The music of Puzzled came about in response to the disintegration of Scary-Go-Round. The aggressive lyrics and tone are mostly inspired when vocalist Jim Sloan attempted to exclude Alexander from Scary-Go-Round’s vocal harmonies. “I owned the PA,” explains Alexander, “Although I had difficulty hearing harmonies, it felt good to sing and play. I felt closer to the music. I was willing to put in the effort, but eventually this issue just became a power struggle between Jim and I.” During Scary-Go-Round's last phase, Alexander stopped bringing his bass arrangements to SGR, keeping them for himself. He started adding his own lyrics and melody, and brought them to Marty Rosamond to add his percussive perspective.