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)
You Know What I Mean
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Between the cracks, I can read the scrawl
It's written down in a crooked rhyme
You sold me out before my time, you know
But since then I been back down to the end
I can't believe the things you never said
I can't explain the words I never found
But you can't sell me out with everything you think about
I think back now I draw a blank, you know but
There ain't no need to dig the past, you know but
I don't want to live my life in a day
I ain't got no need for this plastic cage
'cause you don't think about anything I think about
[Chorus]
You know what I mean [Repeat: x4]
But now you know for sure you're alive
Because you, you watched me leave before your eyes, you know I
I'm afraid to say your name, but I
I ain't afraid to share this blame because
You can't sell me out with everything you think about
[Chorus]
It's been a long, dark, lonely hall
Between the cracks, I can read the scrawl
Find a place that feels like home, you know
And get some clue to where I'm going, you know but
You don't think about anything I think about
[Chorus: x2]
The lyrics of Goo Goo Dolls’ You Know What I Mean portray a sense of betrayal and hurt. The singer feels that someone has sold him out before his time, and he can read the scrawled notes in the cracks of a long, dark, and lonely hall. Despite returning from that low point, he cannot explain the things he never said or the words he never found. He is afraid to say their name but is not afraid to take the share of the blame. The singer concludes by stating that he wants to find a place that feels like home, where he can get some clue to where he's going without being confined to a plastic cage.
The song conveys feelings of being trapped, searching for meaning, and the struggle to find oneself. The singer is hurt by someone's actions and words, and although he cannot explain the words he never found, it is clear that those unsaid words have had a significant impact on him. The singer longs for something more than a plastic cage, a metaphor for a mundane and unfulfilling life. He is searching for a place where he truly belongs, a place that feels like home.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been a long, dark, lonely hall
I have been through a difficult and lonely period for a long time now
Between the cracks, I can read the scrawl
Despite the difficulties, I can still see the truth amidst the chaos
It's written down in a crooked rhyme
The truth I see is not straightforward, but it is still real and worth paying attention to
You sold me out before my time, you know
You betrayed me and ruined my life before I even had a chance to fully live it
But since then I been back down to the end
Despite the pain, I have come back to face my struggles again
I can't believe the things you never said
I am realizing now that you kept important truths hidden from me
I can't explain the words I never found
I feel frustrated and confused that I was never able to understand the full truth
My whole world should come crashing down, you know
I fear that everything I have built will fall apart because of the betrayals and hidden truths
But you can't sell me out with everything you think about
Despite your attempts to deceive and hurt me, I am still in control of my own thoughts and feelings
I think back now I draw a blank, you know but
Looking back on it, I realize that I don't fully understand everything that happened
There ain't no need to dig the past, you know but
I don't need to dwell on the past and try to analyze every detail
I don't want to live my life in a day
I want to take my time and enjoy life, rather than rushing through it
I ain't got no need for this plastic cage
I refuse to be confined to a meaningless and fake existence
'cause you don't think about anything I think about
You and I have very different priorities and values
[Chorus]
Repeated refrain about the importance of understanding
But now you know for sure you're alive
You should appreciate life and wake up to the truth of your existence
Because you, you watched me leave before your eyes, you know I
You saw me suffer and leave, and it should have made you realize the gravity of what you did
I'm afraid to say your name, but I
I am still hurt and angry with you, but I am also willing to confront you
I ain't afraid to share this blame because
I recognize that I am not blameless in this situation and am willing to take responsibility
Find a place that feels like home, you know
I am searching for a sense of belonging and purpose in my life
And get some clue to where I'm going, you know but
I need to find direction and clarity for my future
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GEORGE TUTUSKA, JOHN T RZEZNIK, ROBERT C. JR. TAKAC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind