant Jimmy Page
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
well, being that Led Zeppelin II came out in 1969, i think it would be kind of hard for it to be about 1970s sitcoms
Golddiggers! It's about golddiggers! The song talks about a woman who married for her money.
There's no explanation where her husband's gone (though alimony implies divorce, and her conscience bothering her implies she incited it).
The woman is made out to be just what such women end up - old drudges, looking cheap in remnants of fancy clothes, who reminisce about the glory days while no one cares or even pays attention.
The sluttish golddigger probably married someone tres tres rich and powerful (implied by her remembering butlers, maids and servants three)....<br /> <br />
This is a song about a specific person. It's about an older groupie who bothered the band during the recording of LZ II. Obviously, Plant made up some lyrics to fit what he figured her life was probably like.
Also, i read that none of the other members of the band were too impressed with Page's work on this song. I've never been able to understand that.
I agree with JumpyJack on this. The song is about an annoying, clingy groupie who was always there around the time Led Zeppelin II was in the works. This is Page's least favorite song on the album, probably because he did the backing vocals. Back to JumpyJack's comment, I have no idea why they weren't impressed with the work. I think they're crazy cause It's my favorite song. The bass/guitar riff kicks ass. I think Page and Plant came up with the music....but whoever did, it's extremely catchy and my fav. to play on bass.
This was zeppelins least favorite song thats why they never played it live. the all thought it was too "made for radio" and it is one of their more pop influenced songs. Its kinda strange cause it doesnt fit all that well in zeppelin 2 but if you age robert plants voice a little it kinda sounds like it could be on their later stuff like presence or even physical graffitti but thats kinda a stretch.
This song is ok, but back sometime in '72, someone had an interveiw with Jimmy Page, asking about his favorite Zeppelin songs, and he said the only one he didn't like, is this one.
That may be so but its still a pretty bad ass song. And the fact that this song has 26 comments (including me) is amazing. You would think a classic zeppelin song like this would attract more people but i guess no one appreciates the good stuff anymore. Don't believe me? Go check out Green Day or Blink 182 or Fallout Boys songs and i bet they have a lot more comments than most zeppelin songs.
Whats wrong with the world today?
From what I have read in the book "Hammer of the Gods" most of the songs and lyrics in Zeppelin's second album were inspired by the experiences they had on their first American tour. This particular song was allegedly inspired by an aging groupie that particularly annoyed Jimmy Page by showing up to their recording sessions in a New York studio and claiming to have "been" with Page in front of the other groupies. She was in her thirties but had dyed blond hair and dressed provocatively. Anyway, the song is about older women trying to stay young and work it.
Does 50 Cent even wear a hat?