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)
I´ll be
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That color them wonderful
Stop me and steal my breath
Emeralds from mountains
Thrust towards the sky
Never revealing their depth
Tell me that we belong together
I'll be captivated,
I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows
Of heartache that hang from above
I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life
Rain falls angry on the tin roof
As we lie awake in my bed
You're my survival
You're my living proof
My love is alive and not dead
Tell me that we belong together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
I'll be captivated
I'll hang from your lips
Instead of the gallows
Of heartache that hang from above
I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life
I've dropped out
Burned up
Fought my way back from the dead
Tuned in
Turned on
Remembered the things you said
I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life
I'll be your cryin' shoulder
I'll be love suicide
I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life
The lyrics of Goo Goo Dolls' song "I'll be" speaks of a person's unwavering devotion and love for their significant other. The first 2 stanzas compare the beauty of the person's eyes to emeralds from mountains, a metaphor for their captivating charm. The lyrics express the singer's love and admiration for this person with no limit and how they're willing to do anything to keep their love alive.
The line "tell me that we belong together, dress it up with the trappings of love" indicates the singer's longing for the person's affirmation of their love and the visualization of an ideal future together. The third stanza describes the rain pouring on a tin roof while the singer lay beside their love in bed. The line "you're my survival, you're my living proof, my love is alive and not dead" shows how the person is the singer's safe haven, and their love brings life to them.
The fourth stanza shows the singer's struggle through life while the person remained a constant form of support. The final stanzas reiterate the persona's love for their significant other, stating that they will always be there for them, even in times of struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
The strands in your eyes
Describing the captivating appearance of the other person's eyes
That color them wonderful
The color of their eyes is marvelous
Stop me and steal my breath
The beauty of their eyes leaves the singer breathless
Emeralds from mountains
Comparing the color of their eyes to emeralds found in mountains
Thrust towards the sky
Their eyes are bright and prominent
Never revealing their depth
Their true emotions or thoughts are unknown
Tell me that we belong together
Asking for confirmation that they are meant to be together
Dress it up with the trappings of love
To make their relationship feel more romantic
I'll be captivated,
The artist is deeply infatuated
I'll hang from your lips
Hanging onto every word that the other person speaks
Instead of the gallows
Choosing to be with the other person instead of suffering from heartbreak
Of heartache that hang from above
Being hurt by past relationships
I'll be your cryin' shoulder
Offering to be there for the other person when they need to cry
I'll be love suicide
Willing to risk everything for love
I'll be better when I'm older
Promising to become a better person in the future
I'll be the greatest fan of your life
Supporting and loving the other person more than anyone else ever could
Rain falls angry on the tin roof
Describing the sound of rain hitting the roof while they lay in bed
As we lie awake in my bed
The singer and the other person are awake in bed together
You're my survival
The other person is what keeps the singer going
You're my living proof
Their love for the other person proves that they are alive
My love is alive and not dead
The artist's love for the other person is strong and alive
I've dropped out
The artist has given up
Burned up
The singer has been destroyed emotionally
Fought my way back from the dead
The artist has managed to recover from their emotional turmoil
Tuned in
The singer is now aware and present in their relationship
Turned on
The singer is now emotionally connected to the other person
Contributed by Keira O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
alex willard
When I'm feeling down, and thinking of my girl, this songs helps so much
Emulator 42
Gay
Juliana Freires
2017 and this song still melts my heart
Rebe Free
i dont see why your lyric video doesnt have more views?! its actually really good....better then most.
Nick Dima
esta cancion es muy bella
Mikey Finny
Love this song 😍😍😍😘💯❤️
Rebecca Williams
This will forever be my favorite 😍😍😍i so miss these days
Theresa Esslinger
I love this song.
Toxic Tiger
it'll never be old c:
Lavae Lazarus
Awesome song!!!!!!!!!