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)
Bulletproofangel
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the middle of the street
And the suits don't even notice
They staring at their feet
She hears a secret quire
That sings for me and you
You know I don't believe her
But I say I hear them too
You're an angel
You're bulletproof
Your so high
You see the truth and I'm still on the ground pretending I
That I could be like you
She asked if I'm a lover
I said I'd try to be
She said love until your heart breaks
'Cause there are no guarantees
You're an angel
You're bulletproof
Your so high
You see the truth and I'm still on the ground pretending I
That I could be like you
Oh
Call out to heaven
Just to let them know
You're here
Stay with me a moment
Say I'm not alone and
Tell me that I'll see you
Again
You're an angel
You're bulletproof
Your so high
You see the truth and I'm still on the ground pretending I
And how could I have ever passed you by
'Cause I'm still on the ground pretending I
That I could be like you
That I could be like you
In "Bulletproofangel," the Goo Goo Dolls sing about seeing a woman every morning on the street. The suits paying no attention to her as they stare at their feet, while this woman hears a secret choir that sings for her and everyone else. The singer is in awe of her, admiring her ability to see the truth, calling her a bulletproof angel. He admits that he doesn't believe her when she tells him what she hears, but he pretends to hear it too. The woman asks him if he is a lover, to which he responds that he will try to be, and she tells him to love until his heart breaks since there are no guarantees.
Through this song, the Goo Goo Dolls seem to celebrate the idea of living life to the fullest, being kind, and loving without self-preservation. The woman, in this case, represents a sort of messiah, who can see and hear what others cannot. It is not clear whether she is real or just a figment of the singer's imagination, but either way, she pushes him to be better, inspiring him to love and live more boldly and authentically.
Line by Line Meaning
I see her ever morning
Every morning, I see her in the middle of the street.
In the middle of the street
She stands in the middle of the street where the suits don't even notice.
And the suits don't even notice
People in suits around her are staring at their feet.
They staring at their feet
The suits fail to see her, but she hears a secret choir that sings for me and you.
She hears a secret quire
That sings for me and you
She hears a choir singing a secret message for us.
You know I don't believe her
But I say I hear them too
I don't believe her, but I pretend to hear them too.
You're an angel
You're bulletproof
Your so high
You see the truth and I'm still on the ground pretending I
That I could be like you
You're an angel, you're invincible, you're so wise and I'm still pretending to be like you.
She asked if I'm a lover
I said I'd try to be
She said love until your heart breaks
'Cause there are no guarantees
She asked if I love someone, I said I'd try, she said to love them unconditionally as there are no guarantees.
Call out to heaven
Just to let them know
You're here
Stay with me a moment
Say I'm not alone and
Tell me that I'll see you
Again
I call out to heaven to let them know you're here with me, stay with me, reassure me that I'm not alone and that I'll see you again.
And how could I have ever passed you by
'Cause I'm still on the ground pretending I
That I could be like you
I regret passing by you because I'm still on the ground pretending to be like you.
Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andy Stochansky, John Rzeznik
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lisa Heitz
"BulletproofAngel" Lyrics by The Goo Goo Dolls
I see her every morning
In the middle of the street.
The "suits" don't even notice,
Staring at their feet.
She hears a secret choir
That sings for me and you.
You know I don't believe her
But I say I hear them too.
Angel,
You're bulletproof,
You're so high,
You see the truth.
And I'm still on the ground pretending I...
That I could be like you.
She asked if I'm a lover.
I said I try to be.
She said love until your heart breaks,
Cause there are no guarantees.
Angel,
You're bulletproof,
You're so high,
You see the truth.
And I'm still on the ground pretending I...
That I could be like you
Ooh
Call out to heaven
Just to let them know
You're here.
Stay with me a moment.
Say I'm not alone
And tell me that I'll see you again.
Angel,
You're bulletproof,
You're so high,
You see the truth.
And I'm still on the ground pretending I...
And how could I have ever passed you by?
Cause I'm still on the ground pretending I...
That I could be like you.
That I could be like you.
Tyrell Wellick
A lot of goo goo dolls songs could be their own genre... There's not many artists or bands out there that make even close to amazing extraordinary meaningful inspirational heartfelt unreal songs like these. You can't even describe them that they are so powerful
David Wolfe
To me John is one of the greatest singers of the 90's this song is just epic i never heard him sing this good befor it seem's the older they get the better they get like a fine wine that ages over time its amazing to see how far they have come as musicians and people i can't stop listening to this song its that good lol and it never gets old thank you guys for the years of great music hope to hear many more :)
Nikki Soderquist
John deserved to get inducted in the songwriter hall of fame. Im so proud to say that Goo is my favorite band. Theyve been together 27 years & i think thats amazing. Still making great music. They will never know how much their music helped & inspired me & other people like me.
Romas Tamrakar
such a beautiful and pure song....these kinds of songs are the reason I am a great fan of Goo Goo Dolls.......the chorus is so beautiful
Glenda Willett
My Mom was a BULLET PROOF ANGEL and I lost her last year. I took care of her all the way to burying her.This is so me trying to be like her. Beautiful song as always. THANK YOU GOO GOO DOLLS for saving me for 25 year's.
ValaBlake
Yet another beautiful song - always so eloquent. But things like this make waiting for the album to be released so much harder! LOL! Thanks for the teasers, guys. *HUGS* Love ya and can't wait to see you again this summer! Until then, stay safe, have fun and lots of love to ya! =)
Xxmarilyn4ever
I am so obsessed with the GGD. Their songs are beautifully and perfectly written. You can tell they put alot of emotion into their songs and thats amazing.
Adam Duffill
Such a beautiful song, I think John has finally found happiness but also a new found passion and you can hear that in his voice on this song - When I hear some of the music on the radio today that lacks any sort of feeling, it's a relief to know there are still great bands out there writing music from the heart. I'm a singer/songwriter from the UK, and I enjoyed this song so much I did a piano cover, so if you get a second please do check it out I'd really appreciate any feedback :)
SmellamyBlake
I love this band. I`m constently bullied at school. I`m depressed and have very little self esteem. This song inspires me to be BULLETPROOF! and try not to let what others say effect me no longer.
Jersey JP
Live with it