what is the actual meaning of the song iris by the goo goo dolls?

Hi davis4343,

Since I can't verify that this is the true meaning of the song, I'm
posting this information as a comment. If you believe this suffices as
an answer to your question, let me know and I will post is as the
answer.

Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls
Song Facts:

*Lead singer Johnny Rzeznik wrote this. He had a terrible case of
writer's block before coming up with this. He even went to a
psychiatrist for help.
*This is about a person with an invisible identity who no one
understands. Then, he finds true love. He wants his true love to know
that he exists and that she is the only person in the world who can
understand and love him - hence the last line, "I just want you to
know who I am." The title means this is how I see you and me and
everyone. (thanks, Britney - Calabasas, CA)
*This was featured in the Nicolas Cage movie City Of Angels. 
*This was nominated for Grammys in the categories Song Of The Year,
Record Of The Near, and Best Pop Performance By Duo Or Group. It
didn't win any of them.
*One of the instruments used is a mandolin. 
*The Goo Goo Dolls performed this in Madison Square Garden as part of
the "Concert For New York" to raise money for victims of the 2001
terrorist attacks.

This, and various interpretations of the song, can be found here:
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=660&


More comments and interpretations:
http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=1233&offset=0&page=1


Best regards,
Rainbow

Just my personal opinion (but what are song meanings?):

He admires her from afar. He can't be with her, can't touch her, she
may or may not even know he's alive (he feels that she does, though).
It's all very Romeo-and-Juliet/Forbidden-Love, if you come at it from
that angle. Think about Romeo, at the ball, at Juliet's home. He sees
her across the room, and these are his thoughts in an instant. "I
don't want to go home right now." If he can just introduce himself,
just speak to her, that's all it would take. Of course, if these are
split second thoughts, he would have no idea about the future, the
things that would happen, but he makes the decision then and there to
give it all up (to die, as he does) in that instant. "I'd give up
forever to touch you."

Again, just my opinion, but this is the comments section and this is
an ambiguous sort of question.

Whether as a result of this turmoil or not, as the Goo Goo Dolls
approached the making of their next album, Rzeznik found himself in
the throes of a writer's block. The problem lifted, however, when the
band's management company (who is also involved in film work) asked
the Goos' frontman to write a song for an upcoming movie, titled City
of Angels. After attending a screening of the film, Rzeznik went home
and came up with the poignant ballad, "Iris." (Incidentally, the title
of the song ? though not the song itself ? was inspired by country
singer Iris DeMent.)

http://www.shenessex.heartland.net/local/scs/shs/students/work/1999-2000/Term2/McNew/goo.html