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)
Wish You Were Here
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So you think you can tell,
Heaven from hell,
Blue skies from pain,
Can you tell a green field,
From the cold steal rail
A smile from a veil,
Do you think you can tell?
So,
So do you think we can change,
Everybody that hates,
Before its too late?
So proud to be free,
But who can we blame?
Don't be ashamed,
Do you think we can change?
How I wish,
How I wish you were here,
We're a world of lost souls,
Swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year,
Running over the same old ground,
What have we found?
The same old fears,
I wish you were here,
We dont need,
Need any more pain,
We just need to remain
On the very same page,
So much to gain,
No more loosing a friend,
We're loosing ourselves,
We just need your help,
So glad you're here
So glad you're here.
The lyrics of the song "Wish You Were Here" by Goo Goo Dolls are quite thought-provoking, addressing issues such as the struggle to differentiate between good and evil, the inability to enact positive change in the world, feelings of isolation and loneliness, and the desire for unity and hope. The song consists of two verses, a chorus, and a final verse. The first verse asks various philosophical questions, such as whether we can distinguish between heaven and hell or happiness and pain, and whether we can truly change the world. The second verse expresses a longing for connection and support, indicating that we are all lost souls searching for meaning and relief from the same old fears that haunt us.
The chorus repeats the lines "How I wish, how I wish you were here," implying that the singer is addressing someone who is absent, either physically, emotionally, or spiritually. The metaphor of swimming in a fish bowl suggests that we are confined, unable to escape from our cyclical routine or our own limited perspectives. The repetition of the phrase "the same old" emphasizes the stagnancy and monotony of our lives. Despite expressing frustration and despair, the final lines of the song express gratitude for the presence of someone who can provide solace and guidance.
Overall, the lyrics of "Wish You Were Here" convey a sense of longing, confusion, and desperation, but also a glimmer of hope and connection. The song encourages listeners to reflect on their own struggles and search for greater understanding and meaning in a world that can often feel overwhelming and isolating.
Line by Line Meaning
So you think you can tell
Do you believe you have the ability to distinguish the good from the bad?
Heaven from hell
Can you differentiate between a state of bliss and complete pain and misery?
Blue skies from pain
Can you differentiate between happiness and sorrow in life?
Can you tell a green field
Do you know how to appreciate nature and identify it among industrial constructions?
From the cold steal rail
Can you differentiate between the coldness of metal and the warmth of nature or home?
A smile from a veil
Can you identify whether someone is truly happy or if they are hiding behind a facade?
Do you think you can tell?
Do you believe you have the insight to make these judgments?
So do you think we can change
Do you believe that we have the power to transform and improve ourselves?
Everybody that hates
Can we make everyone who harbors ill will, wholeheartedly love instead?
Before its too late?
Can we do it before the situation becomes beyond repair?
So proud to be free,
We take pride in our freedom,
But who can we blame?
However, we are unable to identify whom to hold responsible for our problems.
Don't be ashamed,
There's nothing to be embarrassed about.
Do you think we can change?
Do you believe that we have the strength to change the world?
How I wish you were here,
I really wish you were here to share my feelings.
We're a world of lost souls,
We are a world filled with aimless, hopeless people.
Swimming in a fish bowl,
We are confined within restrictive boundaries with no escape.
Year after year,
This cycle of hopelessness repeats year after year.
Running over the same old ground,
We never seem to break out of the monotony of our lives.
What have we found?
We are left disenchanted and disillusioned with life.
The same old fears,
We continue to be plagued by the same fears year after year.
I wish you were here,
I wish there was someone by my side to share my pain and frustration.
We dont need,
We do not require any more of it,
Need any more pain,
We have had our fill of pain and suffering.
We just need to remain
All we need to do is stay united with each other.
On the very same page,
We need to be on the same wavelength as far as our goals and aspirations are concerned.
So much to gain,
We have so much to gain from working together in harmony.
No more loosing a friend,
We don't want to face the heartbreak of losing a member of our community.
We're loosing ourselves,
We must not lose ourselves in our quest for success and material gain.
We just need your help,
All we need now is your assistance in uniting us and working towards a brighter future.
So glad you're here
We are very thankful for your presence.
Contributed by Tyler K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Abraham Rojas
So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from hell
Blues skies from pain
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail
A smile from a vail
Do you think you can tell
So, do you think we can change
Everybody that hates
Before it's too late
So proud to be free
But who can we blame
Don't be ashamed
Do you think we can change
How i wish
How i wish you were here
We're one lost soul swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
What have we found
The same old fears
Wish you were here
We don't need
Need anymore pain
We just need to remain on the very same page
So much to gain
No more losing a friend
We're losing ourselves
We just need your help
So glad your here
So glad your here
Abraham Rojas
So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from hell
Blues skies from pain
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail
A smile from a vail
Do you think you can tell
So, do you think we can change
Everybody that hates
Before it's too late
So proud to be free
But who can we blame
Don't be ashamed
Do you think we can change
How i wish
How i wish you were here
We're one lost soul swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground
What have we found
The same old fears
Wish you were here
We don't need
Need anymore pain
We just need to remain on the very same page
So much to gain
No more losing a friend
We're losing ourselves
We just need your help
So glad your here
So glad your here
Mario Escobar Trejo
sin duda una de las mejores rolas de pink floyd para mí la favorita y este coover es todo una caña se escucha suprer chido!!!!
mandala 314
This performance was amazing to watch live on TV, it was only a week after 9/11 and America was still feeling raw, in shock, and music has the power to heal the hurt. To bring people together in a way they might never have encountered. At the time, this song was incredibly healing.
nick5400
Beautiful! The addition of the strings really make it a great cover.
faustino suarez
que buen cover dos grandes bandas la voz de fred es reconosible en cualquier lado me gusto el cover esta muy buena!!!!!!!!!
Rick Elliott
This is the best cover of this song, And the occaison just makes it so damn meaningful. Great job guys...
plas
their voices go so well with each other, its amazing.
Mark Fisher
Amazing cover of this song...Fred and John do such a great job with this! =)
Kevin Shockey
When I saw this performance, I distinctly remember knowing that the world had forever changed. Great performance! Just what I needed to hear that day. I'll never forget that moment. #unforgettable
Arturo Rodríguez García
Excelente cover 👌