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)
Impersonality
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I loved the mall
and lived life for myself
Fallin down for laughs
Your photograph
some puppets made of felt
Watching ????
on Grandma's old TV
Dancing roundabout
I twist and shout
for everyone to see
Impersonality
It's leaning hard on me
Mama's in her shop
watching little sister by myself
Robbed the wishing pond
in a fleeting bond
Bound to share the wealth
Scooping up the coins
a warning shout from some authority
Doesn't matter now
But I'll shout out loud
For everyone to see
Never got to know ya
Did you ever wonder why
Now it's nice to know ya
And I'm glad you're doing fine
Think of all the time lost
Was it really lost at all
Now I'm so proud of ya
I'd love to tell you all I see
Listen hard to your reality
Impersonality
It's leaning hard on me
Impersonality
It's leaning hard on me
The lyrics of Goo Goo Dolls's song "Impersonality" evoke the emotions of reminiscence and introspection in the listener's mind. The song begins with the nostalgic memory of the artist's childhood when he used to love going to the mall and live life for himself. The line "and lived life for myself" gives us a glimpse of the artist's solitary and self-reliant nature. The next line of "falling down for laughs" could be interpreted as the artist's carefree attitude towards life, where he's not afraid of taking risks and making a fool of himself for the sake of enjoyment.
The following lines talk about the artist's memory of watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on his grandmother's old TV, where he danced around and shouted for everyone to see. The nostalgia is further enhanced when the next verse begins with the line, "Mama's in her shop watching little sister by myself." Here the artist is reminiscing about another childhood memory where he was left alone to take care of his little sister while his mother was busy with her work. He also mentions robbing a wishing pond and sharing his wealth with others to show how he used to cling on to small pleasures in life.
The chorus "Impersonality, it's leaning hard on me" suggests how the artist is struggling to come to terms with his past and how it's affecting his present. The bridge "Never got to know ya, Did you ever wonder why, Now it's nice to know ya, And I'm glad you're doing fine, Think of all the time lost, Was it really lost at all, Now I'm so proud of ya" highlights the importance of reconnecting with people from the past and appreciating their growth. Thus, the lyrics of "Impersonality" remind us of the significance of cherishing our memories and the people we once knew.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was three feet tall
When I was a little kid
I loved the mall
I enjoyed going to the mall
and lived life for myself
and was focused on my own happiness
Fallin down for laughs
I loved to fall down for laughs
Your photograph
Your picture
some puppets made of felt
some felt puppets
Watching ???? last Thanksgiving eve on Grandma's old TV
Watching something on TV last Thanksgiving Eve at Grandma's house
Dancing roundabout
Dancing around
I twist and shout for everyone to see
I dance and yell loudly for everyone to notice me
Impersonality
Emotional detachment
It's leaning hard on me
It's affecting me greatly
Mama's in her shop
My mother is in her store
watching little sister by myself
watching my little sister alone
Robbed the wishing pond in a fleeting bond
Stole coins from the wishing pond with a brief partner
Bound to share the wealth
Intending to share the stolen coins
Scooping up the coins
Collecting the stolen coins
a warning shout from some authority
A warning shout from an authority figure
Doesn't matter now
It doesn't matter anymore
But I'll shout out loud For everyone to see
But I'll still shout loudly to get attention
Never got to know ya
Never had a chance to know you
Did you ever wonder why
Did you ever think about it?
Now it's nice to know ya
Now, I'm glad I know you
And I'm glad you're doing fine
And I'm happy that you're doing well
Think of all the time lost
Reflecting on all the time that was lost
Was it really lost at all
Was it really lost, or are we still able to make up for it?
Now I'm so proud of ya
I am really proud of you now
I'd love to tell you all I see
I'd love to share with you all the things I am observing
Listen hard to your reality
Pay close attention to what is happening in your own life
Impersonality
Emotional detachment
It's leaning hard on me
It's affecting me greatly
Impersonality
Emotional detachment
It's leaning hard on me
It's affecting me greatly
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GEORGE TUTUSKA, JOHN T RZEZNIK, ROBERT C. JR. TAKAC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind