In 1998, The Goo Goo Dolls released their signature song “Iris”. The song was written by the band’s frontman John Rzeznik and originally released on the ‘City of Angels’ soundtrack. “Iris” became a massive hit – reaching the top 10 in most Western countries – and sold over 10 million copies worldwide. But what’s the meaning behind the song? In this article, we will dive into the meaning behind The Goo Goo Dolls’ iconic song.
The Meaning of the Song
“Iris” was specifically written for the 1998 movie City of Angels. The movie follows an angel named Seth (played by Nicolas Cage) who gives up his immortality after falling in love with a mortal woman named Maggie Rice (played by Meg Ryan). “I was thinking about the situation of the Nicolas Cage character in the movie,” Rzeznik told Songfacts about the song in 2013.
“This guy is completely willing to give up his own immortality, just to be able to feel something very human. And I think, ‘Wow! What an amazing thing it must be like to love someone so much that you give up everything to be with them.’ That’s a pretty heavy thought.”
The first verse of “Iris” makes it clear that the song is about the willingness to sacrifice yourself for a loved one. The narrator admits he’d ‘give up forever’ just to be with his lover, because she’s the ‘closest to heaven’ that he will ever be. In the context of the movie, the ‘closest to heaven’ line is intriguing, as the song is told from the perspective of an angel.
In the chorus, however, the narrator admits he has difficulties opening up. He’s afraid to showcase his true self because he fears no one will understand him. In a world where everything seems prone to breaking, the narrator just wants his true self to be recognized by someone. The chorus of the song brings “Iris” to a deeper emotional level, capturing the desire for connection and the difficulty of showcasing your true self to the world.
Oddly enough, the song’s title – “Iris” – isn’t mentioned in the song. John Rzeznik had already composed the music and lyrics of the song, but struggled to come up with a song title. Upon seeing that singer-songwriter Iris DeMent was scheduled to perform nearby in the LA Weekly, he decided to title the song “Iris”.
City of Angels
John Rzeznik wrote “Iris” during an unstable period in his life. He had just separated from his wife and was living in a hotel. Therefore, the request to be part of the City of Angels soundtrack was a welcomed one. To gather inspiration, Rzeznik was invited to watch the first edit of the movie.
“I didn’t actually think it was very good,” Rzeznik remembered. “But one of the reasons I wanted to do a song was because the soundtrack had U2 and Peter Gabriel on it, and I wanted to be on the same piece of plastic as them. It made me feel like I was hobnobbing with musical royalty. I thought that someday I could show it to my kids – tell them their old man was once on a record with Bono and Peter Gabriel.”
With the story of Angel Seth in his mind, Rzeznik began writing the song. While he usually struggled with writing songs, particularly during that unsteady period, “Iris” emerged as a gift. After tuning his guitar to an unusual alternative tuning because he had broken 2 strings, the song practically wrote itself.
“That thing just dropped in my lap,” Rzeznik told American Songwriter. “It was one of those situations where you’re sort of having this spiritual moment, and you just have no clue where it came from. It was really cool.”
The Legacy of Iris
“Iris” was released in 1998 on both the soundtrack of City of Angels and The Goo Goo Dolls’ sixth studio album Dizzy Up the Girl. The single release of the song became a huge success, reaching the top 10 worldwide. The song topped the charts in Canada, Australia, and Italy.
In an interview with OnMilwaukee, Rzeznik reflected on the enduring success of the song. “I think it’s a song everyone can relate to in some way. This guy is willing to give up immortality so he can be human and feel pain. Life can be very painful and heartbreakingly beautiful at the same time. ‘Iris’ catches that moment.”
Therefore, it’s no surprise The Goo Goo Dolls play “Iris” at virtually every concert. And while some artists turn away from their biggest hits, Rzeznik admits he is proud of the song. “It gave me some confidence in myself at a time when that was lacking,” Rzeznik told Louder Sound. “Every night when we play it and I put the mic out to the audience and everybody sings it, that’s an amazing feeling. It’s, like, at least one of the songs I’ve written will be remembered.”
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