Name

Alright, here goes. Let me start out by saying that this is one of my favorite songs of all time. This commentary is going to be difficult, but I am going to go ahead with it anyway because the song and the difficulty there is in penetrating it, merits my input. We must approach this song with a certain knowledge about who Johnny Rzeznik is as a song writer. He can be vague, obscure and subtle, but there are also multiple overlapping layers, meanings, and messages in his songs. Keep this in mind, because the song as a piece of art is not always linear or even about the same topic or issue at all times. He can even jump from one allusion to the next in mid sentence. This is a song that speaks to a whole generation of kids who grew up in the nineties, especially in the Rust Belt. The milieu of the song is light, heart wrenching, depressing, and tragic. Everybody who knows this song, and who can really hear it, gains a feeling of nostalgia from listening to it. You all know what I'm talking about... Everybody understands the first verse. This is Johnny talking to himself or to anyone human being about dreams deferred. This is a philosophical insight. He's saying that he can't "turn away" from the things he lost, the dreams that were never accomplished, and the memories born in those difficult days, and the unfortunate mistakes we all make in life. He's trying to move forward, to take a stand, to gain notoriety, to make an impact on the world. Incidentally, or maybe not so incidentally, that's exactly what "Name" does for the Goo Goo Dolls. It puts them on the map. That's what this song is about. It overcomes him with sorrow. He can't get on with life... Who can't relate to that? Part of the difficulty in interpreting this song, is understanding the meaning of the term "name". What does he mean by "name"? Well, I think he means two things: "name" in its traditional sense, as just one's name, and finally name as in identity, or who a person is in a more essential sense. The song now transitions into “scars” one “never loses”. This gives you insight into the song writer's psyche, into what he thinks creates a person. Johnny was on his way to stardom when he wrote this song and he knew it. What he's really saying here is that he'll never reveal the secrets and private moments of those he cares about, the things that really give us identity, i.e. our “names”. He will keep his priorities straight and protect those he loves. He'll never reveal their names... literally and figuratively. He won't reveal their actual names or their deeper identities. He may even dress up the truth in vague language. This may be symbolism of symbolism... We can all relate to this. This kind of alienation, the deferment of dreams, and trying to put ideals before our interests; trying to put people in front of fame or success. It becomes clear to me again though that he's not just speaking to his family members with whom he lost his parents early, that he had to struggle to survive with, who he had to grow with, who he had to build his own identity with and whose identities and names he helped build. He makes multiple references, to many ideas, and to many people in one song, as I said. The final line of good songs often refers to deeper forms of love and desire. It seems he's also talking about some girl here, some lost lover, who he will always shelter, protect and put first. He's telling her he'll always love her, and that she can always “come back down” from that lonely place she is. It's interesting to think that he may know this is his breakthrough song while he's writing it, a song that speaks to a generation of alienated listeners. “You grow up way too fast, and now there's nothing to believe... A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio...” Johnny finds his inspiration here. He is going to replace that “tired song” with a song of his own, something novel, something beautiful. He's foretelling the future here in a way. And if he's successful, through lyrics and music to which we can relate, he'll pull us from our desperation and alienation and the grim reality of our lives in this cynical, postmodern world, and give us something “to believe” in.