Early in their career, the Goo Goo Dolls were frequently dismissed by critics as mere imitators of The Replacements; however, the band refined its sound to be more mainstream, which helped it become one of the most popular adult alternative rock bands of the latter half of the '90s, selling millions of records to audiences largely unfamiliar with their inspirations. That's no bitch on the band, either -- their music simply improved in craft and accessibility as the years progressed, and radio happened to be receptive to what a decade earlier would have been considered collegiate power pop. Thus, the band landed two huge hits with the acoustic ballads "Name" and "Iris."
Originally a cover band with a taste for power pop and classic rock & roll, the group soon began writing its own songs. Their early sound recalled the The Replacements' origins as a bratty punk band (circa Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash) -- melodic, snotty, and a little bit thrashy. That sound was the reason the band attracted the interest of the heavy metal label Metal Blade, which issued their debut album in 1987 (known either as The Goo Goo girls or First Release). 1989's Jed continued in a similar vein; the college radio breakthrough came with 1990's Hold Me Up, a Replacements-ish power pop record.
1993's Superstar Car Wash was the Goo Goo Dolls' artistic breakthrough; though it did nothing to quell the Replacements comparisons, it was a finely crafted pop/rock record, and its lead single, "We Are the Normal," was co-written with Replacements leader Paul Westerberg himself. Still, Superstar Car Wash wasn't the commercial force the band hoped it would be, especially in light of the success of similar bands like the Gin Blossoms. That all changed with 1995's A Boy Named Goo, when an L.A. rock station put the acoustic-driven ballad "Name" into heavy rotation. It was eventually released as a single nationwide, and went Top Five late in the year; platinum sales for the album followed close behind. Unfortunately, the original drummer was no longer around to enjoy the band's success; prior to the album's release, he'd been sacked and replaced by drummer Mike Malinin.
Dissatisfied with the royalty rates in their Metal Blade contract, the band waged a legal battle that wound up allowing them to jump to parent company Warner Brothers. Somewhat drained, Rzeznik and the band shook off a case of writer's block to contribute the ballad "Iris" to the soundtrack of the 1998 americanized version of City of Angels (Featuring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan). Appearing that April, the song was a monster smash, although it was never released as a single (so its official Top Ten pop chart status doesn't convey how popular it was); for a better indicator, "Iris" spent nearly a year on Billboard's airplay charts, including an astonishing 18 weeks at number one, and was nominated for three Grammys. The band's next album, Dizzy Up the Girl, was released in September, during the middle of "Iris"'s marathon airplay run, and sold over three million copies. Its clean, polished sound completed the Goo Goo Dolls' transformation into mainstream pop/rockers who happened to have alternative roots. Further hits from the record followed over the next year, including "Slide," "Dizzy," and the Grammy-nominated "Black Balloon," and the band toured heavily in support. The Goo Goo Dolls revamped their sound for 2001's career retrospective, Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce. A year later, the trio hit the charts with "Here Is Gone" from their seventh studio album, Gutterflower. The CD/DVD combo Live in Buffalo: July 4, 2004 helped fans endure the long wait for the band's next studio album, Let Love In, which didn't appear until 2006. The band toured through the summer of 2007. The band released the first of two greatest hits compilation, entitled Greatest Hits Volume One: The Singles, November 13th 2007.
In February 2008, the band officially headed into studio to work on their new record.
In August 2010, the band released their ninth album, Something for the Rest of Us. In June 2013, the band's tenth studio album, Magnetic, was released. In December 2013, drummer Mike Malinin announced that he left the band.
In May 2016, the band released their eleventh studio album, Boxes. The Goo Goo Dolls' 12th studio album, Miracle Pill, was released on September 13, 2019.
Singles:
There You Are (Hold Me Up)
Just the Way You Are (Hold Me Up)
I'm Awake Now (Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare Soundtrack)
We Are the Normal (Superstar Car Wash)
Fallin' Down (Superstar Car Wash)
Only One (A Boy Named Goo)
Flat Top (A Boy Named Goo)
Name (A Boy Named Goo)
Long Way Down (A Boy Named Goo)
Naked (A Boy Named Goo)
Lazy Eye (Batman & Robin Soundtrack)
Iris (City of Angels Soundtrack/Dizzy Up the Girl)
Slide (Dizzy Up the Girl)
Black Balloon (Dizzy Up the Girl)
Dizzy (Dizzy Up the Girl)
Broadway (Dizzy Up the Girl)
Here Is Gone (Gutterflower)
Big Machine (Gutterflower)
Sympathy (Gutterflower)
Give A Little Bit (Live in Buffalo: July 4, 2004/Let Love In)
Better Days (Target's Sounds of the Season/Let Love In)
Stay With You (Let Love In)
Let Love In (Let Love In)
Before It's Too Late (Sam & Mikaela's Theme) (Transformers Soundtrack)
Home (Something for the Rest of Us)
Real (AT&T Team USA Soundtrack)
Not Broken (Something For The Rest Of Us)
Iris
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
And sooner or later it's over
I just don't wanna miss you tonight
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
The lyrics of Goo Goo Dolls' song Iris are deeply emotional and express the longing and desire to be connected to another person. The singer is communicating their desire to be close to someone they care about deeply, to the point where they would give up anything just to be able to touch them. The sense of heaven and euphoria that comes with being around this person is described as being the closest they will ever be to heaven. In the moment, the singer can only taste that moment and breathe in the other person's essence, acutely aware that it will eventually end. This intense feeling of connection and desire is expressed with the repeated statement that they do not want to miss this moment with this person.
The second part of the song shifts to a more introspective focus, with the singer revealing that they fear being seen by the world, believing that the world would not understand the depth of their emotions towards this person. They acknowledge that everything in life is made to be broken, but they still want this person to know who they truly are, beyond the surface level. The final lines express the idea that experiencing emotional pain and vulnerability is a way to feel alive, and they return to reiterating their desire for this person to know them fully.
Overall, the lyrics of Iris are a powerful and emotional declaration of love and connection. The singer expresses their deep desire for intimacy and vulnerability with another person, while also acknowledging the fear and vulnerability that comes with expressing such emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
And I'd give up forever to touch you
I value touching you so much that I am willing to give up everything for it.
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
I believe that you feel a deep connection with me in some way.
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
Being with you is the closest I will ever come to experiencing heaven.
And I don't want to go home right now
I want to continue being with you and not leave your presence right now.
And all I can taste is this moment
I am completely focused on and absorbed in this present moment.
And all I can breathe is your life
You bring so much joy and vitality into my life that you are the only air I need to breathe.
And sooner or later it's over
I am aware that this moment will eventually come to an end.
I just don't wanna miss you tonight
I don't want to spend this moment without you as I don't want to miss out on anything with you.
And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Some emotions are so strong that they will make you cry even if you try to fight it.
Or the moment of truth in your lies
The truth behind a dishonesty will be revealed regardless of one's efforts to hide it.
When everything feels like the movies
The situation feels so surreal that it seems like it is straight out of a film.
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive
One must experience raw and profound emotions, even painful ones, to fully feel alive.
And I don't want the world to see me
I don't want to show my true self to the world.
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
I fear that the world won't be able to comprehend who I truly am.
When everything's made to be broken
The natural state of things is to eventually fall apart or break down.
I just want you to know who I am
Despite all of this, I want you to truly know and understand me.
I just want you to know who I am
Reiterating the desire for the person to truly know and understand the artist.
I just want you to know who I am
Once again emphasizing the singer's intention to reveal their true self to the person.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: John T. Rzeznik
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind