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)
Bringing On the Light
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I've been waiting half the year to say
You're bringing on the light
The second hand moves way to slow
But where did all those minutes go I say,
You're bringing on the light
Oh yeah, oh yeah,
Bringing on the light
Bringing on the light
There's no right way to do a
Wrong thing, I could hear you say
You're bringing on the light
It's a quick trip there and a long return
So make the grade or feel the burn they say
You're bringing on the light
Oh yeah, oh yeah,
Bringing on the light
Oh yeah, oh yeah,
Bringing on the light
There's a little place we used to go
It took the place of what we didn't know
It's like a magic show
Separating lies from fact
Oh, what kind of fun is that
You're just waiting for your time back
Oh yeah, oh yeah,
Bringing on the light
Oh yeah, oh yeah,
Bringing on the light
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Bringing on the light
The lyrics to Goo Goo Doll's song "Bringing On the Light" convey a sense of urgency and anticipation. The singer has been waiting for half a year to express how they feel, and now they finally have the chance to speak up. They thank the person they are talking to for "bringing on the light," which could be interpreted as bringing them out of a period of darkness or uncertainty.
The song seems to be about taking risks and seizing opportunities. The singer acknowledges that there is no right way to do a wrong thing, but emphasizes the importance of making the most of your time and making the grade. They reminisce about a little place they used to go to that was like a "magic show." However, they also acknowledge the unpleasant aspects of life, such as separating lies from fact and feeling like you're waiting for your time back.
The music itself is catchy and upbeat, with a driving drumbeat and guitar riffs. The chorus is particularly memorable, with the repeated refrain of "bringing on the light" driving home the hopeful and positive message of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I hate to be a nuisance here
I know I may be bothering you, but...
But I've been waiting half the year to say
I've been waiting for months to tell you something important
You're bringing on the light
You are bringing positivity and brightness into my life
The second hand moves way too slow
Time seems to pass too slowly for me
But where did all those minutes go I say
I wonder where all my time went
You're bringing on the light
You are making my life better, in more ways than one
Oh yeah, oh yeah,
This is something exciting, something worth celebrating
Bringing on the light
More positivity is coming my way because of you
There's no right way to do a wrong thing
Mistakes can't be justified, no matter how hard you try
I could hear you say
This is something that you've told me before
You're bringing on the light
You continue to inspire me and bring more light into my life
It's a quick trip there and a long return
The consequences of your actions can last much longer than the moments of pleasure
So make the grade or feel the burn they say
Push yourself to succeed, or else face the negative consequences
You're bringing on the light
By inspiring me, you continue to bring light into my life
Oh yeah, oh yeah,
This is still something to be excited about
Bringing on the light
More positivity is still coming my way thanks to you
There's a little place we used to go
We have memories of a special place that we shared
It took the place of what we didn't know
This place was our escape from reality, from the things we didn't understand or couldn't control
It's like a magic show
Being there was like witnessing something enchanting and wonderful
Separating lies from fact
The truth can be hard to discern, especially when it's not what we want to hear
Oh, what kind of fun is that
It's not enjoyable to realize that our expectations don't match reality
You're just waiting for your time back
We often wish we could turn back time and relive better moments
Oh yeah, oh yeah,
This is still something exciting to me
Bringing on the light
Thanks to you, I still have more positivity coming my way
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
This is truly something to celebrate and be excited about
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind