The song "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls is about intense, transcendent love and the willingness to sacrifice everything for it. Written by lead singer John Rzeznik for the 1998 film City of Angels , the song reflects the movie’s plot where an immortal angel gives up his immortality to become human and experience love fully
. The lyrics express the longing to connect deeply with someone, to the point of giving up "forever" just to touch them. The song also explores themes of vulnerability and the pain of being truly alive—"bleeding just to know you're alive" symbolizes the angel's sacrifice of immortality to feel human emotions, including love and heartbreak
. Though the title "Iris" does not appear in the lyrics and no character by that name is in the film, the song has become a powerful anthem about love, sacrifice, and the bittersweet nature of mortality. It captures the idea that real heaven is found in human connection and love, despite the inevitable pain that comes with it
. In summary, "Iris" is about loving someone so deeply that you would give up everything, including immortality, to be with them and experience the full spectrum of human emotions
