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)
i wanna destroy you
Goo Goo Dolls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna destroy you
I wanna destroy you
I wanna destroy you
I feel it coming on again
Just like it did before
They fill your mind with boredom
And they lead you off to war
The way we treat each other
Really makes me feel ill
And if you're gonna fight
Then you're just dying to get killed
I wanna destroy you
I wanna destroy you
I wanna destroy you
I wanna destroy you
A box upon the media
And everything you read
They tell you your opinions
And they're very good indeed
I wanna destroy you
And when I have destroyed you
I'll come pickin' at your bones
And you won't have a single item
Left to call your own
I wanna destroy you
I wanna destroy you
Wanna destroy you
Wanna destroy you
Wanna destroy you
In "I Wanna Destroy You," the Goo Goo Dolls express their frustrations with society's reliance on the media to form opinions and the violent culture that often results from it. The repetition of the line "I wanna destroy you" can be interpreted in various ways, but some see it as a desire to dismantle the systems that contribute to this societal decay.
The song's first verse describes the repetitive nature of war and how governments can use propaganda to manipulate people into fighting. The second verse highlights the way people treat each other with negativity and hostility, which can lead to violence. The bridge emphasizes the role of the media in shaping people's beliefs and attitudes through the information they consume.
The chorus, which repeats the title phrase several times, serves as a complete break from the verses and is where the anger and frustration become most evident. The repetition almost seems like a mantra, as if the singer is trying to channel his rage into something that might have an impact.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna destroy you
The singer wishes to bring down the person they are addressing.
I feel it coming on again
The singer recognizes the urge to destroy this person has returned.
Just like it did before
The singer has felt this way towards the person before and the feeling has returned.
They fill your mind with boredom
The artist believes that the people around the person have caused them to feel uninterested and unstimulated.
And they lead you off to war
The people surrounding the person have influenced them badly enough to lead them into a situation where they may become hurt.
The way we treat each other
The singer observes how cruelly people treat one another.
Really makes me feel ill
The singer becomes emotionally upset by how people treat one another.
And if you're gonna fight
The artist sees that fighting is a fruitless and dangerous way of solving conflict.
Then you're just dying to get killed
Those who fight are often just asking to be hurt.
A box upon the media
The artist is critical of how media is often presented in an overly simplistic and unhelpful way.
And everything you read
Everything we see in the media contributes to how we see the world.
They tell you your opinions
The artist observes how often media can shape public opinion.
And they're very good indeed
The singer is commenting on how successful media often is in shaping how we think.
And when I have destroyed you
The singer has resolved to bring the person down.
I'll come pickin' at your bones
The singer intends to take what remains after destroying them.
And you won't have a single item
The artist is taking everything from the person they bring down.
Left to call your own
The artist is satisfied knowing they have taken everything from the person they destroy.
Contributed by Logan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.