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)
Come On
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just what you mean to me
Come on and show me
Your daily atrophy
Come on and show me
Just what I mean to you
Come on and show me
Just what you are
Just like you used to do
Come on and squeeze me
When I make love with you
Come on and show me
I picked out who you are
Come on and blame me
I like it now
Come on and stroke me
Just like you whip your bat
Come on and show me
I ain't seen nothing yet
Come on and show me
I don't know where I'll go
Come on and show me
I want to know!
The lyrics to Goo Goo Dolls’ song “Come On” appear to be focused on the idea of two people in a relationship who want to reconnect after a period of time. The chorus, “Come on and show me, just what you mean to me,” sets the tone for the rest of the song’s themes of reconnection, rediscovery and intimacy. The first verse, “Come on and show me, your daily atrophy,” implies that the singer wants to understand how their partner has changed since they last saw each other.
The second verse, “Come on and hold me, just like you used to do,” seems to suggest a longing for the way things used to be, and that despite the changes, the singer still wants to feel that previous intimacy. The third verse, “Come on and stroke me, just like you whip your bat,” is a more risqué reference to the idea of intimacy in a relationship.
Overall, the song appears to be about rediscovery and rekindling intimacy between two people who have been apart for some time, and the desire to understand each other in a new light.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on and show me
Urge or challenge the person to reveal or demonstrate something
Just what you mean to me
Demonstrate the significance or importance they hold in one's life
Your daily atrophy
Exhibit the gradual decline or deterioration of oneself over time
Just what I mean to you
Expose what kind of impact one has on the other person's life
Just what you are
Reveal someone's true nature or identity
Just like you used to do
Request to be held in the same manner or fashion as in the past
When I make love with you
During intimate moments with the person
I picked out who you are
Have a clear understanding of the other person's identity
Come on and blame me
Encourage the person to hold you accountable or attribute responsibility to you
I like it now
Express satisfaction or enjoyment over being blamed
Just like you whip your bat
Handle or touch in the same manner as one would handle a baseball bat
I ain't seen nothing yet
Imply that there is much more left to explore or experience with the person
I don't know where I'll go
Be unsure about one's future or direction in a given situation
I want to know!
Express curiosity or eagerness to discover more information or gain insight
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GEORGE TUTUSKA, JOHN T RZEZNIK, ROBERT C. JR. TAKAC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind