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)
Close Your Eyes
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd play the blues 'til you came home
With a little sadness in your eyes
Now that all my time was spent
In the walk your heaven sent
Thinking 'bout all the nights you cried
Had a certain passion
And I had silly dreams
A look of vicious actions
Don't close your eyes to me
Don't close your eyes to me
Oh, don't close your eyes to me
Don't close your eyes to me
I wish I had a camera lens
To film the things my mind had said
Before they reached my mouth and got all bad
Looking at the skies of blue
All day long, I think of you
Even after all the shit we've been through
[Chorus]
Oh, don't close your eyes to me
Close your eyes to me
Close your eyes to me
Eyes to me
Close your eyes to me
Don't close your eyes to me
Close your eyes to me
Close your eyes to me
Don't close your eyes to me
Eyes to me
The lyrics of Goo Goo Dolls' "Close Your Eyes" suggest a lost and longing feeling of the singer towards his love interest. The first verse starts with the singer wishing he had a saxophone so he could play blues music for his love interest who's on her way home, and he imagines her eyes being sad, possibly because of their relationship. In the second line of the verse, he confesses that he has been so occupied with the walk of heaven his love interest puts him through that he's been thinking about all the times she cried. The chorus of the song reveals the intensity of the passion he once shared with his love interest, and how he still has silly dreams about them. But despite his love and devotion, he feels that he's been perceived as someone capable of vicious actions, possibly caused by their unresolved issues. In both verses, the singer seems to have said hurtful things to his love interest without intention, and he wishes he had a camera lens to capture the thoughts before they escaped his mouth.
In the second verse, the singer further expresses his love and admiration for his love interest. He reveals that even after the bad times, he still thinks about her all day long, looking at the blue skies. He admits that despite all the "shit" they've been through, he still longs for her presence. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the message that he doesn't want her to close her eyes to him, to his love, and devotion.
Overall, the song portrays the pain, longing, and regret of a person who is hopelessly in love. The lyrics are introspective and melancholy, reflecting on past mistakes and regretting words spoken in haste. It's a beautiful song with poetic and moving lyrics that capture the complexity of emotions in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish I had a saxophone
If I only had an instrument, I'd express my emotions through music
I'd play the blues 'til you came home
I'd create a sad melody, reflecting how much I miss you
With a little sadness in your eyes
I hope you feel the weight of my absence and the sorrow in my song
Now that all my time was spent
I've wasted my time thinking about you, but now you're gone
In the walk your heaven sent
In the path that you chose, guided by your beliefs
Thinking 'bout all the nights you cried
Recalling the moments when you were suffering and I wish I could have been there for you
[Chorus]
Repeated refrain
Had a certain passion
I had strong feelings towards you
And I had silly dreams
My aspirations were unrealistic and impractical
A look of vicious actions
I may have appeared cruel, but it was only because I was hurting
Don't close your eyes to me
Please pay attention to me and my feelings
Oh, don't close your eyes to me
Repeat plea, with heightened emotion
I wish I had a camera lens
If I had a device to capture my thoughts, I'd avoid the mistakes that hurt you
To film the things my mind had said
To document my thoughts before I spoke impulsively and caused harm
Before they reached my mouth and got all bad
Before my words turned hurtful and damaging
Looking at the skies of blue
I'm lost in thought, contemplating the beauty of the world without you
All day long, I think of you
You're always on my mind, no matter what I do
Even after all the shit we've been through
Despite all the hardships we've faced, I can't forget about you
[Chorus]
Repeated refrain
Close your eyes to me
Please allow me to express myself and show my true feelings
Eyes to me
Direct eye contact, a sign of intimacy and understanding
Don't close your eyes to me
Please don't shut me out, let me be vulnerable and honest
Close your eyes to me
Trust me and allow me to share my heart
Don't close your eyes to me
Please don't ignore me, or dismiss my feelings
Close your eyes to me
Let me into your world, and let us connect emotionally
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GEORGE TUTUSKA, JOHN RZEZNIK, ROBBIE TAKAC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind