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 Don't Want to Know
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Right on walking on down the line
I don't understand you and me, baby
I, I just want you to be mine
Finally baby
The truth has come down now
And now you listen to your spirit
Tryin' to believe, yeah
You say you love me, but you don't know
You got me rockin, and a-reelin,
Oh, oh, oh
And I don't want to know the reasons why love keeps
Right on walking on down the line
I don't understand you and me, baby
I, I just want you to be mine
Wanna make you be mine
Finally, baby
The truth has been told
And now you tell me that I'm crazy
Now, it's nothing that I didn't know
Tryin' to survive now
You say you love me, but you don't know
You got me rockin' and a-reelin'
Oh
And I don't want to know the reasons why love keeps
Right on walking on down the line
I don't understand you and me, baby
I, I just want you to be mine
Make you to be mine
Tryin' to believe in
You say you love me, but you don't know
You got me rockin' and a-reelin'
Oh
I don't want to know the reason why love keeps
Right on walking on down the line
I don't understand you and me
Baby, I, I just want you to be mine
Make you to be mine
Gonna make you to be mine
Gonna make you to be mine
Wanna make you to be mine
Oh, won't you be mine, mine, mine
Won't you be mine
Won't you make up your mind?
The lyrics to "I Don't Want to Know" by Goo Goo Dolls seem to center around a relationship that is struggling due to a lack of understanding between the two partners. The singer seems to be desperately trying to hold onto the relationship, despite not really understanding why it is falling apart. The first verse sets up this theme, with lines like "I don't want to know the reasons why love keeps / right on walking on down the line." This can be seen as an acknowledgement that the singer is aware their relationship is not perfect, but they are unwilling or unable to confront the issues head-on.
The chorus of the song reflects this sentiment, with the singer repeating "I don't understand you and me, baby / I, I just want you to be mine." This can be seen as a cry for help or a plea for the partner's attention, as the singer is frustrated and confused about what is happening in their relationship. The second verse appears to contain some moments of clarity for the singer, with lines like "Finally, baby / The truth has been told." However, the mood quickly turns dark again with the line "And now you tell me that I’m crazy," showing that even when the singer is starting to understand what is going wrong, their partner is not taking their concerns seriously.
Overall, "I Don't Want to Know" is a melancholy song that expresses a sense of desperation and confusion in the face of a faltering relationship. Despite this, the melody is catchy and the chorus is anthemic, making it a song that is likely resonate with many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to know the reasons why love keeps
Right on walking on down the line
I don't want to know why love is unpredictable and uncontrollable and why it keeps moving forward without regard to my wishes.
I don't understand you and me, baby
I, I just want you to be mine
I don't understand our relationship, but I don't care as long as you're mine.
Finally baby
The truth has come down now
And now you listen to your spirit
It's crying out loud now
Finally, the truth has been revealed, and you're starting to listen to your inner voice that's telling you what you really want.
Tryin' to believe, yeah
You say you love me, but you don't know
You got me rockin, and a-reelin,
Oh, oh, oh
I'm trying to believe that you love me, but I don't know if you really do. However, you're still confusing and exciting me.
And now you tell me that I'm crazy
Now, it's nothing that I didn't know
You're telling me that I'm crazy for wanting you, but I already knew that I was a little insane for falling for you.
Tryin' to survive now
You say you love me, but you don't know
You got me rockin' and a-reelin'
I'm just trying to survive while you're making me feel like I'm on an emotional rollercoaster. I don't know if your love is real.
I don't understand you and me, baby
I, I just want you to be mine
Make you to be mine
I still don't understand our relationship, but I want you to be mine no matter what. I'll do whatever it takes to make you mine.
Tryin' to believe in
You say you love me, but you don't know
You got me rockin' and a-reelin'
I'm still trying to believe in your love, even though I don't know if it's real. You're still making me feel unsteady and uncertain.
Gonna make you to be mine
Gonna make you to be mine
Wanna make you to be mine
Oh, won't you be mine, mine, mine
Won't you be mine
Won't you make up your mind?
I'm determined to make you mine, and I'm asking you to make up your mind about whether or not you love me. I want you to be mine so badly.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Stephanie Nicks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind