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.
Tarzan wasn't a ladies man
He'd just come along and scoop 'em
Up under his arm like that
Quick as a cat, in the jungle
Clark Kent, now there was a real gent
He would not be caught sittin' around in no jungle scape
Dumb as an ape, doin' nothing
Superman never made any money
Savin' the world from Solomon Grundy
And sometimes I despair
The world will never see another man like him
Hey Bob, Supe had a straight job
Even though he coulda smashed through
Any bank in the United States
He had the strength but he would not
Folks said his family were all dead
Planet crumbled, but Superman he forced himself
To carry on, forget Krypton, and keep goin'
Superman never made any money
Savin' the world from Solomon Grundy
And sometimes I despair
The world will never see another man like him
Tarzan was king of the jungle
And lord over all the apes
But he could hardly string together
Four words, I Tarzan you Jane
Sometimes when Supe was stoppin' crimes
I'll bet that he was tempted to just quit
And turn his back on man
Join Tarzan in the forest
But he stayed in the city
Kept on changin' clothes
In dirty old phone booths 'til his work was through
Had nothin' to do but go on home
Superman never made any money
Savin' the world from Solomon Grundy
And sometimes I despair
The world will never see another man like him
And sometimes I despair
The world will never see another man like him
He'd just come along and scoop 'em
Up under his arm like that
Quick as a cat, in the jungle
Clark Kent, now there was a real gent
He would not be caught sittin' around in no jungle scape
Dumb as an ape, doin' nothing
Superman never made any money
Savin' the world from Solomon Grundy
And sometimes I despair
The world will never see another man like him
Hey Bob, Supe had a straight job
Even though he coulda smashed through
Any bank in the United States
He had the strength but he would not
Folks said his family were all dead
Planet crumbled, but Superman he forced himself
To carry on, forget Krypton, and keep goin'
Superman never made any money
Savin' the world from Solomon Grundy
And sometimes I despair
The world will never see another man like him
Tarzan was king of the jungle
And lord over all the apes
But he could hardly string together
Four words, I Tarzan you Jane
Sometimes when Supe was stoppin' crimes
I'll bet that he was tempted to just quit
And turn his back on man
Join Tarzan in the forest
But he stayed in the city
Kept on changin' clothes
In dirty old phone booths 'til his work was through
Had nothin' to do but go on home
Superman never made any money
Savin' the world from Solomon Grundy
And sometimes I despair
The world will never see another man like him
And sometimes I despair
The world will never see another man like him
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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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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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The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
I would love to talk about how great this song is but the lyrics are so well written and so well spelt out I would just be wasting time. This song reminds me of my father and when we lost my mother. I was only 11 and my oldest brother 16. He just kept trucking even when our family hit some major problems financially. I am a strong individual but raising 3 teens, having your wife of 20 years die and then hit finacial problems because of your out of hand children. Anyways this song got me thru it and helped me understand that he does not have to do all that he is doing. There are worst fathers out there that would of gave up. I LOVE THIS SONG
Do you tell him often? <br /> <br /> My father died this year and I regret the things unsaid
@Camarue Thank you for your story. I think everyone who enjoys this song has a Superman (or woman) in mind when they hear it.
I love this song. I think it is a perfect demonstration of how most of the time life is hard and it doesn't seem fair, and it depends on your strength of character how you will handle it. This song shows Superman's strength, not only as a superhero, but also as a decent person. The Tarzan reference shows how easy it would have been to just quit being Superman, and the reference to the "king of the jungle" who can't even talk brings to light the better person--not the one who is powerful but does nothing with that power, but the one who has lost everything but his power, which he uses for good. It makes you think--if I had the power to do anything I wanted, for good or for bad, how would I use that power? Superman had lost everything and he wasn't even from Earth, so it's not like he owed the planet anything. He just saw a need that he knew only he could satisfy, so he did it. I agree with the last line of the chorus. More and more, as I watch our world I despair the world will never see another man like him.
Yes, i agree... Not only does this song have great music to it, but the lyrics are very deep and meaningful...(as is the case with most of the bands songs) It uses alot of common themes, but phrases them differently, like "Superman never made any money, for saving the world from Solomon Grundy" Brad Roberts is writing about how true heroes give without any thought of reward...i could go on for days about this stuff, but i spose i better stop. Its a fairly self-explanatory song anyway...If u haven't heard it...listen to it now...
Great song, absolutely wonderful. I've thought about what an interesting story could be made from the ideas in this song - a movie or a short story. I think something would definitely be lost though. This song moves me.
I don't really think this song is about Tarzan...or Superman for that matter...it's more about how society today is much less curtious, and generous, and will only do good for a reward. It's quite sad actually...he's just using Superman and Tarzan's as examples...it's not about how many people they've saved or whatever...it's trying to convey the sorrow of the world losing it's respect... ("Sometimes I despair the world will never see another man...like him") all the superman's out there are diminishing...and we are left with only Tarzan's. (Not that Tarzan was bad...he just has to have a comparison hero to show what everyone has become).
I just saw a documentary on Superman, and the part about Christopher Reeve made me think of this song. After he was paralyzed and he still went on couragously, funding research for a cure for paralysis and never showing a sign of giving up, only then did he really become the kind of hero this song talks about. Ironic in a really horrible way.. It shows you how it's not about the powers or the cape at all.. I think there was a biography about Christopher Reeve and it was called 'Super Man' and it's of weird, cause I don't think any other person who's played a superhero ever took on the identity so much in the public's mind.. it's almost like he was Superman, and when he died, they were playing this song and other songs with a Superman theme, it was like Superman had really just died... Just really sad, in every way.
This is such a brilliant, moving song. I truly do love it. What I think it's about is how the world is running out of decent people, who give without expecting anything in return, such as Superman. People who have to deal with all sorts of crap, just to help others, and yet they'll still deal with it. I love this song.
Superman transfigured as a Christ like figure, laying his life down when he had the power and ability to have it quite easy, if not for his morality to let him know "with great power comes great responsiblity"
Incredible, boy did the Smallville creators drop the ball by not using this during those first few "woe is me" seasons they had. It really would've been perfect.
Half of this song is very good. The Superman part was very weel awritten with a good message. But I think he comes down too hard on Tarzan. Sure Tarzan had a great life, but it wasn't like he did nothing with it. He helped the animals in the forest and stopped poackers from poaching. Superman did his part in the cities - granted he probably did more, but he also had super powers. Tarzan was just a regular person who grew up in a different environment. He fell in love with that environment and did all he could to protect it.