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)
Slow It Down
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So please don't let me down
Oh just shut your mouth
And know that you are everything to me
Can we just let go
From what we can't control
And if the world spins too fast
I'll slow it down for you
I still remember you
The dizzy dance with me and you
We lived our life without a clue
And never track to find the meaning
Those days won't meant to last
And I cant eat for what it past
Cause I know what it means to be
So close that I could see inside of you
Oh my friend, nothing never end
Just look around cause this is right
Where you and I belong
I want you now
So please don't let me down
Oh just shut your mouth
And know that you are everything to me
Can we just let go
From what we can't control
And if the world spins too fast
I'll slow it down for you
You know I love the girl
Who said that I could change the world
If only I was brave enough
To live the life in front of me
These memories are fading fast
There scattered like a broken glass
Will they be mended
Or as easily just swept away
Oh my friend, this is not the end
Just look around cause this is rigth
Where you and I belong
I want you now
So please don't let me down
Oh just shut your mouth
And know that you are everything to me
Can we just let go
From what we can't control
And if the world spins too fast
I'll slow it down for you
Falling from this height
Just might break your light
Take a chance for me
The only way you see
Risk your hand into mine
Don't you leave this behind
If we lose in time
I'll slow it down for you
I want you now
So please don't let me down
Oh just shut your mouth
And know that you are everything to me
Can we just let go
From what we can't control
And if the world spins too fast
I'll slow it down for you
I'll slow it down for you
I'll slow it down for you
I want you now
So please don't let me down
And if the world spins too fast
I'll slow it down for you
Summer love and when it rain
You know there always fade away
But in the end you know
You and I still remains
The song Slow It Down by Goo Goo Dolls is all about wanting someone to stay and being willing to do anything to make it happen. The lyrics express the singer's desire to hold onto someone and not let them go, with the opening line "I want you now, so please don't let me down". The following lines "just shut your mouth and know that you are everything to me" reveal the intensity of feeling that the singer has for the person he wants to stay with. The chorus repeats this sentiment, with the added line "and if the world spins too fast, I'll slow it down for you".
The second verse of the song is reflective, looking back on a past relationship and the memories that have faded away. The lines "we lived our life without a clue and never tracked to find the meaning" reveal a sense of regret that they didn't realize the significance of the relationship they had in the moment. The chorus repeats again, emphasizing the singer's willingness to hold onto the person he cares for, no matter what.
The bridge of the song is a plea for the other person to take a chance, to risk their hand and not leave the singer behind. The final lines "if we lose in time, I'll slow it down for you" again express the singer's commitment to holding onto the person he cares about, even if the rest of the world seems to be moving too fast.
Overall, Slow It Down is a heartfelt song about the desire to hold onto someone you love and the willingness to do anything to make that happen.
Line by Line Meaning
I want you now
The singer desires the person whom they are addressing right now.
So please don't let me down
The singer is asking the person not to disappoint them.
Oh just shut your mouth
The singer wants the person to stop talking.
And know that you are everything to me
The artist considers the person to be their everything.
Can we just let go
The artist is asking the person to forget about the things that they cannot control.
From what we can't control
The singer is referring to circumstances beyond their control.
And if the world spins too fast
The singer is using a metaphor of the world spinning too fast to describe how things are moving too quickly for them.
I'll slow it down for you
The artist is willing to take measures to slow things down for the person they love.
I still remember you
The artist remembers the person they love.
The dizzy dance with me and you
The artist uses the memory of the 'dizzy dance' to evoke a sense of togetherness.
We lived our life without a clue
The singer and the person they love lived their life without an understanding of what was to come.
And never track to find the meaning
The artist never attempted to figure out the meaning of their experience with the person they love.
Those days won't meant to last
The singer realizes that those happy days with the person they love were not meant to last forever.
And I cant eat for what it past
The singer cannot move on from the past of their relationship with the person they love.
Cause I know what it means to be
The singer knows what it's like to be in a relationship with the person they love.
So close that I could see inside of you
The artist felt incredibly close to the person they love.
Oh my friend, nothing never end
The artist assures the person they love that nothing ever truly ends.
Just look around cause this is right
The singer is trying to convince the person they love that they belong together.
Where you and I belong
The singer feels that they belong together with the person they love.
You know I love the girl
The artist loves the person they are referring to as 'the girl.'
Who said that I could change the world
The girl had faith in the artist's ability to make a difference in the world.
If only I was brave enough
The artist admits that they lacked the courage to follow through with their plans to change the world.
To live the life in front of me
The singer wanted to live their life to the fullest.
These memories are fading fast
The artist is worried that their memories of their life with the person they love are disappearing quickly.
There scattered like a broken glass
The singer's memories are jumbled up and fragmented, like broken glass.
Will they be mended
The singer is wondering if they will ever be able to put their memories back together.
Or as easily just swept away
The singer worries that their memories will be lost forever, like trash swept away by a broom.
Falling from this height
The artist is describing how they feel as if they are falling from a great height.
Just might break your light
The artist is worried that they might break the light inside the person they love.
Take a chance for me
The singer is asking the person they love to take a risk for them.
The only way you see
The singer believes that this is the only way for their relationship to work.
Risk your hand into mine
The artist is asking the person they love to hold hands and take a chance on them.
Don't you leave this behind
The artist is worried that the person they love will not want to take the risk with them.
If we lose in time
The artist is acknowledging that they might not be successful in their relationship with the person they love.
Summer love and when it rain
The singer is alluding to the transience of summer love and how things eventually come to an end.
You know there always fade away
The artist is stressing that relationships will always fade away at some point.
But in the end you know
Despite everything, the singer wants the person they love to know this.
You and I still remains
The singer wants the person they love to know that their relationship with them still remains.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN T RZEZNIK, GREGG WATTENBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind