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)
Smash
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I tried to read your face
Say, say what you're thinkin'
Don't carry round that pain
Every time I see you pickin' at yourself
I love, I love when things work out
Seven times this year
Crash, 'cause now you're smilin'
Holdin' back your tears
Every time I see you pickin' at yourself
I love, I love when things work out
Every time I see you torturin' yourself
I love, I love when things work out
And I see it from another place right now
I'm comin' home before I hit the ground
Right back where I want to be right now
Smash
And I feel it
Smash
And I feel it
Smash
And I feel it
Right now
The Goo Goo Dolls’ song “Smash” talks about a person’s inner struggles and the pain that they carry inside. The lyrics encourage the person to speak up and express their thoughts and emotions instead of keeping them bottled up. The lines, “Hey, what are ya thinkin' / I tried to read your face / Say, say what you're thinkin' / Don't carry round that pain” urge the person to open up and share their feelings with someone they can trust. The words “Don’t carry round that pain” imply that the person’s pain is visible and that they are physically hurting themselves as a way of dealing with their emotional turmoil.
The chorus of the song, “Smash, I heard ya cryin' / Seven times this year / Crash, 'cause now you're smilin' / Holdin' back your tears,” suggests that the person has been struggling for a while and has had multiple breakdowns. The lines “Every time I see you pickin' at yourself / I love, I love when things work out / Every time I see you torturin' yourself / I love, I love when things work out” portray the singer's deep care and concern for the person, assuring them that everything will work out in the end.
Overall, the song emphasizes the importance of supporting and uplifting those around us and the crucial role played by support systems in helping people overcome their struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, what are ya thinkin'
The singer is asking the listener what's on their mind
I tried to read your face
The singer attempted to understand the listener's emotions through their facial expressions
Say, say what you're thinkin'
The singer is urging the listener to express their thoughts and feelings
Don't carry round that pain
The artist is encouraging the listener to let go of their emotional burden
Every time I see you pickin' at yourself
The artist is observing the listener causing harm to themselves
I love, I love when things work out
The singer prefers when positive outcomes occur
Smash, I heard ya cryin'
The singer acknowledges hearing the listener cry
Seven times this year
The artist indicates that this has happened multiple times in the last year
Crash, 'cause now you're smilin'
The artist notes that the listener is now smiling after the previously mentioned crying
Holdin' back your tears
The listener is attempting to conceal their emotions
Every time I see you pickin' at yourself
The singer is observing the listener causing harm to themselves
I love, I love when things work out
The artist prefers when positive outcomes occur
Every time I see you torturin' yourself
The singer is observing the listener causing harm to themselves
And I see it from another place right now
The singer is taking a different perspective on the situation
I'm comin' home before I hit the ground
The singer is returning to a place of safety and stability
Right back where I want to be right now
The artist is returning to a desired state or situation
Smash
The word 'Smash' is repeated three times, possibly as a call to action or to express strong emotion
And I feel it
The singer is experiencing strong emotions
Right now
The singer is emphasizing the urgency of the situation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROBERT C. JR. TAKAC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind