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)
Sweetest Lie
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You fooled yourself again
With your lipstick smeared
Across some face
You'll never see again
And I sat there in the corner
Working back my memories
And I wondered if the time would come
Living the sweetest lie
Living the sweetest lie
Well you made me feel electric
Every moment that we shared
But the lights went out when I realized
You never even cared
So I picked myself back up
I didn't know where I had been
And the thing
That makes it seem so wrong
Is I want you back again
Living the sweetest lie
Yeah, c'mon baby give me love
Living the sweetest lie
Oh, c'mon baby give me love
You know you'll never be taken
Your love will never be taken, no
And are you tired of waking
Now are you tired of waking alone
Living the sweetest lie
Yeah, c'mon baby give me love
Living the sweetest lie
Oh, c'mon baby give me love
The lyrics of Goo Goo Dolls' "Sweetest Lie" depict a tale of heartbreak and deception. The song is about a person who is constantly fooled by their lover's lies and deceit regardless of the overwhelming evidence in front of them. The song begins by describing the ease with which the lover can play their part, all while fooling themselves. The singer of the song sits in a corner, wondering if there will ever be a time when their lover would get around to them.
As the song progresses, the singer confesses their feelings of being enamoured by the lover to the point where they made them feel electric. However, when they realized that the affection was one-sided, they picked themselves up and moved on. Despite knowing it was wrong, they still want their lover back. The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea of living the sweetest lie by putting on a facade that everything is alright while it's anything but.
The last verse of the song talks about being tired of waking up alone and concludes with the plea for love. Overall, the song's lyrics heavily emphasize the idea of self-deception and the lies that we tell ourselves to keep going.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you play your part so easily
You effortlessly pretend to be someone you're not
You fooled yourself again
Despite your facade, you still end up unhappy and unfulfilled
With your lipstick smeared
You are emptily searching for fulfillment through superficial means
Across some face you'll never see again
You use people as a means to an end, without ever truly connecting with them
And I sat there in the corner working back my memories
I reflect on our past and try to understand where we went wrong
And I wondered if the time would come you'd get around to me
I hope that you will someday truly see and appreciate me
Living the sweetest lie
We are both deluding ourselves by pretending that our relationship is fulfilling
Well you made me feel electric every moment that we shared
Our time together was full of passion and excitement
But the lights went out when I realized you never even cared
I eventually saw through your façade and realized that you had no genuine feelings for me
So I picked myself back up, I didn't know where I had been
I regained my confidence and tried to move on from our toxic relationship
And the thing that makes it seem so wrong is I want you back again
Despite everything, I am still drawn to you and crave your love
You know you'll never be taken, your love will never be taken, no
You fear vulnerability and refuse to let anyone truly know you or have a genuine connection with you
And are you tired of waking, now are you tired of waking alone
Your fear of vulnerability and genuine connection leaves you feeling empty and alone
C'mon baby give me love
I long for a genuine, loving connection with you but know it is unlikely to happen
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN T RZEZNIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind