Goo Goo Dolls is an alternative rock band formed in 1985 in Buffalo, New Yo… Read Full Bio ↴Goo Goo Dolls is an alternative rock band formed in 1985 in Buffalo, New York, USA by guitarist/vocalist John Rzeznik and bassist/vocalist Robby Takac initially under the name the Sex Maggots (the new name was chosen from an ad in True Detective magazine at the behest of a local club owner). They are most famous for the hit "Iris", featured on the soundtrack to the 1998 film City of Angels. Currently, the band consists of John Rzeznik (guitar, vocals) and Robby Takac (vocals, bass). The band has sold 12 million records worldwide and won two Grammy Awards.

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)

On Your Side
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm on a mission baby
I'm not hearing what you're saying
Stop preaching at me now
I'm not a revelation
Superstar or new sensation
I'm just hiding away my frowns

We don't see eye to eye

I'm on your side
With a smile and a sigh
I'm on your side

Five a.m. I shut my eyes
Then my worries tranquilized
Don't think the morning comes too soon
If I don't see the morning
That's ok they're pretty boring
See you tomorrow afternoon

We don't see eye to eye
I'm on your side
With a smile and a sigh
I'm on your side

You're living in a trailer
Friends all think that you're a failure
But are you thinking for yourself
You read the Sunday paper
Wife's pissed off 'cause you ain't laid her
Rolling pennies for your wealth
Me too. . .

We don't see eye to eye
I'm on your side
With a smile and a sigh

I'm on your side
I'm on your side

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Goo Goo Doll's "On Your Side" paint a picture of someone who is struggling with their own personal issues and feeling misunderstood by those around them. The lines "I'm on a mission baby, I'm not hearing what you're saying, stop preaching at me now" suggest a sense of frustration with someone who is trying to offer unsolicited advice or judgement. The singer then goes on to describe their own feelings of inadequacy, asserting that they are "just hiding away [their] frowns" and not trying to be a superstar or new sensation.

The chorus, "we don't see eye to eye, I'm on your side, with a smile and a sigh I'm on your side," seems to be a self-reflective acknowledgement that while the singer may not agree with the person they are addressing, they are still supportive of them and want to maintain a positive relationship.

The third verse takes a more empathetic turn, describing another person who is also struggling - living in a trailer, feeling like a failure, and dealing with marital issues. The line "you read the Sunday paper, wife's pissed off 'cause you ain't laid her, rolling pennies for your wealth" creates a sense of sympathy for this person, who is trapped in a cycle of disappointment and dissatisfaction.

Overall, "On Your Side" is a song about empathy and understanding, even when we don't always see eye to eye with those around us. It encourages the listener to be supportive of others, despite their flaws and struggles, and to seek out connection and positivity.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm on a mission baby
I am determined to accomplish something, sweetheart

I'm not hearing what you're saying
I am ignoring your words or not paying attention to them

Stop preaching at me now
Please stop giving me advice or instructions in a condescending or annoying way

I'm not a revelation
I'm not someone who reveals something unknown or surprising; I'm ordinary

Superstar or new sensation
I'm not a famous or successful person; I'm just an average person

I'm just hiding away my frowns
I am concealing my unhappiness or sadness

We don't see eye to eye
We have different opinions or perspectives

With a smile and a sigh
I am showing both happiness and sadness

Five a.m. I shut my eyes
I go to sleep at five in the morning

Then my worries tranquilized
My worries become calm or peaceful

Don't think the morning comes too soon
I don't mind waking up early in the morning