Album: Dizzy Up The Girl (1998)
Charted: 108
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • After their first blush of success with their previous album, A Boy Named Goo, which featured their first major hit, "Name," the Buffalo, New York-based Goo Goo Dolls found themselves adjusting to life in Los Angeles' fast lane. For lead singer Johnny Rzeznik, that meant hanging out with a girl who was a lot of fun, but also "toxic and dangerous." She inspired him to write "Dizzy," an affectionate tribute to a girl who has all the wrong qualities.
  • This was the third single from the Dizzy Up The Girl album. Although it didn't reach the heights of the hits "Iris" and "Slide," it did manage a #13 entry on the Mainstream Rock chart.
  • The action-packed music video, directed by Nancy Bardawil, finds the band on the run from sinister enemies. The shoot was on Rzeznik's birthday, and he recalls renting two vintage Mustangs that were used in the car chase scene, trashing them, and then returning them to the lot. At least he remembered to insure them beforehand. The female lead is Shannyn Sossamon, who went on to star in A Knight's Tale with Heath Ledger a few years later. Sossamon can also be spotted in videos for Cher's "Strong Enough" and Korn's "Make Me Bad."
  • This was used on the TV show 7th Heaven in the 2000 episode "Losers."
  • In the song's behind-the-track commentary video, Rzeznik and bassist Robby Takac said it took them a lot of time and experimentation with different machinery to achieve the square-wave tremolo on the guitar, which produces a fast-and-choppy effect.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Experience Nirvana with Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt

Experience Nirvana with Sub Pop Founder Bruce PavittSong Writing

The man who ran Nirvana's first label gets beyond the sensationalism (drugs, Courtney) to discuss their musical and cultural triumphs in the years before Nevermind.

Loreena McKennitt

Loreena McKennittSongwriter Interviews

The Celtic music maker Loreena McKennitt on finding musical inspiration, the "New Age" label, and working on the movie Tinker Bell.

Chris Squire of Yes

Chris Squire of YesSongwriter Interviews

One of the most dynamic bass player/songwriters of his time, Chris is the only member of Yes who has been with the band since they formed in 1968.

Actors With Hit Songs

Actors With Hit SongsMusic Quiz

Many actors have attempted music, but only a few have managed a hit. Do you know which of these thespians charted?

Macabre Mother Goose: The Dark Side of Children's Songs

Macabre Mother Goose: The Dark Side of Children's SongsSong Writing

"London Bridge," "Ring Around the Rosie" and "It's Raining, It's Pouring" are just a few examples of shockingly morbid children's songs.

Song Titles That Inspired Movies

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.