Name (song)
Encyclopedia
"Name" is the title of a song recorded by the Goo Goo Dolls
. It was released in September 1995 as the third single from the album, A Boy Named Goo
. The song, the band's first hit, topped both the US Modern Rock chart and the US Album Rock chart, and reached as high as number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100
. Until the release of the Dizzy Up the Girl
album three years later, "Name" was by far the band's most popular and well known song.
The band re-recorded this song for their compilation album, Greatest Hits Volume One: The Singles
. The new version is much more raw with a very stripped down production compared to the original 1995 recording.
According to lead singer Johnny Rzeznik
it happened "quite accidentally". Rzeznik explained how he came up with the songs' unusual tuning, D-A-D-A-A-E, while performing at a KFOG private radio show on November 1998. "It was weird, I was just sitting on my couch randomly twisting the tuning pegs, and I couldn't figure out what notes the guitar was tuned to, so I had to grab my tuner to find out, and then I jotted them down on a post it
." Rzeznik then proceeded to say "I just sat there and let my fingers play the fretboard openly, and that is what became the progression of 'Name'."
The song's lyrics refer to Rzeznik's sisters who raised him; both his parents died when he was young and his father was an alcoholic. The line, "We're grown up orphans who never knew their names" reflects his past, but Rzeznik also claimed "I wrote this song about feeling like I was wasting time, and my life; just wasting everything, and this song is what came out of it."
Goo Goo Dolls
The Goo Goo Dolls are a Grammy-nominated American rock band formed in 1986 in Buffalo, New York, by vocalist and guitarist John Rzeznik and vocalist and bass guitarist Robby Takac. Since the end of 1994, Mike Malinin has been the band's drummer, a position previously held by George Tutuska...
. It was released in September 1995 as the third single from the album, A Boy Named Goo
A Boy Named Goo
A Boy Named Goo, sometimes referred to as ABNG, is the fifth studio album by the Goo Goo Dolls, released in 1995 on Warner Brothers.-History:...
. The song, the band's first hit, topped both the US Modern Rock chart and the US Album Rock chart, and reached as high as number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Until the release of the Dizzy Up the Girl
Dizzy Up the Girl
Dizzy Up the Girl is the sixth album by Goo Goo Dolls, released in 1998.-History:In most parts of the world, Dizzy Up the Girl is the Goo Goo Dolls' most successful album to date, selling over 3 million copies...
album three years later, "Name" was by far the band's most popular and well known song.
The band re-recorded this song for their compilation album, Greatest Hits Volume One: The Singles
Greatest Hits Volume One: The Singles
Greatest Hits Volume One: The Singles is the eleventh album by The Goo Goo Dolls and is a greatest hits album containing fourteen previously released tracks, including their newest, "Before It's Too Late", from the Transformers motion picture. The album also contains a newly recorded version of...
. The new version is much more raw with a very stripped down production compared to the original 1995 recording.
Song composition
Considered an Alternative group prior to the single's release, "Name" crossed over to Pop and Adult Contemporary radio, greatly increasing the band's fan base, but alienating some core listeners who were used to their harder sound.According to lead singer Johnny Rzeznik
Johnny Rzeznik
John Joseph Theodore Rzeznik , also known as Johnny Rzeznik, is an American songwriter, guitarist, vocalist and producer...
it happened "quite accidentally". Rzeznik explained how he came up with the songs' unusual tuning, D-A-D-A-A-E, while performing at a KFOG private radio show on November 1998. "It was weird, I was just sitting on my couch randomly twisting the tuning pegs, and I couldn't figure out what notes the guitar was tuned to, so I had to grab my tuner to find out, and then I jotted them down on a post it
Post-it note
A Post-it note is a piece of stationery with a re-adherable strip of adhesive on the back, designed for temporarily attaching notes to documents and other surfaces. Although now available in a wide range of colours, shapes, and sizes, Post-it notes are most commonly a square, canary yellow in colour...
." Rzeznik then proceeded to say "I just sat there and let my fingers play the fretboard openly, and that is what became the progression of 'Name'."
The song's lyrics refer to Rzeznik's sisters who raised him; both his parents died when he was young and his father was an alcoholic. The line, "We're grown up orphans who never knew their names" reflects his past, but Rzeznik also claimed "I wrote this song about feeling like I was wasting time, and my life; just wasting everything, and this song is what came out of it."
Peak positions
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Singles Chart |
2 |
| Canadian RPM Alternative 30 Canadian rock/alternative chart The Canadian rock/alternative chart was first published on June 11, 1995 by RPM magazine under the name Alternative 30. The song which held the number-one spot on this first chart was "More Human than Human" by White Zombie... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 | 2 |
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 43 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
5 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1996) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart | 24 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 24 |
See also
- List of number-one mainstream rock hits (United States)
- Number one modern rock hits of 1995Number one modern rock hits of 1995The following is a comprehensive list of hits that reached number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, published by Billboard magazine. In 1995, there were 15 hits that reached peak position, in 52 issues of the magazine....
- List of RPM Rock/Alternative number-one singles (Canada)