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)
We
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of a place that used to breathe
You know it choked away the sun
But we still had food to eat
And now everyone is gone
To a place that won't be home
Can they keep their family strong?
And we'll be standing when you're gone
And we'll be heard again
We missed our chance but not for long
I know somehow we will hold on we'll be here
When you're gone
Then one day we realized
That they couldn't hear our voice
And it's so hard to understand
When it's caught up in the noise
But the ones who fight and die
Are the truth inside the lie
Now it's all built on our backs
And we struggle to survive
And we'll be standing when you're gone
And we'll be heard again
We missed our chance but not for long
I know somehow we will hold on we'll be here
When you're gone
The verses of Goo Goo Dolls’ song “We” describe a bleak future where the people are left alone, struggling to survive in the aftermath of a devastation that has taken place. Through the fence, the singer sees the ghost of the place indicating that it used to breathe, while now it's dead. The place has choked away the sun, making it hard to live. But despite all of this, they had food to eat. The singer describes how everybody has abandoned the place and left to find a new home. However, they question whether these new places will help them keep their family together or whether they'll make it on their own.
The chorus of the song, then addressing the people who left, claims that the singer and others left behind would stand firm and be heard again. The singer knows they missed their chance, but somehow they will keep holding on, and they'll still be there when the others are gone. The second verse touches upon the difficulty of understanding and being heard. It’s hard to understand your voice when it’s noise. But the ones who fight and die represent the truth within the lie. Those left behind have now built a future on their backs and are merely striving to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
And through the fence I see a ghost
The singer sees a memory of a place that no longer exists.
Of a place that used to breathe
The place was once lively and full of life.
You know it choked away the sun
Something happened that caused darkness and despair in the place.
But we still had food to eat
Despite the difficulties faced, basic needs were still met.
And now everyone is gone
The people have left, possibly due to the difficult circumstances.
To a place that won't be home
They left to start a new life somewhere else, perhaps feeling like they can never return.
Can they keep their family strong?
The singer wonders if those who left can maintain their sense of togetherness, despite being apart.
Will they make it on their own?
The artist is uncertain if those who left can thrive in their new environment.
And we'll be standing when you're gone
The artist and those who stayed will still be there even after the others have left.
And we'll be heard again
Their voices may have been silenced, but they will not be forgotten and will eventually be heard.
We missed our chance but not for long
They may have missed an opportunity, but they believe there will be another chance in the future.
I know somehow we will hold on we'll be here
The artist is certain that they will remain and persevere.
Then one day we realized
The singer had a realization at some point in time.
That they couldn't hear our voice
Their important message was being ignored or drowned out by other things.
And it's so hard to understand
It's difficult to comprehend why their voice isn't being heard.
When it's caught up in the noise
Their message was being lost and ignored amongst other things.
But the ones who fight and die
Those who struggle and make sacrifices are the ones who hold onto the truth.
Are the truth inside the lie
Despite the difficult circumstances, the truth will prevail over lies and deception.
Now it's all built on our backs
The current situation is a result of their hard work and sacrifice.
And we struggle to survive
Despite their efforts, they still have to face difficulties and challenges.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHN RZEZNIK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gongoozler I am
It's a beautiful day i heard everybody say
The sun shines down for all of us
Just the same you know i like the rain
That ain't so obvious
It's a beautiful sight
I guess everybody's right
This day belongs to all of us
Even still i like mine with a chile
Tha ain't so obvious
We are the normal we live and we die with no reason why
It's a beautiful life and i got it in my sights
That ain't for all of us
It's a beautiful sound and my life was crashing down
That ain't so obvious
It's a beautiful sin and i'm doing it again
And that ain't for all of us
It's a beautiful life and i got it in my sights
We are the normal we live and we die with no reason why
Derrick Powell
What an underrated band, such talented musicians. Great song also.
Paranormal Response
To be under-rated that would mean the band is not recognized by its peers or the public. That is not the case at all. This band has been huge and relevant for 30 years.
zlinedavid
The hallmark of a great artist: this song was on an album 23 years ago, and yet wouldn't need a note changed to be released today. Timeless.
SonicRyan1992
you could say that about most punk/college/alternative rock
Sean Whitcomb
zlinedavid it's also before anyone ever heard of them. Before they became pop.
possumgirl119
Wow! This should have been on the radio! This should still be on the radio! This is talent!
Greg Maddox
This was on the radio quite a bit in the USA
Peter Cavaretta
I remember hearing it in Buffalo when it came out.
Señor XREY
Sean Whitcomb remembers! "We Are The Normal" is the Goo's first song I heard on KROQ (back when they still had personalities). Sadly they haven't played it in decades. Maybe they should and their audience might return....
GreatLakesDrifta
It was played fairly regularly on the alt-radio stations in Detroit/Windsor in the early 90s around when it came out.