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)
Hey
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My voice got cracked I didn't know what to say
Down in the shade or maybe in the sun
And if you need it I think I got one
Where are you
And what's on your mind
Where are you
Where are you
And what's on you mind?
I just want to know if I'm wasting my time
I snuck out of work to see her smile
I'll hold her hostage for a little while
I wrote a letter I thought I'd let you know
I'm right behind you any time you go
Where are you
And what's on your mind
Where are you
Am I wasting my time
Where are you
And what's on you mind
I just want to know if I'm wasting my time
My mind got busy around 3 a.m. or so
Crawled in you room through the back window
Hoped when you woke up you wouldn't be too mad
I hope I never wake up your old man
Where are you
And what's on your mind
Where are you
Am I wasting my time
Where are you
And what's on you mind
I just want to know if I'm wasting my time
The lyrics to Goo Goo Dolls' song Hey describe the singer's persistent longing for someone they care about deeply. The song's opening stanza starts with a reflection on a moment when the singer was caught off guard by thoughts of this person, as evidenced by their voice cracking when they tried to speak. The vagueness of the specific circumstances surrounding this moment - "Down in the shade or maybe in the sun" - creates a sense of ambiguity and suggests that these thoughts could be triggered by anything, underscoring the singer's intense preoccupation with this person. Despite this, the singer is unsure whether their feelings are reciprocated, as reflected in the repeated refrain "Where are you / And what's on your mind / Where are you / Am I wasting my time". The fact that the singer poses this question to their beloved multiple times suggests that they are deeply uncertain about the possibility of an unrequited love.
The second and third stanzas of the song delve further into the singer's feelings of longing and desperation. The singer implies that they have gone to extreme lengths to be near this person, including sneaking out of work and breaking into their bedroom in the middle of the night, which highlights the intensity of the singer's feelings. However, the final lines of the song - "Where are you / And what's on your mind / I just want to know if I'm wasting my time" - suggest that despite the singer's persistence, they are not entirely convinced that their affections will be returned.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought about you just last saturday
I reminisced about you on a recent Saturday, thinking about our time together.
My voice got cracked I didn't know what to say
I became nervous and tongue-tied during a recent encounter with you.
Down in the shade or maybe in the sun
Whether you're in shadow or sunlight, my thoughts and feelings for you remain constant.
And if you need it I think I got one
I offer myself and my support to you, if you need it.
Where are you
I wonder where you are in the world.
And what's on your mind
I'm curious about what you're thinking and feeling.
Am I wasting my time
I question whether my efforts toward you are futile or not.
I just want to know if I'm wasting my time
All I wish to discover is whether everything I'm doing for you is worth it or not.
I snuck out of work to see her smile
I left my professional duties to glimpse at you and enjoy the sight of your smile.
I'll hold her hostage for a little while
I'll keep you around me for some time and cherish every moment I have with you.
I wrote a letter I thought I'd let you know
I wrote a letter to convey my thoughts, feelings and appreciation towards you.
I'm right behind you any time you go
I'll be supporting you and standing by your side at all times.
My mind got busy around 3 a.m. or so
Late at night around 3 a.m, my mind got preoccupied with thoughts about you.
Crawled in you room through the back window
I sneaked into your room in the dead of night through the window in the back.
Hoped when you woke up you wouldn't be too mad
I prayed that you wouldn't be too angry at me for invading your personal space.
I hope I never wake up your old man
I hope I never provoke or upset the person who takes care of you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: George Tutuska, John Rzeznik, Robert Takac
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind