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)
Dominó
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't know how bad it is
There is nothing like it, well
Needless talk, then, I can tell but
Here comes the day I sit and wait (Dominoes are falling still)
Oh, it's always something
The bills keep coming, the car ain't running (As I know they always will)
Another day, oh, the mailman's on his way (Dominoes, a test of will)
Just sit and wait
Always ponderin' my fate too late (Dominoes)
And then the day goes
I bought them from you yesterday
Little buts til you ask me
No one minds, I can tell
Seems I've hid the ones you shall, but
Here comes the day I sit and wait (Dominoes are falling still)
Oh, it's always something
The bills keep coming, the car ain't running (As I know they always will)
Now I'm bummin' home again
Another day, oh, the mailman's on his way (Dominoes, a test of will)
Just sit and wait
Always ponderin' my fate too late (Dominoes)
And then the day goes
Dominoes are falling still (Oh, every day)
As I know they always will (I sit and wait)
Dominoes, a test of will (That's why I'm pondering my fate too late)
Dominoes (And then the day goes)
The first verse of "Domino" by Goo Goo Dolls seems to be touching on the idea of addiction or dependency. The opening line "If you never had it then you don't know how bad it is" implies that the singer is referring to a negative experience that one can only understand if they've been through it. The repetition of "dominoes" throughout the song reinforces this idea of a negative consequence leading to another negative consequence, creating a chain reaction that is difficult to break.
The second verse delves into the mundane struggles of everyday life, such as bills and car troubles. The line "Now I'm bummin' home again" suggests a sense of defeat and resignation to these struggles. The repetition of "sit and wait" implies a sense of powerlessness, as if the singer is waiting for the next negative experience to happen, unable to prevent it.
Overall, "Domino" seems to be a commentary on the cyclical nature of negative experiences and how they can lead to a sense of despair and hopelessness. The metaphor of dominoes falling signifies the idea of a chain reaction and the sense that one negative experience can lead to another, creating an endless cycle.
Line by Line Meaning
If you never had it then
If you have never experienced this particular situation before
You don't know how bad it is
You cannot truly understand the negative impacts of this situation
There is nothing like it, well
This situation is unique and incomparable to anything else
Needless talk, then, I can tell but
There is no need for discussion because the situation is already clear
Here comes the day I sit and wait (Dominoes are falling still)
The situation is ongoing and causing a sense of anticipation
Oh, it's always something
Problems are constantly arising
The bills keep coming, the car ain't running (As I know they always will)
The situation causes financial strain and car trouble is a constant issue
Now I'm bummin' home again
Feeling defeated and down after experiencing the recurring problem
Another day, oh, the mailman's on his way (Dominoes, a test of will)
The problem continues to persist and is a challenge to face daily
Just sit and wait
The only thing to do in this situation is to wait it out
Always ponderin' my fate too late (Dominoes)
Reflecting on how the situation got to this point, but ultimately it's too late to make changes
And then the day goes
The day passes and the problem remains unsolved
I bought them from you yesterday
Referring to purchasing the dominoes, which is a metaphor for the situation
Little buts til you ask me
Small details that only become significant when questioned
No one minds, I can tell
Others are not aware of the true impact of the situation
Seems I've hid the ones you shall, but
The details that were hidden are becoming more apparent and significant
Dominoes are falling still (Oh, every day)
The situation continues to have negative impacts daily
As I know they always will (I sit and wait)
This is a recurring and persistent problem that requires waiting for the next domino to fall
Dominoes, a test of will (That's why I'm pondering my fate too late)
The situation challenges one's patience and perseverance, leading to reflection on missed opportunities
Dominoes (And then the day goes)
Referring to the ongoing negative impacts of the situation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GEORGE TUTUSKA, JOHN RZEZNIK, ROBBIE TAKAC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind