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)
Hate This Place
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who knows where you been
But you take all your lies
And wish them all away
I somehow doubt
We'll ever be the same
There's too much poison
And confusion on your face
Can you feel it?
I didn't mean it
Can I see you?
What are we doin'?
I think I love you
But I ain't sayin'
Nothin' you don't know
Hold on dreamaway
You're my sweet charade
Take your time
Move yourself to me
Yeah, I can take your lies
Until you fall away
You know I'm lost
Hiding in your bed
No, I don't think it's wrong
It's just gone to my head
Can you feel it?
I didn't mean it
Can I see you?
What are we doin'?
I think I love you
But I ain't sayin'
Nothin' you don't know
Hold on dreamaway
The song "Hate This Place" by Goo Goo Dolls is a melancholic ballad about a relationship that has gone sour. The opening lines "Gone away, who knows where you been, but you take all your lies, and wish them all away" suggest that the singer's partner has left him behind and taken his lies with her. The lines also imply that the singer has been betrayed, and that his partner's lies have contributed to the failure of their relationship.
The second stanza, "I somehow doubt we'll ever be the same, there's too much poison and confusion on your face," further illustrates the sense of betrayal that the singer feels. The use of the words "poison" and "confusion" suggests that whatever happened between the singer and his partner was deeply hurtful and confusing. The third stanza, "Can you feel it? I didn't mean it, can I see you? What are we doin'? I think I love you, but I ain't sayin' nothin' you don't know," conveys a sense of regret and longing. Despite the hurt and betrayal, the singer still has feelings for his partner and wants to reconcile, but he's hesitant to do so because he's unsure how his partner feels about him.
The closing lines, "Hold on dream away, you're my sweet charade, take your time, move yourself to me, yeah, I can take your lies until you fall away," continue to convey the singer's sense of longing and desire to reconcile with his partner. The lines suggest that the singer is willing to forgive his partner's lies if it means being with her again.
Overall, "Hate This Place" is a touching and emotional song that captures the complexities of failed relationships, and the difficulty of moving on from them.
Line by Line Meaning
Gone away
You have left and I don't know where you are.
Who knows where you been
I don't know your whereabouts.
But you take all your lies
You carry with you all your deceitful words and actions.
And wish them all away
You hope to escape from the consequences of your dishonesty.
I somehow doubt
I have my reservations.
We'll ever be the same
Things will never be as they were.
There's too much poison
There is too much toxicity.
And confusion on your face
You seem bewildered and uncertain.
Can you feel it?
Do you sense what I'm feeling?
I didn't mean it
I didn't intend to hurt you.
Can I see you?
Can we meet up and talk things through?
What are we doin'?
What is our relationship all about?
I think I love you
I believe I have strong feelings for you.
But I ain't sayin'
But I don't want to express them.
Nothin' you don't know
Nothing that should come as a surprise to you.
Hold on dreamaway
Don't lose your aspirations.
You're my sweet charade
You're my enjoyable game of make-believe.
Take your time
Don't rush into anything.
Move yourself to me
Come closer to me.
Yeah, I can take your lies
I can handle your deceptions.
Until you fall away
Until you leave my life.
You know I'm lost
You know I am confused and don't have answers.
Hiding in your bed
Taking refuge in your presence.
No, I don't think it's wrong
No, I don't believe it's immoral.
It's just gone to my head
It's only affecting my thoughts and emotions.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHN RZEZNIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind