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)
One Night
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You speak to me that way
The sound of your voice
The look in your eyes
You stand there in your grace
You told me that the scars you bear
Are beautiful and real
Oh so turn the lights back on again
And we've got one night
To let the whole world know
Just how perfect we could be
Just close your eyes and then you'll see
We've got one night
To let the whole world know
Forget about the falling stars
Tonight we'll show them who we are
We are, we are,
I feel it when you're near me
And I know when you're not there
Oh when I'm on the edge
And so alone
And no one seems to care
But you reach out and pull be back
love me 'til I'm free
All the joy in my life I feel I've lost
You see inside me
And we've got one night
To let the whole world know
Just how perfect we could be
Just close your eyes and then you'll see
We've got one night
To let the whole world know
Forget about the falling stars
Tonight we'll show them who we are
We are,
Your life's a song I'll sing
And it doesn't matter anymore
If anyone is listening to me
'Cause you move like light
And descend on me
You're gently moving through my life
We've got one night
To let the whole world know
Just how perfect we could be
Just close your eyes and then you'll see
We've got one night
To let the whole world know
Forget about the falling stars
Tonight we'll show them who we are
We are,
Oh, we are,
Yeah, we are,
Oh, we are
(Tonight we show them who we are)
We are,
Oh, we are,
Yeah, we are,
Oh, we are
(Tonight we show them who we are)
The Goo Goo Dolls' One Night is a song about the power of love and connection. The song is about a relationship that is deep, meaningful, and transformative. The lyrics express the emotions of the singer and his deep love and appreciation for his significant other. The opening lines convey the power of his partner's words and the way her voice and gaze move him.
The chorus speaks to the importance of the relationship and the impact that it can have if they allow themselves to be vulnerable and share their love with the world. The chorus suggests that they have one moment, one night, to show the world how perfect they could be together. The final verse conveys the transcendent nature of the relationship, suggesting that his partner is a guiding light in his life, and that her love helps him find his way through the darkness. Together, they move through life in harmony, love and connection.
Overall, One Night is a touching and intimate expression of love and connection, emphasizing the transformative power of an intense and meaningful relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
God, you still amaze me when
The singer is still in awe of their subject whenever they talk to them
You speak to me that way
The way the subject speaks to the singer is special and significant
The sound of your voice
The subject's voice is important and impactful to the singer
The look in your eyes
The subject's gaze towards the singer is revealing and significant
You stand there in your grace
The singer sees the subject as an embodiment of grace and poise
You told me that the scars you bear
The subject opened up to the singer about their physical or emotional wounds
Are beautiful and real
The subject sees their scars as a part of them that they can accept
Oh so turn the lights back on again
The singer wants to bring back the brightness and clarity that was lost
I wanna see the things you feel
The singer wants to see the subject's emotions and understand them better
We've got one night
The singer and subject only have this one moment
To let the whole world know
The singer and subject want to make their connection known to others
Just how perfect we could be
The singer and subject want to showcase their compatibility and potential
Just close your eyes and then you'll see
The subject needs to trust the singer and let go of their doubts
Forget about the falling stars
The singer and subject don't need luck, they have each other
Tonight we'll show them who we are
The singer and subject will prove their love and connection
I feel it when you're near me
The singer is aware of the subject's presence
And I know when you're not there
The singer is aware when the subject is absent
Oh when I'm on the edge
The singer is vulnerable and unstable
And so alone
The singer feels isolated and unsupported
And no one seems to care
The singer feels neglected and invisible
But you reach out and pull be back
The subject is the only one who is able to help the singer
love me 'til I'm free
The singer needs the subject's love to feel free and complete
All the joy in my life I feel I've lost
The singer has lost their happiness and wants to get it back
You see inside me
The subject understands the singer's true self
Your life's a song I'll sing
The subject's existence is like a song that the singer will cherish
And it doesn't matter anymore
The singer doesn't care if anyone else understands or acknowledges their connection
If anyone is listening to me
The singer is willing to sing about the subject even if no one is paying attention
'Cause you move like light
The subject is radiant and quick
And descend on me
The subject has an effect on the singer
You're gently moving through my life
The subject has a subtle but constant presence in the singer's life
Oh, we are,
The singer and subject are a unit, a 'we'
Yeah, we are,
The singer and subject are a unit, a 'we'
(Tonight we show them who we are)
The singer and subject will prove their love and connection
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ANDY JOHN STOCHANSKY, JOHN RZEZNIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind