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)
Scream
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time I start to dream
Scream and dream of my little love
Oh, I gotta find my glove
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
See me think then you interrupt
Wrap it up, put me back in my trunk
Oh we're goin' down in my screamin' mind
I lie awake in a cold, cold sweat
Rolling around in the sheets and screaming wet
Oh my god, here it comes
Another dream, another, another one
(scream for a few bars)
The lyrics to the song "Scream" by Goo Goo Dolls delve into the inner conflicts of the singer's mind. The lyrics "See me scream a thousand screams, every time I start to dream" portray the notion of being trapped in a cycle of nightmares and struggling to break free from it. The line "Scream and dream of my little love, Oh, I gotta find my glove" suggests that the singer is searching for something that is missing, perhaps a metaphor for a person or a deeper meaning in life.
Continuing on, "See me think then you interrupt, wrap it up, put me back in my trunk" alludes to the idea of someone or something hindering the singer's train of thought and preventing them from exploring their innermost desires. The lyric "turned ill from this hatred fifty times" can be interpreted as the singer's distress towards the overwhelming negative emotions they are feeling, further exacerbating their internal conflict.
Overall, the song "Scream" is an emotional journey through the mind of the singer, highlighting the struggles of overcoming one's inner demons and finding self-acceptance. The incessant screams in the song can be seen as a manifestation of the singer's cry for help, a desperate attempt to be heard and understood.
Line by Line Meaning
See me scream a thousand screams
I express my frustrations through loud screams
Every time I start to dream
Whenever I begin to fantasize about something
Scream and dream of my little love
I envision my significant other in my dreams while screaming out of desire
Oh, I gotta find my glove
I need to locate my belongings before pursuing my dreams further
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
An interjection conveying excitement or enthusiasm
See me think then you interrupt
I am constantly being disrupted in my thought process
Wrap it up, put me back in my trunk
I am shutting down and withdrawing from social interaction
Turned ill from this hatred fifty times
I have become sick and tired from the negative emotions I have experienced multiple times
Oh we're goin' down in my screamin' mind
My emotions are spiraling out of control like a ship sinking at sea
I lie awake in a cold, cold sweat
I am unable to sleep due to anxiety and fear
Rolling around in the sheets and screaming wet
I am tossing and turning in bed, sweating, and letting out screams
Oh my god, here it comes
I sense another episode or attack coming on
Another dream, another, another one
Another unpleasant, distressing dream is about to take place
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GEORGE TUTUSKA, JOHN T RZEZNIK, ROBERT C. JR. TAKAC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind