Focused was a hardcore punk band that w… Read Full Bio ↴Spirit-filled hardcore band.
Focused was a hardcore punk band that was based out of Long Beach, California in the United States. The band formed in 1990 with the lineup of Tim Mann on Vocals, John Schoettler on Guitars, Jeff Boetto on Guitars, Matt Archuleta on Bass and Al Christensen on Drums. Over the years, the lineup shifted several times, with Mann being the only constant.
Origins and Bow (1990-1993)
Focused began in 1990 with the lineup of Vocalist Tim Mann, Guitarists John Schoettler and Jeff Boetto, and Bassist Matt Archuleta. David Shoemaker filled in on Drums for the first show the band played before Al Christensen took over the position. Early on the band recorded two different demos, including Situation Within and Eternity's Gate.[1] In 1992, Boetto and Archuleta departed from the band, being replaced by Mike Merryman and Dirk Lemmenes respectively.
In 1993, Jason Parker joined the band as a fill-in Guitarist for Merryman, who was unable to make it to the show. Schoettler departed pretty soon afterward, with Parker joining alongside Merryman. The lineup consisting of Mann, Merryman, Parker, Lemmenes, and Christensen wrote and recorded their debut album, Bow, which came out through Tooth & Nail Records.
The Hope That Lies Within and breakup (1994-1996)
In 1994, the band again saw lineup changes, with Parker and Christensen both departing from the band. Andrew Reizuch joined the band as a Guitarist and Chris Bowden joined on Drums.[2] Now, in addition to Reizuch and Bowden, the band - along with Mann, Merryman, and Lemmenes - who had already grown to a high status in the scene, began to work on their sophomore release.
In 1995, the band recorded and released The Hope That Lies Within, which also came out through Tooth & Nail Records. In 1996, the band disbanded and went their separate ways.[2] Lemmenes went on to perform with a project called Stavesacre alongside former members of The Crucified, Chatterbox, Scaterd Few and The Blamed, while most of the others remained musically inactive.
Reunion EP, Second Reunion, and shows (2000-2009)
In 2000, Focused reunited with the best-known lineup of Mann, Merryman, Lemmenes, another former member as well as new Drummer Adam Valles. With the lineup, the band recorded an EP, which featured three tracks - "War", "Angels and Demons", and "Grace". The band broke up a year later in 2001. The EP was later released in 2008 through Indie Vision Music as a free MP3 download[3] and later again in 2016.[4] In 2009, the band reunited again with Mann, Merryman, Parker, Lemmenes, and former Project 86 Drummer Alex Albert to perform on a couple shows with Living Sacrifice and Demon Hunter.[5] Following the shows, there was a debate as to whether the band would play more shows or not, which were addressed in 2014. In 2019, Steadfast Records re-released Eternity's Gate as At Eternity's Gate, as well as a music video of old footage being released.
Blinded
Focused Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Felt like I was born
Into a new life but now I am on my own
It`s been a wild time
Didn`t see the sunshine
Now I just like to be on my own
Think I`ve been blinded
Didn`t realize me behind
Your game changed my feelings
And gave me new wings
Like a bird I was sailing
Through the waves I felt save
In your lovely arms
But I didn`t believe
What I got to give
For this emotional flight
You tried to shine on your light
On me made me blind
My head I couldn`t find my soul
Yeah, it`s been a nice dream
Didn`t wake up and I seem
Loosing my mind left all of my life behind
Couldn`t see clearly
Knocked out my brain nearly
Now I just like to be on my own
In "Blinded," Focused describes the aftermath of a relationship that left them feeling lost and confused. The lyrics begin with the singer reflecting on how the other person in the relationship made them feel alive but then left them alone. They describe how they were so focused on the other person that they didn't even notice who they were in the relationship.
The chorus of the song repeats that the singer was "blinded" by this person, meaning that they were so enamored with them that they couldn't see what was really happening. The other person's "game" changed the singer's feelings and gave them a new outlook on life. However, they eventually realized that they had been blinded by this person and didn't believe in themselves anymore. The singer compares themselves to a bird sailing on the waves in the other person's lovely arms, but eventually they lost track of their own head and soul.
The second verse describes how the singer was living in a nice dream in the relationship. However, they didn't wake up and ended up losing their mind and leaving all their life behind. The singer couldn't see clearly anymore and was knocked out mentally, leaving them with a desire to just be on their own.
Overall, "Blinded" is a powerful reflection on the aftermath of a relationship that left the singer feeling lost and disconnected from themselves. It's a reminder that loving someone else is important, but not at the expense of sacrificing one's own emotional wellbeing.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, you turned me on
You made me feel alive and excited
Felt like I was born
I felt like I was given a fresh start in life
Into a new life but now I am on my own
I was happy to embrace this new chapter in my life, but now I am alone
It`s been a wild time
It's been a crazy and unpredictable experience
Didn`t see the sunshine
I wasn't able to appreciate the good things in life
Now I just like to be on my own
I prefer to be alone and independent
Think I`ve been blinded
I believe that I have been misled
Didn`t realize me behind
I didn't recognize who I truly was
Your game changed my feelings
Your actions and behavior caused me to feel differently
And gave me new wings
I felt empowered and free because of you
Like a bird I was sailing
I felt like I was soaring through life
Through the waves I felt save
Despite life's ups and downs, I felt secure with you
In your lovely arms
I felt safe and protected with you
But I didn`t believe
I didn't have faith in myself
What I got to give
I didn't think I had anything valuable to offer
For this emotional flight
For this journey through my feelings
You tried to shine on your light
You tried to influence me with your own beliefs and opinions
On me made me blind
Your influence caused me to lose sight of what I really wanted and needed
My head I couldn`t find my soul
I was confused and couldn't connect with my inner self
Yeah, it`s been a nice dream
It has been a pleasant but unrealistic experience
Didn`t wake up and I seem
I didn't realize the truth of the situation
Loosing my mind left all of my life behind
I became so wrapped up in this experience that I forgot about everything else in my life
Couldn`t see clearly
I wasn't able to perceive the reality of the situation
Knocked out my brain nearly
I was overwhelmed and confused
Now I just like to be on my own
I have learned the importance of independence and self-reflection
Contributed by Hannah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.