The Goo Goo Dolls "Iris" Lyrics & Meaning | Genius Verified - video Dailymotion

Skip to player Skip to main content

2 days ago

John Rzeznik of The Goo Goo Dolls stopped by the Genius office to break down the band’s iconic song “Iris.” He opens up about writing the track for the City of Angels movie soundtrack, why fans’ stories about the song mean so much to him, getting lucky with the hook, and the real reason he wanted to join the soundtrack, plus more in this memorable episode!

Category

Transcript

Display full video transcript

00:00When I meet people and they say, let me tell you my story about that song, it still moves

00:06me.

00:17My manager Pat calls me, he's like, hey, Danny Bramson's doing the music supervision for

00:21this film called City of Angels, and he'd like you to come and see it and maybe write

00:28a song for the film.

00:29So I was watching it and then there was one particular scene where they're like, we want

00:35you to write something for this scene.

00:37This guy is an angel, he's immortal, he's willing to give up that immortality because

00:43he's never felt, and he wants to see what it feels like to be a human, and he falls in

00:50love with this woman, but he has to make this leap.

00:54I just thought that was a beautiful thing.

00:56And I'd give up forever to touch you, cause I know that you feel me somehow, you're the

01:06closest to heaven that I'll ever be, and I don't wanna go home right now.

01:15So, right there, he's immortal, she's human, she doesn't know he's there, and he confesses

01:22his love to this woman who can't hear it, and he has to get over to the other side.

01:27Cause I know that you feel me somehow, when obviously she can't feel him, but she feels

01:32something there.

01:33There's kinda like an aura or whatever.

01:36You know, he's telling her, I'm gonna jump, I'm making the jump, and I'm gonna find you,

01:42and be with you.

01:43You're the closest to heaven that I've ever been.

01:46He's an angel.

01:46He's been in heaven for eternity.

01:50But he sees her, and she's the closest thing to heaven.

01:55And he doesn't wanna go back.

01:57He doesn't wanna go back to heaven.

01:58He wants to be human.

01:59And he wants to be with her.

02:01Pretty strong emotions.

02:02And all I can taste is this moment, and all I can breathe is your life, and when sooner

02:12or later it's over, I just don't wanna miss you tonight.

02:19I'm not gonna say he's obsessed with her, but, you know, cause that's weird.

02:23This is where he's at.

02:25She is, she is, she's taken over his existence.

02:31And it hurts.

02:32You know?

02:33I mean, if you're gonna live, and you're gonna be a human, it better hurt sometimes.

02:38Because that's what leads to, you know, life being rich, life being meaningful.

02:46This guy is trying to commit to making that leap, you know, into, and we've all done that.

02:53I mean, you know, we've all done that.

02:55We've all had to take the risk of, you know, asking someone out on a date.

03:00And risking the rejection and the pain of that kind of thing.

03:05But he did it.

03:06And I don't want the world to see me, cause I don't think that they'd understand.

03:17Where everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am.

03:27I think the hook of the song is, yeah, it's just easily relatable to, I mean, you know,

03:31like I got lucky, like I'm not, you know, I can't underestimate a little bit of luck.

03:37I think we all want that, you know?

03:39I think we all want that.

03:41That's the whole point.

03:42It's just like, you know, if you're gonna write about something, write about something

03:45that everybody can relate to.

03:46And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming, or the moment of truth in your lies.

03:58And when everything feels like the movies, yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive.

04:08It's sort of about, like, living this life that's separate and isolated and not genuine.

04:21Even when you're immortal and all that other stuff, he still didn't feel complete.

04:27And I think it's the flaws in life that makes it beautiful, you know?

04:32Like, the flaws, it's like, can I find some beauty in these flaws?

04:37Because there is.

04:39And it's the kind of beauty that isn't done with good lighting and that kind of thing.

04:49It's something visceral or humbling in a way.

04:53And it could kill you.

04:55Nice thought.

04:56One of the main reasons that I wanted to do the song for the film, and I was really, really

05:00excited to get it on the soundtrack was because U2, and Peter Gabriel, and Alanis Morissette,

05:12and amongst others, were on this album.

05:14I'm like, I just want to get slotted in there so I can be on the same album as these icons.

05:20And it's weird because we turned out to be the dark horse and won that race.

05:26My favorite part of the song is the slide guitar solo, which I wanted to play.

05:31We were lucky enough to work with a guy named Tim Pierce.

05:34When I did it, it sounded like a bunch of cats fighting.

05:38And when he did it, it was just this gorgeous, lush thing, you know?

Be the first to comment

Add your comment

Recommended

Lil Mosey - Breathin Again

4 years ago

The Traitors UK Season 4 Episode 5 (2026)

7 hours ago

Fran Drescher Reveals ‘The Nanny’ Was Inspired by an Outing She Had Babysitting Model Twiggy's Daughter

2 days ago

10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About The Mandalorian

2 days ago

Emilio Azcárraga Jean vendió parte de sus acciones al dúo que está al frente de Televisa

Diario 24 horas

2 days ago

42% vs 35% [앵커리포트] / YTN

22 hours ago

A Dama de Rosa - Capitulo 23

Novelas e Séries

3 years ago

Behind the Screen: The Costumes of 'Avatar: Fire and Ash' | THR Video

The Hollywood Reporter

1 day ago

911 Audio Released of Slain Dentist and Wife's Bodies Being Found

1 day ago

Public urged to stay away as 26ft sinkhole opens up on sports field

The Independent

2 days ago

Twister (1996) Full Movie HD

Cinematic Industry

6 months ago

Ecos del pasado completa en español

Minidramas Hadaeliza

8 months ago

Sueños de libertad - Capítulo 476

Cinemanía Comunity

2 days ago

US seizes two more sanctioned oil tankers with links to Venezuela, military says

euronews (in English)

2 days ago

Brigitte Bardot laid to rest

2 days ago

This or That: Splurge Edition

Travel and Leisure

2 days ago

The Angels: Kickin' Down the Door Documentary Movie

3 years ago

DANIEL JONES (BalconyTV)

7 years ago

Noah Kahan "Forever" Official Lyrics & Meaning | Genius Verified

2 years ago

The Hidden Meaning Of Billie Eilish’s “goodbye”

7 years ago

Jessie Murph “Blue Strips” Lyrics & Meaning | Genius Verified

8 months ago

Paramore “Running Out Of Time" Official Lyrics & Meaning | Verified

3 years ago

Offset & JID "Bodies" Lyrics & Meaning | Genius Verified

5 months ago

YDamiano David Breaks Down The Meaning Of "Born With A Broken Heart"

1 year ago

Pops in Seoul Ep3021

10 years ago