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)
There You Are
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I pick up the pieces now and put 'em in my hand
I've been up and down for you
My suffering extreme
I fell on my face for you
Now I know what it means
And I self destruct
I close my eyes and there
There you are
There you are
You are
There you are
Yeah you can run out west, forget you know my name
You say you got your shit together, but you ain't got no faith
Method in madness
Now there's madness in my soul
I run from the darkness now
I've got no place to go
And I self destruct
I close my eyes and there,
There you are
There you are
You are
There you are
And there you are
There you are
You are
There you are
There you are
There you are
There you are
The first stanza of "There You Are" by Goo Goo Dolls seems to be about finding closure and understanding after a relationship ends. The singer is asking for a reason to help him understand why the relationship failed, as he is trying to pick up the pieces and move on. He admits to experiencing extreme suffering and even self-destructing, but alludes to the idea that he has gained self-awareness and understanding from the experience. The repetition of "There you are" in the chorus may suggest that while the relationship may be over, the memories and feelings associated with it still remain and are hard to escape.
In the second stanza, the singer seems to be addressing the other person directly. He implies that the other person has left, possibly moving out west, and is now trying to start over without him. The singer says that the other person claims to have their life together, but he doubts that they have any faith or real connection to something greater. He speaks of there being madness in his own soul, almost as if he is trying to run from it, but cannot escape the memories of the other person. Again, the repetition of "There you are" suggests that the other person and their influence is hard to escape from.
Overall, the song seems to be about trying to come to terms with the end of a relationship and finding closure. The repetition of the phrase "There you are" emphasizes the idea that even though the other person may be physically gone, their memory and impact on the singer's life still remain.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me a reason now that I can understand
I need an explanation that I can comprehend and make sense of.
I pick up the pieces now and put 'em in my hand
I'm trying to rebuild myself after a difficult situation.
I've been up and down for you
I've gone through a lot of emotional ups and downs because of you.
My suffering extreme
The pain and anguish I feel is intense.
I fell on my face for you
I experienced failure and embarrassment because of my love for you.
Now I know what it means
I finally understand the true extent of my feelings for you.
And I self destruct
I have a tendency to sabotage myself and my relationships.
I close my eyes and there
I shut down emotionally and feel lost.
There you are
You are the cause of my emotional turmoil and struggles.
Yeah you can run out west, forget you know my name
You can try to escape from me and our past, but you won't be able to completely forget about me.
You say you got your shit together, but you ain't got no faith
You claim to have your life together, but you lack faith and trust in others.
Method in madness
I'm trying to find a logical reasoning for my chaotic emotions.
Now there's madness in my soul
My emotions have become overwhelming and uncontrollable.
I run from the darkness now
I try to escape from my negative thoughts and emotions.
I've got no place to go
I feel lost and have no sense of direction.
And there you are
You're still causing me pain and turmoil even when I try to move on.
There you are
You continue to be a constant source of emotional turmoil in my life.
You are
You are the reason for my emotional struggles and turmoil.
There you are
You still have a grip on my emotions and thoughts, even after everything we've been through.
There you are
You continue to be a prominent presence in my life, whether I want you to be or not.
There you are
You are a reminder that I can't escape the pain and struggles of my past.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GEORGE TUTUSKA, JOHN RZEZNIK, ROBERT C. JR. TAKAC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fwysrecords
Old Goo Goo Dolls is the best. They wrote some of the catchiest punk rock. Super Replacements style. Awesome band, and I back them hard. Sometimes I only listen to Superstar Car Wash, Hold Me Up, and Jed front to back.
@markrosenquist8259
This is a great album.
@jamesmeyer4228
And why do you ask? Because those 3 albums are quite possibly THE BEST albums of all time genre-wide
@BGalligan65
Word
@yeahdogify
So clearly ripping off Paul Westerberg, and i couldnt be happier about it. I love this band.
@nicolasarevalo1851
This song is so simple but so good like it’s for when your sad but also happy
@MisterJayFar
All things considered, GGD are one of the most underrated musical acts of all-time. Just churning out bangers for 30 years.
@FIDIOT-cringe
By far! Along with one of their influences, The Replacements.
@julietteoscaralphanovember2223
My son knows I'm a huge fan and took me to see them twice, the last time it was the GGD and Train, great concert!!
@janinetollot209
Can the whole world just please go back to this hair style, clothes style and music style? I'd be in a heaven full of awesomeness