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.
Love Should Be So Kind
Quarterflash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What's it gonna do, what's it gonna prove
To steal from one so blind?
Oh, love should be so kind
Love is easier to give at night
Nothing's in the light, nothing in a sight
Reveals the thief we hide
I felt this darkness
Over and over and over again
Around your heart
I felt its sharpness
Cutting and hiding the fears I've been trying
To bring to the light
You couldve picked a better time
What it's gonna do, what's it gonna prove
To steal from one so blind?
Oh, love should be so kind
Oh, love should be so kind
The lyrics of Quarterflash's song Love Should Be So Kind detail the pain that one experiences when betrayed by a lover. The chorus line "Oh, love should be so kind" serves as a lament for the failed relationship due to the partner's unkind actions. The opening line "You could have picked a better time" implies that the betrayal occurred during a particularly difficult time for the singer. The following lines "What's it gonna do, what's it gonna prove, To steal from one so blind?" suggest that they did not anticipate their lover's actions and were left feeling helpless and vulnerable.
The second verse reflects the idea that it is easier to hide one's true intentions in the cover of darkness. The line "Love is easier to give at night" implies that under the cloak of darkness, lovers tend to reveal aspects of themselves that they would not during the daylight. The next two lines "Nothing's in the light, nothing in a sight, Reveals the thief we hide" serve as a reminder that it is easy to hide one's true intentions and that love can deceive. The final lines "I felt its sharpness Cutting and hiding the fears I've been trying To bring to the light" describe the emotional pain of feeling betrayed and the sense that the singer's fears were being concealed from their partner.
Overall, the lyrics of Love Should Be So Kind are a reminder that love can be deceitful and that it should always strive to be kind and honest.
Line by Line Meaning
You could have picked a better time
It was the wrong timing to do what you did
What's it gonna do, what's it gonna prove
What purpose will it serve, what will it accomplish
To steal from one so blind?
To take advantage of someone who cannot see what you're doing
Oh, love should be so kind
Love should always be compassionate and benevolent
Love is easier to give at night
It's easier to give love in the dark when our flaws and insecurities are hidden
Nothing's in the light, nothing in a sight
What we see in the light isn't necessarily what we get
Reveals the thief we hide
Our true selves are revealed in the light, including the selfish tendencies we try to hide
I felt this darkness
I sensed a negative energy or attitude from you
Over and over and over again
Repeatedly, without end
Around your heart
In the depth of your emotions
I felt its sharpness
I experienced its cutting edge
Cutting and hiding the fears I've been trying
Making it hard for me to confront and overcome my fears
To bring to the light
To acknowledge and face them honestly and courageously
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MARVIN ROSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind