Goo Goo Dolls is an alternative rock band formed in 1985 in Buffalo, New Yo… Read Full Bio ↴Goo Goo Dolls is an alternative rock band formed in 1985 in Buffalo, New York, USA by guitarist/vocalist John Rzeznik and bassist/vocalist Robby Takac initially under the name the Sex Maggots (the new name was chosen from an ad in True Detective magazine at the behest of a local club owner). They are most famous for the hit "Iris", featured on the soundtrack to the 1998 film City of Angels. Currently, the band consists of John Rzeznik (guitar, vocals) and Robby Takac (vocals, bass). The band has sold 12 million records worldwide and won two Grammy Awards.

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)

Amigone
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Everytime you point your finger
Three more point right back at you
I'm not sayin' that there's something wrong with life
Cuz that's a sad excuse

And age old game of rat and mouse
Chasin' us from house to house
I'm not sayin' that there's something wrong with you

It's wrong with me as well

Are you alive?
Amigone
(Miracles gone wrong)
Is it too late to call and tell you to be strong?
Are you alive?
Amigone
(Miracles gone wrong)
Was the poison in our blood there all along?
Amigone

Heavenly intoxication
Love's been marred by medication
Ain't it funny how a life can take a turn
When the end is near

Are you alive?
Amigone
(Miracles gone wrong)
Is it too late to call and tell you to be strong?
Are you alive?
Amigone
(Miracles gone wrong)
Is it too late to face the truth that it was wrong?
Amigone

I'm not sayin' that it's nothin'
I ain't gonna play along
I ain't wishin' for a miracle
That miracle's gone wrong
And you're too strong

Are you alive?
Amigone
(Miracles gone wrong)
Is it too late to call and tell you to be strong?
Are you alive?
Amigone
(Miracles gone wrong)

Was the poison in our blood there all along?
Amigone

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Goo Goo Dolls's song Amigone speak about the complexities of life, the games people play, and the consequences of our actions. The opening lines "Every time you point your finger, three more point right back at you" imply that when we blame others, we often have a role to play in the problem. The song further explores this dynamic of interpersonal relationships, describing them as an "age old game of rat and mouse, chasin' us from house to house." The lyrics suggest that relationship issues are not solely the fault of one person, but are a shared burden responsibility of both parties.

The chorus of the song, "Are you alive? Amigone (Miracles gone wrong) Is it too late to call and tell you to be strong?" is a plea for someone to find the strength to overcome their struggles. The lines "Heavenly intoxication, love's been marred by medication" suggest that substance use and addiction may be contributing to the pain of a relationship. The song ends by acknowledging that there is something wrong, but the singer is not going to play along or wish for a miracle. Instead, the singer acknowledges that "the miracle's gone wrong," and encourages the other person to be strong.

Line by Line Meaning

Everytime you point your finger
Whenever you blame someone else

Three more point right back at you
You yourself are also at fault

I'm not sayin' that there's something wrong with life
I'm not suggesting life is bad

Cuz that's a sad excuse
Because that's not a valid reason

And age old game of rat and mouse
The classic game of cat and mouse

Chasin' us from house to house
Hunting us down in different places

I'm not sayin' that there's something wrong with you
I'm not saying something is wrong with you

It's wrong with me as well
I also have my own issues

Are you alive?
Are you still alive?

Amigone
A pun on the phrase 'I'm a gone', meaning gone or lost

(Miracles gone wrong)
The miracles we expected didn't happen as planned