What Do You Need?

Album: Gutterflower (2002)
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Songfacts®:

  • On this dark and grungy guitar track, lead Goo Johnny Rzeznik's relationship is falling apart and he's frustrated that his partner won't be upfront about her needs. He told Billboard: "This is about when you're in a relationship with someone, and it feels like you have to be a mind reader, and that's so unfair."
  • During the making of the album, Rzeznik was getting back into the dating pool after his divorce (an experience he detailed on "Think About Me"). The track could be about his failed marriage or a tenuous new relationship.
  • Communication isn't a new theme in the band's oeuvre. Says Goo bassist Robby Takac: "A failure to communicate is in general what we've been writing about for 15 years."

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