Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” (the definitive soundtrack of the 1998 romantic fantasy drama film City of Angels, and one of the biggest hit ballads of the 1990s) was revived twice in recent years. Firstly, it was featured in Deadpool & Wolverine (a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Five released in 2024), and then this year in a 90s viral meme (mainly on Instagram), where people who lived in that decade were asked what it was like, and then they responded with montages of photos and videos from that era.
Honestly, “Iris” being reintroduced to the younger generation made me grin ear to ear. It was one of the first love songs that truly moved me because it speaks about wanting to be seen at your most vulnerable, and even if I cover myself in darkness at times, at the end of the day, I just want to be seen. In fact, a few years before I became The Deranged Writer, my very first blog was titled after one of the lines from “Iris”. I will leave it to you what that line is.
Meanwhile, it also hurts to hear “Iris” because it reminds me of a simple gift from Lyra, one of my first best friends, and someone I lost touch with. One time, we exchanged mix CDs (we lived in an era where digital playlists were nonexistent), and her tracklist had “Iris” on it. As I mentioned before in The Diary, I easily remember ghosts from the past even through songs, so whenever I hear “Iris”, I feel an annoying sting that reminds me of a near-stranger. So, I’m glad that Marvel Studios softened that sting when they released Deadpool & Wolverine with “Iris” on the soundtrack; now I remember the mix CD and the rated-R comedy film.
The emotionally exposing lyrics, the sting of an old memory, and a superhero movie’s softening of the sting are the reasons “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls is my Song of the Moment.
Anyway, onto the 90s meme.
What is it like to be in the 1990s, Dewey?
My answer: I was born in that decade, I went through grade school, and I became fascinated with superheroes, music, and professional wrestling. Those interests of mine molded me into the man that I am today. That’s about it.
And no, I don’t have a video for the meme.
See you in the next post.
Header image: Alexander Ugolkov of Pexels. Edited in Adobe Photoshop 2025.
The Diary of The Deranged Writer 