Name Taken was an Emo/Pop Punk band from Orange County, California and form… Read Full Bio ↴Name Taken was an Emo/Pop Punk band from Orange County, California and formed while the group was still in high school. The main lineup included Chad Atkinson (Vocals/Bass), Ryan Edwards (Rhythm Guitar) and Blake Means (Lead Guitar). While they were active, they had three different drummers; Bret Meisenbach, Danny Valencia, and most recently, Juan Pereda, who did not perform on any records but played their live shows. Before embarking on a planned European tour, the band split up in 2005. On May 5th and 6th, 2007, they reformed shortly to play back-to-back shows at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, CA. Paul Riscalla, formerly of Dead Letter Diaries, played drums for the show. Both nights sold out. Despite playing some newly written songs, the shows were a one-time event and the band currently has no plans to continue. Atkinson and Means attended Cal State University at Fullerton while Edwards attended U.C. Berkeley.

In 2018, the band released a new song called "Blood and Bones."

In 2022, the band released “Nanking 2007 Home Demo”, which was originally recorded in 2007 and was performed at the reunion show.

The band's discography includes The Stupid Chad EP (Self-released), The Silent Game (Top Notch Records, 2001), Bayside/Name Taken split EP (Dying Wish Records, 2003), and Hold On (Fiddler Records, 2004).

Today
Name Taken Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Did you take me up this morning?
From underground where you left me
Your eyes leave me without recognition
Know that all the idle skies have been come to me who you used to be

Hold your Breath you know how long
To watch you care to forget you were wrong
Is it okay if i dont care anymore?

We all give up sometimes
And i guess that should be good enough for me

hope your seein more of yourself then
You were ready for
All the things that you are now
And how good things were before
And now you, you left us, and pushed us so far behind

Hold your Breath, You know how long
To watch you care to forget you were wrong?
Is it okay if i dont care anymore?
We all give up sometimes
And I guess that should be good enough for me

Why are you giving up?
Why wont you stand your ground?
I guess it comes to this
A friend, just a friend now

Hold your Breath, You know how long
To watch you care to forget you were wrong
Is it okay if i dont care anymore?

We all give up sometimes
And I guess that should be good enough for me

Overall Meaning

The song "Today" by Name Taken is about a shattered friendship that was not able to handle the struggles. The lyrics portray a feeling of being forgotten and left behind by someone who was once close. The singer pleads for recognition that they were once a friend and questions why it had to end the way it did. The first verse, "Did you take me up this morning? From underground where you left me," suggests that the singer has been emotionally abandoned by their friend, to the point of feeling buried underground. The line "Your eyes leave me without recognition" express how the singer feels unrecognized and undervalued.

The chorus, "Hold your Breath you know how long, to watch you care, to forget you were wrong, is it okay if I don't care anymore? We all give up sometimes, and I guess that should be good enough for me," reveals the singer's struggle to maintain the friendship, and describes the frustration of feeling, as if all their efforts had been in vain. The writer declares that giving up on this toxic relationship is the best decision for them. The line "We all give up sometimes, and I guess that should be good enough for me" conveys the message of acceptance in realizing that not all relationships work and it is okay to walk away, even if it is hard to do so.

Line by Line Meaning

Did you take me up this morning?
Did you uplift me from my low state today?

From underground where you left me
From the dark place where you abandoned me.

Your eyes leave me without recognition
Your gaze does not acknowledge me as the person you used to know.

Know that all the idle skies have been come to me who you used to be
Realize that I am now the person you used to be, who was lost in thought and contemplation.

Hold your Breath you know how long
Be patient, endure for as long as you can.

To watch you care to forget you were wrong
To observe you strive to forget your past mistakes.

Is it okay if i dont care anymore?
Would you accept my change in attitude if I no longer care?

We all give up sometimes
We all surrender to difficulties at times.

And i guess that should be good enough for me
I suppose that is sufficient for me to move on.

hope your seein more of yourself then
I hope you are discovering more about yourself now.

You were ready for
That you were prepared for earlier than expected.

All the things that you are now
Everything you have become.

And how good things were before
And how great things were in the past.

And now you, you left us, and pushed us so far behind
And now you are gone, leaving us far behind in your journey.

Why are you giving up?
Why are you surrendering?

Why wont you stand your ground?
Why won't you hold your position and fight?