The Goo Goo Dolls

Released: March 14, 1995

Songwriter: George Tutuska Robby Takac John Rzeznik

[Verse 1]
I'm a fortunate son of a fortunate son
Living large on the wrong side of town
Too many friends and the fun never ends
Drinking and hanging around
I wanna rule the world, want to swallow it whole
At least I could kick it all down
I wanna kick it all down

[Chorus]
Eyes wide open, I can't see
Eyes wide open, what you mean
Eyes wide open, I can't seem to be
My eyes wide open, I can't see
Eyes wide open, what you mean
Eyes wide open, I can't seem to be

[Verse 2]
I don't take the bus and I never walk too far
The furthest I got was my own backyard
A fist full of cash that somebody else earned
Send me some more when it all got burned
I wanna take control, want to make it all mine
At least I could kick it all down
I want to kick it all down

[Chorus]
Eyes wide open, I can't see
Eyes wide open, what you mean
Eyes wide open, I can't seem to be
My eyes wide open, I can't see
Eyes wide open, what you mean
Eyes wide open, I can't seem to be

[Bridge]
Never ever ever
Never ever ever
Never ever ever
Never ever ever

[Verse 3]
I get what I want if I make up my mind
I'm turning you inside out
I wanna rule the world, want to swallow it whole
I think I'll just kick it all down
I want to kick it all down

[Chorus]
Eyes wide open, I can't see
Eyes wide open, what you mean
Eyes wide open, I can't seem to be
My eyes wide open, I can't see
Eyes wide open, what you mean
Eyes wide open, I can't seem to be
Eyes wide open

The Goo Goo Dolls are an American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, NY, during one of Buffalo’s most prolific underground music phases. The band was formed by John Rzeznik (Also known as Johnny Rzeznik), lead singer and songwriter for the band, with bassist/vocalist Robby Takac, and drummer George Tutuska. Mike Malinin later replaced Tutuska as the band’s drummer.

The band has released twelve studio albums between 1986 and 2017, but they are best known for platinum-selling A Boy Named Goo (1995) and Dizzy Up the Girl (1998). These mid- to late 1990s albums contain the Goo Goo Dolls' biggest hits to date – Name and Iris most notably, but also Slide, Black Balloon, and Dizzy

These hits made the Goo Goo Dolls a household name for radio-friendly “prom night power balladry” (as one Rolling Stone review put it), but the band’s early output was often far rougher musically, melding the band’s edgier punk influences with an often soft sensibility in the mold of the band’s early heroes, The Replacements. One can hear these influences on many songs on A Boy Named Goo though these affinities would fade after Dizzy Up the Girl.

more tracks from the album

What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce

From the albums

A Boy Named Goo (1995)
What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce (2001)

The Goo Goo Dolls popular songs

Eyes Wide OpenThe Goo Goo Dolls

The Goo Goo Dolls

What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce