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)
21. Up Yours
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stop your whine
Feelin' swell
And I'm doin' fine
Yeah, fuck your suicide
It's all bullshit 'cause I tried
And it really don't impress me all that much
Up yours
What'd you find
Sit right down
I got time
And you say here comes the end
And you haven't got a friend
And I'm standing here just screaming at the wall
Up yours
Stop your whine
What ya ya got
I got mine
And you shake your stupid head
And you wish that you were dead
And I swear sometimes you're happier than me
And you know it's hard to be
All the things you want me to be
And you go and make it hard on me
But I swear that anything you could be, I could be, can't you see
Up yours
Got no mind
That's too bad
You got time
Yeah, fuck your silly game
'cause it's driving me insane
And it really doesn't matter much to me
The chorus of the song "Up Yours" is a rebellious conversation between the singer and an unknown person who seems to be complaining or whining about something. The singer is conveying a feeling of positivity and confidence, which is evident in the lyrics, "Stop your whine, Feeling swell, And I'm doin' fine." The lyrics, "Up yours, What'd you find, Sit right down, I got time," convey a sense of defiance and disregard for the unknown person's complaints, and the singer implies that they have the upper hand in the situation.
The song then takes a dark turn when the singer addresses the topic of suicide, calling it "bullshit" because they have apparently tried it themselves. The lyrics, "And you say here comes the end, And you haven't got a friend, And I'm standing here just screaming at the wall," suggest that the unknown person may be struggling with suicidal thoughts and that the singer may have gone through a similar experience, which gives them a unique perspective on the matter.
The last verse of the song shows the singer's frustration with the unknown person's attitude towards life. They suggest that the person is not making an effort to improve their life, and that they are only wallowing in self-pity. The lyrics, "And you shake your stupid head, And you wish that you were dead, And I swear sometimes you're happier than me," suggest that the singer is frustrated with the unknown person's inability to appreciate life, and that they themselves are struggling to find happiness amidst their own struggles.
Overall, "Up Yours" is a powerful expression of rebellion and defiance in the face of adversity. It is a song that encourages listeners to take control of their lives and to not let their circumstances determine their happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Up yours
I don't care about you or your problems
Stop your whine
Stop complaining
Feelin' swell
And I'm doin' fine
I'm doing well and feeling good
Yeah, fuck your suicide
It's all bullshit 'cause I tried
And it really don't impress me all that much
I'm not impressed by your talk of suicide because I've been there myself and it's not the answer
What'd you find
Sit right down
I got time
What happened to you? Come sit and talk to me, I have time to listen
And you say here comes the end
And you haven't got a friend
And I'm standing here just screaming at the wall
You feel like it's the end and you have no one, but I'm here trying to help
What ya ya got
I got mine
I don't care what you have, I have my own things to worry about
And you shake your stupid head
And you wish that you were dead
And I swear sometimes you're happier than me
You're upset and wish you were dead, but sometimes you seem happier than me
And you know it's hard to be
All the things you want me to be
And you go and make it hard on me
But I swear that anything you could be, I could be, can't you see
I know it's hard to meet your expectations, but you make it harder for me. However, I can be anything you want me to be, don't you see?
Got no mind
That's too bad
You got time
You don't have a clue, too bad for you. But you still have time to learn
Yeah, fuck your silly game
'cause it's driving me insane
And it really doesn't matter much to me
I'm tired of playing your games, they're driving me crazy, and they don't matter to me at all
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: G. TUTSKA, J. RZEZNIK, R. TAKAC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Damien Seed
Up yours
Stop your whine
Feelin' swell
And I'm doin' fine
Yeah, fuck your suicide
It's all bullshit cuz I tried
And it really don't impress me all that much
Up yours
What'd you find
Sit right down
I got time
And you say here comes the end
And you haven't got a friend
And I'm standing here just screaming at the wall
Up yours
Stop your whine
Whatcha ya got
I got mine
And you shake your stupid head
And you wish that you were dead
And I swear sometimes you're happier than me
And you know it's hard to be
All the things you want me to be
And you go and make it hard on me
But I swear that anything you could be, I could be, can't you see
Up yours
Got no mind
That's too bad
You got time
Yeah, fuck your silly game
Cuz it's driving me insane
And it really doesn't matter much to me
tmlafrance
I have this on vinyl (it was a promo at the college station) and got it autographed when they were on this tour.
tmlafrance
@Noel Thomas. It's top 2 for sure
Noel Thomas.
lucky! i love this album.
small ed
One of their more amusing numbers with spectacular vocal detuning. Even though it's garage-band caliber, it remains superior to the shit they're puking out nowadays.
small ed
@Tralfaz666 I admit that I'm amazed at how much they manage to pack into a minute and 36 seconds, accounting for about two seconds of dead time after :-)
Tralfaz666
there's something positive to be said for garage band caliber
p4horror
One of the best album covers ever.
GreenCanvasInteriorscape
Who did the original?
Damien Seed
Up yours
Stop your whine
Feelin' swell
And I'm doin' fine
Yeah, fuck your suicide
It's all bullshit cuz I tried
And it really don't impress me all that much
Up yours
What'd you find
Sit right down
I got time
And you say here comes the end
And you haven't got a friend
And I'm standing here just screaming at the wall
Up yours
Stop your whine
Whatcha ya got
I got mine
And you shake your stupid head
And you wish that you were dead
And I swear sometimes you're happier than me
And you know it's hard to be
All the things you want me to be
And you go and make it hard on me
But I swear that anything you could be, I could be, can't you see
Up yours
Got no mind
That's too bad
You got time
Yeah, fuck your silly game
Cuz it's driving me insane
And it really doesn't matter much to me
Sarah Bynum
I love this song SO much!