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)
Laughing
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My belly hurts and my head is like a rock
I get up to see what I can see
Furthest I got was my black and white TV
Eyewitness News brought to you at noon
Oh my God, guess I got up too soon because
[Chorus]
Oh, I feel like laughing
Oh, I feel like laughing
All because of you
All because of you
I didn't mean to wear this disguise
But I can't stand the look in my eyes
Oh, I didn't mean to lie
I was doing what I thought was right
Come on, walk right down the line
You'll be walking 'til the end of time because
[Chorus: x2]
In this song by Goo Goo Dolls titled Laughing, the singer is starting his day with a heavy and sick feeling, perhaps from a wild night before. He wakes up staring at the clock, feeling a hurtful sensation in his stomach, and his head aches like a rock, which expresses his regretful and painful state of mind. He rises to check out his surroundings but could only get as far as his black and white TV. He comes across Eyewitness News brought to you at noon and quickly turns it off, realizing he got up too soon. He feels like he needs more time to be alone and connect with his thoughts.
In the next verse, he admits he doesn't intend to wear a disguise, but can't stand the look in his eyes. He assures himself that he didn't lie; he thought he was doing the right thing. Then moving on, he urges people to walk right down the line, knowing well they would walk until the end of time, which implies that some people get stuck in their daily routines, and it's easy for life to become a blur when we don't take a moment to reflect on ourselves.
The chorus of the song carries an upbeat melody, but the lyrics are somewhat melancholic, where he sings that he feels like laughing, all because of a particular reason, hinting at something that might have triggered a change of heart that should have made him happy but, instead, he is mulling over conflicting emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I wake up, I'm staring at the clock
I woke up and the first thing I did was to check the time on the clock.
My belly hurts and my head is like a rock
I am feeling unwell with a dull pain in my stomach and a feeling of heaviness in my head.
I get up to see what I can see
I get up from the bed to see what is going on around me.
Furthest I got was my black and white TV
As far as I got was turning on my black and white TV to check the news.
Eyewitness News brought to you at noon
I watched the Eyewitness News which was broadcasted at noon.
Oh my God, guess I got up too soon because
I exclaimed Oh my God and realized I got up too early and something is not right.
Oh, I feel like laughing
I feel like laughing sarcastically about the situation I am in.
All because of you
I blame someone else for my current situation.
I didn't mean to wear this disguise
I am pretending to be someone I am not and it was not intentional.
But I can't stand the look in my eyes
I am not happy with the way I am behaving.
Oh, I didn't mean to lie
I did not intend to deceive anyone.
I was doing what I thought was right
I acted on what I believed was the right thing to do.
Come on, walk right down the line
I am inviting someone to follow a set path that has already been established.
You'll be walking 'til the end of time because
I am warning that the path someone is on has no end.
Oh, I feel like laughing
I feel like laughing sarcastically about the situation I am in.
Oh, I feel like laughing
I feel like laughing sarcastically about the situation I am in.
Oh, I feel like laughing
I feel like laughing sarcastically about the situation I am in.
All because of you
I blame someone else for my current situation.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GEORGE TUTUSKA, JOHN RZEZNIK, ROBERT C. JR. TAKAC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind