“Broadway” by Goo Goo Dolls
John Rzeznik composed “Broadway” about his hometown of Buffalo, New York, with Broadway being the main street running through the ‘hood. And the lyrics are nostalgic in nature. Or perhaps we should say they are historical in nature as his critiques also are a mix of his past recollections combined with his present observations. And yes, it can be easily deemed that he doesn’t think too fondly of the place he grew up. More specifically, it can also be said that he perceives the setting itself as being depressing. He also perceives the people to be hypocritical, redundant and lacking in direction.
And putting all of these sentiments together, the conclusion is that the singer is happy to no longer be a resident of Broadway. But that being said, Rzeznik has stated in response to this song that he appreciates having grown up in the Buffalo, at least concerning the way the ‘hood used to be.
Facts about “Broadway”
“Broadway” was primarily composed by Rzeznik. And the entire band produced the tune with Rob Cavallo.
This track is the final single from the band’s album entitled “Dizzy Up the Girl”. It originally came out with the rest of the album in 1998.
“Broadway” was a top-40 hit on the Hot 100. And internationally it also charted in a handful of other countries outside of the US.
The music video to this track was directed by Nancy Bardawill. The guitar which Rzeznik utilized in the clip ended up selling (at a charity event) for almost $20,000.
