Initially known as "Seafood Mama", the group gained a strong local following playing bars and nightclubs in Portland, Oregon. In the spring of 1980, Seafood Mama recorded Marv's new composition "Harden My Heart" on a private record label. The single received considerable airplay on Portland radio stations, and the band felt that they were ready for something more
Signed by a then young label, Geffen Records, the group released their first album, 'Quarterflash', in 1981. The label's marketing organization had urged getting rid of the "Seafood Mama" name, so they changed things. The new name supposedly came from an colloquial Australian reference to new immigrants as "one quarter flash and three parts foolish".
A new version of "Harden My Heart" was recorded and released; and rose to number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album reached number 8 on Billboard's Top Albums, and sold over a million copies, earning RIAA gold certification on February 5, 1982, and platinum status on June 29, 1982. Their follow-up single from the album, "Find Another Fool", reached #16.
Quarterflash released their second album, Take Another Picture, in 1983. It reached #34 on Billboard, and scored the single "Take Me to Heart", which reached #14. The group released their final album, Back Into Blue, in 1985. It peaked at #150 in Billboard, and group disbanded after getting dropped from their record label.
In 1991, Marv & Rindy Ross were awarded a commision by the state of Oregon to produce a stage musical based on diaries of migrants on the historic Oregon Trail. From that project came a nine disc collection of traditional Americana music, recorded as The Trail Band.
"Harden My Heart" still receives air play on "Classic" rock radio.
Eye to Eye
Quarterflash Lyrics
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Nothing much to see
Remember conversations
Between you and me
Forgot about the feeling
Forgot about the pain
Forgot about the hopeful nights
Calling again
Nobody's fault, nobody fooled
Ah, it's funny how things seem to slip away
From me and you...so I keep going
From eye to eye
Face to face
Moving oh so fast
Never getting any place
I keep going
Eye to eye
And face to face
Will I ever find you, will I ever find you?
Looking in a window
Nothing much to do
Almost feeling humble
Needing you
Most of my embraces
Don't hold on so tight
But after all, if I don't try
What will feel right?
Yes, it has to make me wonder-
I'm so alone and yet so free
Ah, it's funny how things seem to slip away
From you and me - still I keep going
From eye to eye
Face to face
Moving oh so fast
Never getting any place
I keep going
Eye to eye
And face to face
Will I ever find you, will I ever find you
The lyrics to Quarterflash's song "Eye to Eye" speak of a person stuck in a cycle of confusion and uncertainty in their personal relationships. The singer is standing in a doorway, remembering conversations with their significant other but feeling like they have forgotten "the feeling" and "the pain". They acknowledge that this might just be a natural result of the moment, with nobody being at fault, but they can't help but feel like things are slipping away from them. The singer is caught between wanting to move on and feeling like they should keep trying, from "eye to eye" and "face to face", but they can't seem to get anywhere. They are looking in a window, again feeling humbled and needing their significant other, but they acknowledge that most of their embraces haven't held on tight enough. The singer is alone but free and wonders if they will ever find their partner.
The song's message seems to center around the complexity and fragility of relationships, and the struggle to keep them going. The singer is caught between feeling like they need their partner and feeling like they are better off alone, but ultimately seems to be hoping that they will find a way back to each other. The repetition of the phrase "eye to eye" and "face to face" emphasizes the cyclical nature of the singer's feelings and actions, and the frustration in feeling like they can't make progress.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing in your doorway
I am physically present in front of you, standing at the entrance of your house.
Nothing much to see
There is nothing particularly interesting or captivating about the environment or situation around us.
Remember conversations
I recall some of the previous talks we've held, whether deep or casual.
Between you and me
The aforementioned dialogues transpired solely within a personal, intimate setting that encompassed just you and I.
Forgot about the feeling
I have managed to remove from my brain waves all the emotions that arose from our past interactions, either negative or positive.
Forgot about the pain
All the past hurt, both mental and emotional, has dissipated from my mind.
Forgot about the hopeful nights
I have pushed aside any optimistic fantasies about the prospective opportunities possible between you and me.
Calling again
Despite the aforementioned, I still harbor a desire to connect with you once more and am reaching out again.
Just a victim of the moment-
The temporary state of our current situation has rendered me incapable of making sound judgments, and I feel helpless in this circumstance.
Nobody's fault, nobody fooled
No particular individual is at fault for the outcome of our interactions, and no one has tried to deceive the other.
Ah, it's funny how things seem to slip away
I find it peculiar how what once seemed so primed with possibility can fizzle away with time.
From me and you...so I keep going
Despite the diminishing of what could have been a deeper relationship, I must continue my life journey and not dwell on the past.
From eye to eye
Moving through life, trying to connect, glancing from one face to another.
Face to face
Trying to connect with someone on a deeper level, focusing on the present moment with them.
Moving oh so fast
Time is moving quickly, and my attempts to connect with others seem rushed and in haste.
Never getting any place
All of my attempts to make meaningful connections with others seem to be in vain and not producing any necessary outcomes.
I keep going
Despite the doubts and disappointments that arise from interpersonal relationships, I must keep trying and persevering.
Eye to eye
Maintaining direct eye contact with someone, attempting to forge a deeper, meaningful relationship.
And face to face
Being completely present in the moment with the other person, focusing solely on the interaction at hand.
Will I ever find you, will I ever find you?
Despite the obstacles that happen in life, I will continue to search for a deeper connection with someone that is truly worthwhile and mutually beneficial.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARV ROSS, JACK CHARLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind