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)
City Of Angels
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
And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's meant 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 meant 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 meant 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 meant 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
In Goo Goo Dolls' song "City of Angels", the singer expresses their desire to be with someone they love. They say that they would give up everything, even forever, just to be close to this person. They feel a deep connection with this person, as if they are the closest thing to heaven they will experience, and they don't want to leave their presence. The singer is fully caught up in the moment, only able to taste and breathe in the experience of being with this person. They understand that in life, everything is fleeting and will eventually end, but they don't want to miss out on this chance to be with the person they love.
However, there is a sense of secrecy and vulnerability in the singer's desires. They don't want the world to see them, as they feel that people wouldn't understand the depth of their emotions. The singer acknowledges the brokenness of life, suggesting that everything is meant to be broken, but they still want their love to know who they truly are. In the final repetition of "I just want you to know who I am", the singer emphasizes their desire for their love to know them in a way that no one else can.
Overall, the song portrays a moment of intense emotional connection between two individuals, even amidst the brokenness of the world around them. It highlights the human desire for deep love and understanding, even if it means sacrificing everything else.
Line by Line Meaning
And I'd give up forever to touch you
I would give anything to be with you forever
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
I have a connection with you that cannot be explained
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
Being with you is the closest I will ever get to feeling like I'm in heaven
And I don't want to go home right now
I don't want to leave your side just yet
And all I can taste is this moment
I am fully immersed in this moment with you
And all I can breathe is your life
You are the only thing that matters to me right now
And sooner or later it's over
This moment with you will eventually come to an end
I just don't wanna miss you tonight
I don't want to miss a single moment with you tonight
And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
There's no point in trying to hold back the tears that are bound to fall
Or the moment of truth in your lies
You can't deny the truth that lies behind your words, no matter how hard you try
When everything feels like the movies
This moment with you feels like it was made for the big screen
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive
You have to experience pain to truly feel like you're alive
And I don't want the world to see me
I don't want anyone else to see what we have, it's too special
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
No one else can understand the connection that we have
When everything's meant to be broken
In a world where everything is bound to break, we have something that feels unbreakable
I just want you to know who I am
I want you to know the real me, the one who is completely in love with you
I just want you to know who I am
I want you to understand how much you mean to me
I just want you to know who I am
At the end of the day, all I want is for you to truly know and understand me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: WAYNE SHORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charlotte Morganson
And I'd give up forever to touch you
'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
drox
One of my favorite songs accompanied with such a great scene in cinema. How the lyrics perfectly match the scenario in the film is just amazing.
Joshua Estrella
the vocalist is ask to write a song about the movie
cfn poa
The song is a spoiler... tell all the movie... this spoiler is very good!!! Spoiler good for the fist time!!❤❤❤😊😊
Daniel Burubeltz
This song was written in minutes and sat on the Billboard charts for 19 weeks @ #1 go goos 🎸
Robyn
The perfect song for a phenomenal movie!!! I’m 45 now and this came out when I was 21 years old. My how time flies and still love both.❤❤❤
Beast of Bmore
Wasn't it great when things moved slower when songs and movies were events, not 2 days, tiktok trend
Saleem Durrani
One of my favorite songs by Goo Goo Dolls and I never stop hearing it
Luna Lea
This was a Perfect song that totally captured the Essence of the move, well done GGD!🥳💖
4TheRecord
Thank you and sorry for late reply
Luna Lea
@4TheRecord Awww, bless u and no worries! ☮💜