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)
Out of the Red
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I really ain't got that much to lose
Picture's getting fuzzy and it's stuck on channel three
And the whole thing looks pretty silly to me
Fifty thousand more and I'm out of the red
Heavy metal thrash band, it's all a bunch of shit
People trying to name me while I'm trying to do my bit
Call me a rock star you can spit in my face
Gonna take a horse to drag me outta my bed
I'd rather hang with drunks than hang out with myself
Well, the booze is over there take a glass off the shelf
If you ain't had enough by tomorrow at noon
Gonna place a call to the bone-yard crew
Went to sleep at home and woke up in a shed
(Oh son of a bitch)
The lyrics to "Out of the Red" by Goo Goo Dolls is a commentary on the life of a struggling musician. The first verse seems to suggest that the singer has given up on trying to maintain a certain image or style, possibly due to a lack of resources or support. The line "I ain't got no outfits to pick and choose" implies that he can't afford to dress a certain way or keep up with trends, so he doesn't bother. He also mentions that he doesn't have much to lose, which could either be interpreted as him having already lost everything, or that he doesn't care about material possessions as long as he can continue making music. The "picture" getting "fuzzy" and "stuck on channel three" could be a metaphor for the singer feeling like he's stuck in a rut, unable to progress, and that the "whole thing" - possibly the music industry - looks "pretty silly" to him.
The second verse has a more defiant tone, with the singer dismissing heavy metal as "a bunch of shit" and rejecting any attempts to label him as a "rock star". He's more concerned with making his own music ("trying to do my bit") and doesn't have the patience or time for anything else. The line "It's gonna take a horse to drag me outta my bed" suggests that he's committed to his craft and won't let anything get in the way, even if it means sacrificing sleep or comfort. The last few lines of the verse are particularly bleak, with the singer admitting that he'd rather hang out with drunks (presumably other struggling musicians) than be alone with his thoughts, and that he's even contemplating calling the "bone-yard crew" (a slang term for undertakers) if things don't improve. The final line, "Went to sleep at home and woke up in a shed", further emphasizes his sense of disorientation and isolation.
Overall, "Out of the Red" paints a picture of a musician struggling to make ends meet and stay true to his artistic vision in the face of an indifferent industry. It's a sobering reminder of the less glamorous side of music-making and the toll it can take on one's mental health.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain't got no outfits to pick and choose
I don't have a lot of choices or resources.
So I really ain't got that much to lose
I don't have much to lose, so I'm not afraid to take risks.
Picture's getting fuzzy and it's stuck on channel three
I'm feeling confused and stuck in a rut.
And the whole thing looks pretty silly to me
I don't take myself or my situation too seriously.
Fifty thousand more and I'm out of the red
If I can make fifty thousand dollars, I'll be financially stable again.
Heavy metal thrash band, it's all a bunch of shit
I don't like heavy metal music and think it's nonsense.
People trying to name me while I'm trying to do my bit
I don't want to be labeled or categorized, I just want to do my own thing.
I ain't got the patience or the time to waste
I'm not willing to waste time or energy on things I don't care about.
Call me a rock star you can spit in my face
I don't care about titles or fame, insults won't affect me.
Gonna take a horse to drag me outta my bed
I'm not a morning person and need a lot of motivation to get going.
I'd rather hang with drunks than hang out with myself
I don't like being alone with my thoughts, so I prefer to spend time with other people even if they're drinking.
Well, the booze is over there take a glass off the shelf
If you want to drink, go ahead and help yourself.
If you ain't had enough by tomorrow at noon
If you're still drinking the next day, you might have a problem.
Gonna place a call to the bone-yard crew
If someone drinks too much and dies, they'll have to call the coroner's office.
Went to sleep at home and woke up in a shed (Oh son of a bitch)
I got so drunk that I don't remember how I ended up in a shed. This surprises and frustrates me.
Contributed by Isabelle B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.