What does Iris mean?

Goo Goo Dolls: Iris Meaning

Album cover for Iris album cover

Song Released: 1998


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Iris Lyrics

And I’d give up forever to touch you
'cause I know that you feel me somehow
You’re the closest to heaven that i’ll ever be
And I don’t want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
’cause...

  1. anonymous
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    Sep 15th 2010 !⃝

    All of these interpritations are right (except the gay parts), and i love this song, but i think you can interpet this song in whatever way seems to fit best for you. yes, the song was created for a purpose, but the word interpret means to understand in a certain way (yes, i looked it up), so this fits to any meaning you want it to. its all about how YOU understand it, not just how it was written. :D

  2. anonymous
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    Sep 10th 2010 !⃝

    I think the hardest part of this song is "the moment of truth in your lies." I've noticed a lot of people asking about it, but really I think it's quite simple. This love he's found is more pure and whole than anything he's ever experienced before. Every day lies in all shapes and forms surround us, but in this moment none of that matters. It's just him with her.
    This is the most beautiful song I've ever heard.

  3. anonymous
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    Aug 17th 2010 !⃝

    For me this song means a lot. The lyrics “I don’t want the world to see me because I don’t think that they’d understand” Means that he was committed to someone else, yet he loves another. If the world was to see him then they would judge that he is wrong for spending time with his love. And “I’d give up forever to touch you” I believe is talking about giving up a mirage just to be with someone. But this song is so deep that it could be interpreted in many different ways.

  4. anonymous
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    Jul 18th 2010 !⃝

    I personally feel that this song is about wanting what you can't have but wanting to believe it can be yours, in this case a guy singing about a girl. "I know that you feel me somehow"
    you'd give up anything to be close to having it "I'd give up forever to touch you"
    "I don't want the world to see me, cause I dot think that they'd understand" is about being rejected and slightly ashamed that you want this thing so badly, but you are embrassed about it.
    The line "you bleed just to know your alive" is about something going right and being happy about that, but your not sure if it's true or if you are dreaming. Anyway that's my idea. think what youwant.

  5. marcegomez
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    Jul 6th 2010 !⃝

    ((I wish I could inspire someone to write something like this for me)

    And I'd give up forever to touch you
    Cause I know that you feel me somehow
    You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
    And I don't want to go home right now
    *I think that when he gives up forever to touch her, he means that if he tells her what he feels for her (which is something she already senses) she won't be the same.
    By "you are the closest to heaven that I'll ever be" he means she is the best thing that has happened to him. And he doesn't wanna lose that, he doens't wanna leave her.

    And all I can taste is this moment
    And all I can breathe is your life
    Cause sooner or later it's over
    I just don't want to miss you tonight
    *Everything he can think about is being with her, everything he cares about is her. And he knows somethime it will be over, but just by being whit her that night, just with one simple night, he will be happy.

    And I don't want the world to see me
    Cause I don't think that they'd understand
    When everything's made to be broken
    I just want you to know who I am
    *he doesn't want the world to know what he his feeling, 'cause they won't understand him, they won't understand his feelings, and when there's nothing left to do, he just wants her to know who he really is, how he really feels.

    And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
    Or the moment of truth in your lies
    When everything seems like the movies
    Yeah you bleed just to know your alive
    *I think that by the first line he means that he can't solve the unexistent problems, or feel an unreal love.And the last ones mean that when you feel nothing is real, you do stupid things just to feel alive, just to feel happy.


    * I find this song amazing, how you don't care about the rest of the world, just that person. They can think whatever they want of me, but YOU are the important one, you are the only one I care about. As long as you love me, know me, and understand me...I can hide myself from the world.

  6. auntb_2011
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    Mar 7th 2010 !⃝

    I have heard that this song was made for the movie City of Angels, I personally hated that movie. But this is my most favorite song in the world. The love that he has for this woman is rare, just as for what love is. He said that he would give up forever to touch her, ( he would give up FOREVER, forever is a long time and not just anyone would do that for someone). This song always makes me speechless, and there is always that one person you would have to think about when you hear that song:)and I sure know who I think about.

  7. anonymous
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    Feb 23rd 2010 !⃝

    Well said Geo. I totally agree, there is always going ti be a story but songs can mean whatever you want them to mean.

  8. anonymous
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    Feb 21st 2010 !⃝

    You guys do know that John Rzeznik wrote this when he read about a cleaning lady who was murdered and no one gave or cared, so that she could be remembered. Guess what her name was? Yep, Iris. And the line "Can't fight the tears that ain't comin', or the moment of truth in your lies." means that you never know what will happen, like when yyou cry or the truth will just slip out.
    But you people who say it's about gays are off your rockers.

  9. anonymous
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    Feb 15th 2010 !⃝

    Sgaaaaaat, dit is you en mijn lied, ik hou van u
    sorry for this I come from Belgium and this is my girlfriend en me our song

    i think this one is about love that doesn't get understand by the rest of the world, or doesn't get taken serious.
    like: I don't want the world to see it, because I don't think that they understand. When everythings made to be broken I just want you to know who I am. It's also like the relation isn't very strong jet. The boy doesn't know or it's real love. but I think the writer of the song is a genius. I write songs by myself and its really difficult to do this

  10. kierra
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    Jan 23rd 2010 !⃝

    The song is called "Iris" because it's talking about iris of the eye. As for the meaning the answer is at the begging of the interpretations he/she pretty much sums up the meaning of this beautiful song the best.

  11. anonymous
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    Jan 11th 2010 !⃝

    the song was not written about gay love, but parts of the song's lyrics describe gay love that's why gays relate to the song.

  12. mutterman
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    Dec 10th 2009 !⃝

    He loves someone, and he wants her to know him for who he really is. It's too sensitive to share with the world, and he's afraid to let people in, so he's shy. But the moments he's with her are more important than the cost he has to pay, so it's worth it. The second verse is about it being impossible to prevent what's never going to happen, like tears that aren't coming or a truthful lie, and he's saying with the next lines that when life is perfect but repetetive and boring, it's the pain and loss that shows you're still alive, like he thinks that a perfect world is too monotonous, and it's failure that reminds you you're human and tat keeps life interesting.

  13. kierra
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    Nov 25th 2009 !⃝

    i though this song was about you don't want nobody to see you because your different.but you want the world to see you before you pass away.i don't know just my thought.ever since i heard it that's how i viewed the song.anyways this is one of my favorite sad songs.iris is a really beautiful and deep song.glad i got the true meaning of the song though.

  14. anonymous
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    Aug 6th 2009 !⃝

    I can't believe that nobody has mentioned this yet...
    the term IRIS or IRISING is a cinematography term for "closing in" or "focusing solely" on something.
    You know when you see a scene and it starts to fade to black except for a circle that remains focused on one thing specifically? That's irising!
    It makes sense to call the song Iris because it is Nic Cage focusing completely on Meg Ryan and figuring out how to keep that focus.
    If you watch the music video, you also see John Resznick in a tower, using telescopes to show the movie clips. These clips are iris clips.
    It's a clever spin on naming a song that was created solely for a movie! LoL!

  15. pinky1019
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    Jun 10th 2009 !⃝

    I know this song was written for the movie, City of Angels, but I have my own life story about this song. In 2001, I met a man, a man I started working with. On the day he started working with me, in 2001, I heard this song for the very first time. Something about it really caught my attention. He left working with me later that year and moved to another job. He called and asked me to accept a job where he was now working, which I did. On the day I started the new job, on the way to work, I heard this song again. I ended up leaving that job and going somewhere else a year later. I did not see this man until 2 years later, in Restaurant/Bar, and at the exact moment he saw me and I saw him, this song was playing in the bar. I really never connected him to this song, but after that night I did. I would listen to the lyrics over and over and I finally realized that I had a huge crush on this man, and the lyrics made perfect sense for my situation "I'd give up forever to touch you cause I know you feel me somehow, you're the closest to heaven I'll ever be and I don't want to go home right now." That's exactly how I felt toward him. To make a long story short, I ended up being single several years later and approached this man about my feelings for him and he denied he had any for me, which was fine, but I had to at least tell him about the legacy of Iris, which is still my favorite all time song, because if for no other reason, it perfectly decribes my life... Maybe when he hears it, he'll at least think of me. Thank you Goo Goo Dolls for producing such an awesome song = IRIS.




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