It’s 1998, your pager is probably clipped to your belt, Titanic is everywhere, and The Goo Goo Dolls are asking us to “Slide.”
This jangly little earworm sounds like a breezy love song—but surprise! The lyrics are actually about two teenagers dealing with an unplanned pregnancy and some seriously grown-up decisions. John Rzeznik has said the story was inspired by the rigid, conservative Catholic environment he grew up around on Buffalo’s East Side.
“Slide” was written by Rzeznik and became one of the Goo Goo Dolls’ biggest hits from their 1998 album Dizzy Up the Girl.
The “May” in the song? Not a real person. Rzeznik admitted the name simply popped into his head in the studio. So, somewhere out there, May can finally stop taking credit—or blame.
And the music video has its own strange little footnote: while filming, the actress Rzeznik was whispering to unexpectedly slapped him across the face. He said he hadn’t even said anything offensive. Apparently, method acting comes with hands.
And perhaps the biggest trick “Slide” pulled off? It sounds incredibly upbeat while telling a pretty heavy story. Rzeznik has said that’s exactly what he liked about it.
So crank it up, turn back the clock to 1998, and enjoy a song that somehow made complicated teenage drama sound like the perfect soundtrack for driving around town with the windows down.
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