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)
Don't Worry
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left my house by noon today (and I saw you standing there)
No one spoke but we both listened
Heard every word you didn't say
And the sun shines all around us
Smells like summer's on the way (and I saw you standing there)
Tell the story of a lifetime
Don't worry 'bout today (and the words that you said)
Don't worry 'bout today (shake the world from your head)
Least for a while
You see, the days keep getting longer
But my nights seem longer still (and my TV's off the air)
Watching repeats on my ceiling
Another hour left to kill
Don't worry 'bout today (and the words that you said)
Don't worry 'bout today (shake the world from your head)
Least for a while
The lyrics to the song "Don't Worry" by Goo Goo Dolls speak of longing, missed opportunities and hope for the future. The singer of the song has called someone all night until the morning and left their house by noon. The two meet and don't need to speak as they listen to each other's unspoken words. The sun shines on them, and the scent of summer is in the air. They have a moment of connection, with the hope of making the most of the story of their lifetime.
The chorus of the song is a reassurance not to worry about today or the words that were said. It is an encouragement to shake off any negative thoughts and take a break. The days are becoming longer and stretching out, and while the nights also seem longer still, the singer fills the time watching repeats on the ceiling. There is an hour left to kill, and they wait for the new day, which brings with it hope for better things.
Line by Line Meaning
I called you up all night 'til mornin'
I was up all night calling you and finally finished in the morning.
Left my house by noon today (and I saw you standing there)
I left my house today and saw you there waiting for me.
No one spoke but we both listened
The two of us stood there in silence and understood each other without speaking.
Heard every word you didn't say
Even though you didn't speak, I heard everything you wanted to say without words.
And the sun shines all around us
The sun is shining and it feels like summer is on its way.
Smells like summer's on the way (and I saw you standing there)
I can smell summer in the air and seeing you makes it even better.
Tell the story of a lifetime
Let's make this moment into a story we will never forget.
Tomorrow brings a brand new day
Tomorrow is a new day and we can start fresh.
Don't worry 'bout today (and the words that you said)
Don't stress over today or the things that were said.
Don't worry 'bout today (shake the world from your head)
Forget about today's worries and clear your mind.
Least for a while
At least for a little while, let's forget about our worries and enjoy the moment.
You see, the days keep getting longer
The days are getting longer, and time seems to drag by.
But my nights seem longer still (and my TV's off the air)
Even though the days are long, my nights seem even longer without anything to occupy me.
Watching repeats on my ceiling
I'm so bored that I'm watching the same things over and over again in my mind.
Another hour left to kill
I have nothing to do, and an hour left to waste.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GEORGE TUTUSKA, JOHN RZEZNIK, ROBBIE TAKAC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind