What does Iris mean?

Goo Goo Dolls: Iris Meaning

Album cover for Iris album cover

Song Released: 1998


Get "Iris" on MP3: Get MP3 from iTunes

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
    click a star to vote
    May 11th 2007 !⃝

    I've commented here before but geez, like 9 years down the road and this song, it's just so scary when I sometimes think about it. I mean seriously I want that Psychiatrist's number if Johnny can write art like that.

  2. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 29th 2007 !⃝

    This song is the best love song ever and I think if you watch cit of angels the song will explain itself however I think it does have a deeper meaning because it's about how you first feel when you find the person you know your supposed to be with. I think the word Iris refers to a part of the eye and it symbolises that maybe its that part of your eyes that sees the good stuff. In the movie she only sees him when he wants to be seen.

  3. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 28th 2007 !⃝

    When I heard the song, I thought it was beautiful, but I didn't really get it..but when I saw the music video, I realized it was about a guy who admires a girl from afar and wishes they could be together <3 the gay theory is pretty interesting though.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 8th 2007 !⃝

    I am very pissed... K the fact is that this song is still played on radio stations and everyone knows it and crap, yet even when it's been played again and again, like none of the channels over here have even tried to play City of Angels, I mean I feel like I'm going insane because it's like the movie never existed or something and I know that movie has some of the answers I need... Just a matter of finding it!

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 3rd 2007 !⃝

    I actually have this song on my myspace page and I absolutely love it.
    i really like this wonderful special woman and I'm always dropping subtle hints and this is a perfect one!
    I love this song. people are entitled to their beliefs about their interpretation of this song. So I totally understand.
    just my two cents

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 20th 2007 !⃝

    hey hoo ever iz goin on and commenting about songs under anonymous...shut the fuck up about gay lovers in this song shut the fuck up about greek goddesses and get a grip man...johnny dusnt tlk about homos

    l8er

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 14th 2007 !⃝

    He is in love simple as that. Its a secret crush and he hasn't told anybody about it because he is scared.

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 12th 2007 !⃝

    This is one of the greatest songs of all time, even if it is for a movie. The lyrics in the song are amazing.
    *Your the closest to heaven, that I'll ever be*
    amazing.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 2nd 2007 !⃝

    This song is about eyeballs
    Iris: the colored part of the eye; partly responsible for regulating the amount of light permitted to enter the eye.

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 29th 2007 !⃝

    Okay, I know that this is for the movie, but before I knew, I had a really good idea for what I thought it might mean.
    Okay, well, if you are familiar with the song "Every Breath You Take" by The Police/Sting, or even "Snow White Queen" by Evanescence, both of those songs are written/partly-written in the point of view of a stalker.
    Here's how I say that "Iris" sounds like it could be the same.
    -----
    ((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))
    It sounds like the stalker wants to be able to talk to the person for once, but feels in a way that she/he can feel them somehow.

    ((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))
    This part is just about the stalker loving said person.

    ((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/She doesn't want to be found out as a stalker because they don't think people would understand their love for the person. Also, they want the person to know that they are loved(by the singer/stalker).

    ((And you can’t fight the tears that ain’t
    Coming
    Or the moment of truth in your lies
    When everything feels like the movies
    Yeah you bleed just to know you’re alive))
    Just talking about how the stalker watches different events in the person's life.

    ((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

    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

    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))
    Same as before.

    ((I just want you to know who I am
    I just want you to know who I am
    I just want you to know who I am ))
    Again, just wants to person to know that they are loved.
    --------
    Call it stupid, call it totally off, but before I knew it was for a movie, I thought this was a pretty good idea.

  11. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 23rd 2007 !⃝

    A guy and a girl - completely in love. Long story short, they break up - but they're both still in love with the other. Years later, they've both got jobs, lives but they're still thinking of one another.
    "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'd leave everything I've got, everything I've done if I could be with you. I know that you're still thinking of me. Because you're not there, I don't want to go home to an empty house, an empty life.
    "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" I keep re-living one special moment of our time together. I know nothing lasts forever, but it's dark and late - but all I can think of is calling you.
    "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" I can't tell my friends about this - they'd tell me to get over it - and believe me I've tried. In an imperfect world,, when everyone around you is lying, I want to show you that I'm not who I was when I was 14.
    "And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
    Or the moment of truth in your lies
    When everything feels like the movies
    And you bleed just to know you're alive" I can't cry anymore tears for you - it was too hard to stop last time and if I start again, I'll be swept away on a sea of grief. And because I'm comparing everyone I meet to you, it all seems so pointless. I struggle harder and harder, going further and further extremes to find someone like you.

    "I just want you to know who I am" We've grown up - I'm different now, and so are you. But I wonder so often whether we'd still fit together like we used to.

  12. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 13th 2007 !⃝

    Its an AWESOME song made about the movie 'city of angels' and is soooo not about gay people. End of story. LOVE RULES!!

  13. mykcarlson
    click a star to vote
    Dec 2nd 2006 !⃝

    This is a great song! In all forms! From an interview that I had watched it was written for City of Angels and the titled name "iris" was just something the guys threw at it after reading a newspaper about a local artist named "Iris" and and thought it would be clever to name the song "iris" The guys laughed a little about it and named it "iris" you can see this interview on the CD USA concert they did on DirecTV. Also at youtube! I hope that cleared up the name of the song.

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 1st 2006 !⃝

    I always thought that iris was just a girls name and that the song was manufactured just for "city of angels".

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Sep 12th 2006 !⃝

    I liked all these interpretations but wish you wouldnt argue over them :(

    for me the line "you're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be" is because you have given up your belief in sex before marriage to give yourself away to this person (iris, I guess) and now think that you won't reach heaven because of it... So the phyisical love with this person is the closest you're gonna get. I'm sure that's not what he meant but that's how I interpret it

    and the line "you bleed just to know you're alive" I think is about the city of angels stuff but I think it's hinting at self-harm as well

    and just because people didn't buy the 'gay' interpretation doesn't mean they're homophobes

    overall I just think it's about a guy in love and he's worried cause all good things come to en end.

    And how often have you felt the words "I just don't want to miss you tonight"? Great line.




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)