What does Black Balloon mean?

Goo Goo Dolls: Black Balloon Meaning

Album cover for Black Balloon album cover

Song Released: 1999


Black Balloon Lyrics

Baby's black balloon makes her fly
I almost fell into that hole in your life
And you're not thinking about tomorrow
'Cause you were the same as me
But on your knees

A thousand other boys could never reach you
How could I have been the...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 5th 2006 !⃝

    I found this interpretation and think it sums up the meaning of the song perfectly:

    This song IS about heroin. She did wrap a black balloon around her arm in order to inject the drug into her vein. And he did almost get caught up in the drug use, ("I almost fell into that hole in your life"). He watches her life crumble before his eyes. The "ice from the spoon" refers to the drug that she heats on a spoon to prepare it for injection. He tries to save her by showing her the love she never felt and that she looks for in heroin. The drug is her "womb," or her shelter from the harsh realities of life. It was this that caused her death, despite his attempts to save her. The lines "And I go on as you grow colder" and "Or are you someone's prayer?" reveals that heroin took her life. Though this is a sad demise, the song ends with hope. "And I'll become what you became to me" shows that he has learned what love is. She, with all her problems, enveloped him with her love and devotion, and this was important to him. He wants to be like that, minus the addiction. She taught him about love, an invaluable lesson, despite her untimely death.
    - Crystalee, Divide, CO


    --Chris--

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    AB
    click a star to vote
    Jul 30th 2009 !⃝

    I know songs have their "proper" meanings, but I believe music is different and special for each person and you can interpret a song any way you want to that means something to YOU.

    Now I KNOW this song is actually about Robby's wife who died from heroin...black balloons are used to cut off circulation to inject the heroin...

    My version of what this song means to ME:
    I fell in love with a girl that had just come out of a very long relationship. She still had a lot of hurt and she came to our church group of friends for support but her 'black balloon' of sorrow made some of the guys feel deeply for her and in a way made her feel better about herself (made her fly). For some reason she fell in love with ME though but I was thinking of 'tomorrow' and she wasn't... I was worried that we are not ready for a relationship yet and I didn't want to be her 'rebound' guy. I didn't want to throw away a good friendship in a few days / weeks. "A thousand other boys could never reach you" to me was that so many guys fell in love with her but she bizarrely fell in love with ME. Then she started going out of control, wanting more and more from me and pushing for something to happen and I watched her 'world spinning' and almost begging (going on her knees) for us to be together. I tried to ignore her and put her off for a while and I know this hurt her... but then her ex (of 6 years) started seeing our pastor and wanted her back (she was HIS prayer). He didn't know how to show her love and affection and people told her he would never change (You know the lies they always told you
    And the love you never knew)
    'Coming down the world turned over' refers to me how the tables changed and she got back together with her ex and now I WAS the one feeling hurt. She was getting 'colder' towards me as she fell in love with her ex again and I had 'no time left to lose' as I was losing her forever. I tried to 'stand' to make 'him fall' by telling her he will just go back to the way he was.... but it didn't work. So I just 'carried on' as 'she got colder' (towards me)... years go by and eventually I hope she will realise that WE are supposed to be together and I will be the one 'leading her home' / God lead her home to me.... and I will 'become to her' what 'she became to me' (the love of my life).

    As I said... Songs mean different things to everyone and they can mean ANYTHING you want it to.

  3. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 7th 2023 !⃝

    Black balloon can also mean black tar heroin that makes you float it makes you high. It has meant different interpretations.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 29th 2023 !⃝

    My idea of this song is the trap of the devil. DRUGS ARE THE THE DEVIL PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!! what she couldn't see was those angels fallen without her there with her conscious knowing they were there to chain trap bound and eventually kill her by the overdose she had you can love someone so much but they love their addiction more!!! She is someone's prayer!!! He didn't fall into temptation the hole in her life the drugs are powerful to suck the light from sun is telling how dangerous and deadly those drugs are!!! Renounce and denounce those black balloons that Satan! UGH rebuke it and fight claim the lord he died for us and live forever unfortunately she succum to her sins! This song is just as powerful.

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 29th 2023 !⃝

    What got from this is that drugs are powerful sucking the light from the sun. Demons are the fallen angel's the watchers they there even if you dead or alive. Drugs are powerful the almost fell into that hole was the temptation to do it but he ahead a stronger will to live. Unfortunately she was to weak to defeat the black balloons the Demons in her life. Seek ye the lord before you die in your sins!!! The game of drugs are real he loved and no matter how much he did she loved her addiction more what made her cry also made her fly. She not thinking about nothing but the next hit. She succum to her sins and died without the lord she was someone prayer as we all pray for someone we know even ourselves addicted to some form of drug. Drugs keep you bound in chains you have to renounce and denounce those demons or you will fly in the black Ballon of an overdose. Fight the good fight!!!

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 29th 2023 !⃝

    Demons are real they are the fallen angels the devil took 3rd of the angels with him the invincible demonic forces. She was trapped and bound by the chains of drugs.Sucking the light from the sun is how powerful drugs are! You have to renounce and denounce those demons the demonic forces. Demons those fallen angels are there even without you being there or conscious or whether by overdose. You have to want to be saved you have to want GOD!!! Or you will be succum to the consequences of your sins!!! This is real not a game while she gets colder their collecting their next victim! No matter how much he loved her he could not help her whenever she wanted to fly those "Demons" eventually she weren't able to defeat her Demons they were too strong for her you need GOD!!! To fight!!! She died without GOD a painful death and her soul scattered like ice from the spoon. Separated from GOD forever in a place of torment for eternity. What frightened her also made her forget her problems in this world but never to escape the chains she bound herself by the fly of the black balloon.

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 29th 2023 !⃝

    Black balloons are demons. The fallen angels are the demons and the devil took a third of the angels with him. I see she was trapped and bound by the black balloons the "demons" and the demons won over her circumstances to defeat them. Drugs are demons and they fall without you there is even after being succum by the demons they are there whether you alive or dead their invisible.Their job is to steal kill and destroy and drugs destroyed her life. You have to renounce and denounce them demons and claim GOD as your lord an savior or you will be bound by the cains of drugs that such the pulling light from the sun drugs it's that powerful! You have to be someone's prayer!!!! Your soul scattered like ice from the spoon is exactly what happens you die with GOD. And in place of torment for eternity.

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 29th 2023 !⃝

    I love the goo goo dolls one of the best bands ever. They always make songs that keep you thinking good material and always bring out the best in you no matter what shape you in

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 29th 2023 !⃝

    Demons have her trapped is her black balloon. Angels that fall are the fallen sons of GOD now called demons. And her demons won over her she wasn't strong enough to fight them. She died without the lord. Drugs are demons and they took over her entire being. No matter how much you try to help someone they need to cry out to the most high. They need to renounce and denounce those demons and the light left the sun, she is a very dark place and although drugs demons black balloon makes her fly she felt the very thing that frightens her also comforts her enough to keep her trapped yet forgets her problems so she will always be bound by the demonic forces that have her bound in chains. Angels fall without you there meaning their job is to kill steal and destroy after her will be many victims. The devil took a 3rd of the angels. They around even when you don't see or feel them. There's always someone praying for a love one. Unfortunately she died in her circumstances you have to want to be saved.

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 9th 2022 !⃝

    Black balloon means heroin. Black tar heroin is sold in balloons, usually coated in candle wax. The balloon is not to tie off but it’s packaged that way in case the cops get you. You can swallow it “ safely” and, umm… retrieve the drugs again later. Some corner dealers keep balloons in their mouth under their tongue and keep a bottle of water nearby. That way if a cop tries to get them they can swallow it quickly. Historically, dealing heroin will get you a pretty large prison sentence, but the money is amazing.

  11. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 9th 2017 !⃝

    This song is definitely about heroin addiction. People don't use black balloons to tie off.... they are talking about black tar heroin, which are usually packaged in balloons (of all different colors, usually water balloons).. so that is the "Baby's black balloon" part, "makes her fly", meaning she is high. As for the ice from the spoon, I can only think that when a person is cooking the heroin in the spoon the drop a cotton ball into the spoon and stick the needle in the cotton and use it sort of like a filter... it kinda looks like little ice cubes. But I think the rest of this song really speaks clearly to the meaning of it. **not a heroin addict, my long time boyfriend was, and I saw him shoot up many times.

  12. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 11th 2012 !⃝

    While I can understand the context of that being a drug addiction, it depends upon the listener for the personal meaning to evolve, so here is my take;

    "Baby's black balloon makes her fly, I almost fell into that hole in your life"

    -- A balloon signifies elevation and some thing which has the potential to lift one to greater heights. However, it is black and relates to a black hole in her life; that which lifts her is as dark as what she is attempting to escape which I think could be isolation...isolating to cope with being isolated.

    "You wern't thinking about tomorrow cause you were the same as me, but on your knees"

    -- Both people were lonely but her circumstance was far different from his. He had the opportunity to change his life while, she did not, hence being on her knees.

    "A thousand other boys could never reach you, how could I have been the one"

    -- Another indication of the girl finding comfort in being alone and having never let anyone "in."

    "I saw the world spin beneath you"

    -- The world spinning beneath her illustrates that she appears to be both removed and standing still, not a part of the world and not making progress. She is at a "stand still" unable to find direction to navigate through. Next, is probably the most significant revelation which creates a better resolve for the context of the song.

    " and shatter like ice from the spoon that was your womb"

    -- Her world was cold and he watched as it shattered; a world in which the spoon that fed her was also the spoon that fed her children as well. If you see it from that perspective, the song could be about denied opportunities for affection as a consequence of tough decisions.

    "Coming down the world turned over and angels fall without you there, I go on as you grow colder, are you someones prayer"

    -- The balloon was not enough to lift them from the void, yet the world still turned 'round. He moves on and she stays in her cold world because she is someone elses prayer.

    "You know the lies that others told you and the love you never knew"

    -- She knows that those who have ever told her they loved her was a lie. Speaking and doing are two totally different things and she knows this, thus, has never "known" love.

    "Or was it things they never showed you that swallowed the light from the sun inside your room"

    -- Again, she found comfort in isolation and never knew any different, but over time the light she found alone flickered out. Perhaps his warmth showed her something that she had neglected to see and it forced her to realize what she was missing.

    "And there's no time left for loosing, when you stand they forget"

    -- Now that she if fully aware, she should stand firm and fight the battle instead of loose. However, when she tries to stand, "they forget..." the past. She looses either way. When she tries to stand for what she knows is true, the past has been forgotten and her stance becomes irrelevant though the damage has already been done. A cycle.
    damage
    "I go on I will lead you home and all because, I'll become what you became to me"

    -- This shows that he is trying lead her "home" as in moving on from a world where she has no ground to stand and also moving on from him. He is encouraging her to heal and move on. He rebounded quickly as he was not in her same predicament but recognizes she had not done the same. She became a memory to him and he hopes that he will become the same.

  13. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 24th 2012 !⃝

    Heroin is sold in black balloons. Maybe not always, but a lot of heroin dealers put their product in balloons so that after preparing the drug for injection, you can wrap it around your arm to cut off circulation and make the veins easier to hit.
    The song is basically about the bassist's wife, who did a lot of heroin, and almost got him into it, she died, and the lead singer and he wrote the song together.
    I don't know if she died, but it's definitely one of those tragic heroin stories though some of the lyrics suggest otherwise. It's not about an abortion, By "womb", he means that she found great comfort in using heroin, she escaped from reality with it.
    -Maddie.

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 20th 2012 !⃝

    It was written about Johnny's sister who wouldn't get clean after several attempts until Johnny told her that he would buy her a house if she stayed clean.... she did and she still lives in that house, sober.

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 29th 2011 !⃝

    This song IS about serious heroin addiction and anyone who has dealt with a person they love with this problem totally understands!!!! If not you just dont get it.

  16. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 24th 2010 !⃝

    They don't wrap the balloon around am arm, it's packaged in a balloon.

    Robby's wife didn't die, if the song truly is about her (John says he'll never tell who it's about), because he's only been married once and his wife is alive and well.

    But at any rate, this song is about someone close to John and Robby who was a mess because of heroin.

  17. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 2nd 2009 !⃝

    I think it's about abortion

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
‹ prev 123



More Goo Goo Dolls songs »


 


Latest Articles

 


Submit Your Interpretation

[ want a different song? ]




Blog posts mentioning Goo Goo Dolls

Just Posted

Steve's Going to London anonymous
Yes I'm A Mess anonymous
Droppin' Plates anonymous
Rat anonymous
Cry for the Moon anonymous
And the Snakes Start to Sing anonymous
Gingerbread Man anonymous
Not Like the Movies anonymous
This Masquerade anonymous
Birthday Suit anonymous
Dollhouse anonymous
Death anonymous
Copy Cat anonymous
I Hate Jimmy Page anonymous
I Hate Jimmy Page anonymous

(We won't give out your email)