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)
Rëal
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Turns you inside out
And everybody feels
The same as you
And uncertain times
The uncertain rules apply
Caught in the blind spot
Of mirrored love
Can you feel real like you are
Can you feel alive, the way I feel your light
And the biggest chance that we can take
Is open arms and wide awake
Hold me now so we can feel alive
Tonight
I need to feel you there
I want to know where I belong
And I felt the sting the sting of corrosion
I need a safe place to close my eyes
Can you feel real like you are?
Can you feel your life the way I feel your love
And the biggest chance that we can take
Is open arms and wide awake hold me now
So we can feel alive
Oh, we were so lost
And there was so much more than you could bear
And i was cold in my defeat
You're alone and incomplete
When the sound could break down the walls
Can you feel real like you are?
Can you feel your life the way I feel your love
And the biggest chance that we can take
Is open arms and wide awake
Hold me now
So we can feel alive
So I can feel alive
Tonight
The lyrics of "Real" by Goo Goo Dolls convey a sense of uncertainty, alienation, and desire for human connection. The first stanza suggests a common experience of anxiety and disorientation brought by reading the news, and feeling trapped in the confusing and rapidly changing reality of the world. The image of being caught in the blind spot of mirrored love implies a sense of disconnect from others, where relationships may appear to reflect back one's own image but fail to provide a genuine emotional connection.
The second stanza expresses a longing for intimacy and belonging, as the singer searches for a safe place to rest and escape the corrosive effects of life's challenges. The chorus repeats the question, "Can you feel real like you are?" as an existential inquiry about the nature of human connection, and a declaration of hope that such connection is possible. The lines "I felt the sting, the sting of corrosion", and "You're alone and incomplete" underscore the pain and sense of loss that come with disconnection, while the repeated invitation to "hold me now" and the urgency of "So we can feel alive tonight" call for a moment of vulnerability and genuine human touch.
Overall, the lyrics of "Real" evoke a sense of the complex and often ambivalent experience of contemporary relationships, where the possibility of genuine intimacy coexists with the shadow of isolation and disaffection.
Line by Line Meaning
You read the news
When you read the news, it affects you deeply
Turns you inside out
It causes you to feel uneasy and vulnerable
And everybody feels
Everyone experiences the same emotions
The same as you
They feel the same way as you do
And uncertain times
These are unpredictable times
The uncertain rules apply
In these times, it's difficult to know what is right or wrong
Caught in the blind spot
In the midst of all this, it's easy to miss something important
Of mirrored love
We cling to each other for comfort and support
Can you feel real like you are
Can you be true to yourself and live authentically?
Can you feel alive, the way I feel your light
Can you experience the same joy and hope that I do?
And the biggest chance that we can take
The greatest risk we can take is to be vulnerable and open with each other
Is open arms and wide awake
To be receptive and alert to all possibilities
Hold me now so we can feel alive
Let's embrace and connect so we can feel alive and present
I need to feel you there
I need your presence and support
I want to know where I belong
I want to feel a sense of belonging and purpose
And I felt the sting the sting of corrosion
I experienced the pain of being worn down and damaged
I need a safe place to close my eyes
I need a secure and comforting environment to rest and recover
Oh, we were so lost
We were unsure and confused
And there was so much more than you could bear
The weight of our problems was overwhelming
And i was cold in my defeat
I felt defeated and hopeless
You're alone and incomplete
You feel unsupported and lacking something essential
When the sound could break down the walls
Together, we can overcome obstacles and barriers
So I can feel alive
So I can experience the fullness of life
Tonight
Right now, in this moment
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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