Iris By The Goo Goo Dolls Explained
I’ve always hated the song Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls because it was on the radio all the time in college and every single line is the same melody. The “chorus” is literally just singing the same melody but louder. But did you know it also has words? Here’s what they mean.
And I’d give up forever to touch you
’Cause I know that you feel me somehow
He’s talking about an iPhone on display in the Apple Store. He is blown away by how responsive the touch interface is.
You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be
And I don’t want to go home right now
He’s trying out one of the demo phones and he’s so fascinated he doesn’t want to leave, despite store security’s gentle nudges.
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
And sooner or later it’s over
I just don’t wanna miss you tonight
Security is getting really insistent so he’s saying his reluctant goodbyes.
And I don’t want the world to see me
’Cause I don’t think that they’d understand
This is the chorus by the way, where they sing louder to let you know it’s a different part of the song because there’s no other way to tell. Anyway he’s being dragged out of the store by security and he’s afraid people won’t understand he was behaving perfectly reasonably given the magical technology he’d witnessed.
When everything’s made to be broken
He’s bemoaning the quality of American manufacturing in general these days compared to Apple’s famed quality under the brutal requirements of Steve Jobs.
I just want you to know who I am
He wants to let security know his dad is a Senator.
He says, “Son, can you play me a memory
I’m not really sure how it goes
The security guard is being sarcastic and asking him to remind him again who his dad is because he’s said it 10 times.
But it’s sad and it’s sweet and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man’s clothes”
The security guard is threatening him by saying he beat up a younger and stronger guy once just to take his clothes.
Wait, this is Piano Man. Every time I try to remember Iris it always turns into Piano Man because they basically have the same melody, except that Piano Man has a chorus.
Sing us a song, you’re the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we’re all in the mood for a melody
And you’ve got us feelin’ alright
This is his nickname in jail after he is convicted of pocketing one of the display iPhones. His dad was actually a 4th line defenseman for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.
