Anya was born in Ann Arbor, Mich., and grew up in the Silicon Valley area of California as a capricious child with Russian-Agnostic/Irish-Catholic professor parents (psychology and russian literature/math) and a younger sister. After finishing high school, Anya moved to Los Angeles as an aspiring actress. With stints in the British American Drama Academy (taught by Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach) and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, Anya has also acted in television and film (in 2001, she starred in the feature film, 100 Girls). She eventually moved back home to earn a college degree in English and writing at Santa Clara University. She continued to struggle as an artist -- working in acting, musical theatre, music, improv and comedy -- but eventually found a job as a radio DJ on KSCU, Santa Clara University's college station.
After graduating, Anya took a radio station job in San Diego with Mike Halloran at XHRM-FM (92.5). After the station was bought out by another corporation, Halloran hired Anya at Y107 in Los Angeles before they both moved to Premium Radio 92/1 in San Diego's North County. After leaving that station, both disc jockeys landed at FM94/9.
It was in San Diego that Anya played her first open mic night and began to write her own songs. She quickly developed a live stage act using what she learned as an actress, comic and impressionist. Her recorded debut was a five-song EP called Exercises in Racketeering, which eventually led to a full-length album, Miss Halfway, which was released in early 2005. Anya subsequently opened for such artists as Jason Mraz and Rhett Miller. She was named one of the "Best Unsigned" acts by San Diego CityBeat.
The songs on Miss Halfway talk about her upbringing, ex-boyfriends and all the after-effects. Anya's album was also produced by Scott Russo, the frontman for rockers Unwritten Law, along with Peter King from The Surfers. The record eventually earned a San Diego Music Award for Best Recording. The title track also landed on Grey's Anatomy and was featured as the fifth song on the second Grey's Anatomy (soundtrack) disc along with The Fray, KT Tunstall, Gomez and Snow Patrol.
The internet radio station KGRL featured her as their Flower-Powered Artist for March of 2007. The feature includes an exclusive interview, CD Review of Miss Halfway, and an on-demand audio stream of an unreleased Anya Marina track titled "Try It And Like It."
Heart Stops
Anya Marina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I fell in love with everything
The stars, the sea, the moon
I had it all
I had it all when everything
The stars, the sea, the moon disappeared
How could the one
The one you held so dear
Just up and disappear?
Now you're nowhere near
The sea, the moon
You're in the air I breathe
It's like you're haunting me
Lights went out, check the sun
Nobody's heart stops beating just for fun
Check your pulse, check your life, check the time
Doctor's in, jury's out
I swear that his heart stopped beating, check it out
Shoot it up, make it tick, make him mine
I was in love
I was in love with everything
The stars, the sea, the moon
But then you disappeared
The sea, the moon
And now you're nowhere near
The sea, the moon
You're in the air I breathe
The sea, the moon
It's like you're haunting me
Like you're taunting
me
The song Heart Stops by Anya Marina is a song about falling in love and losing that love unexpectedly. The song begins with the singer saying that she was in love with everything, the stars, the sea, and the moon. She had it all, but then her love disappeared, and now she feels haunted by his memory. She cannot shake his presence, and she feels as though he is haunting her. She then questions how someone who was so dear to her could just up and disappear as if he was never really there.
As the song progresses, the singer refers to the heart stopping several times. She repeats the lines "check the sun, nobody's heart stops beating just for fun" and "doctor's in, jury's out, I swear that his heart stopped beating, check it out." These lines are metaphors for the pain that the singer is experiencing, possibly the pain of a broken heart or the pain of losing someone she loves. She wants to make his heart beat again, make him hers, even if it means injecting him with something to make his heart start beating again.
The overall meaning of the song is about the pain of losing someone that the singer loved deeply. She is haunted by his memory, and she wants to make him hers again, even if it means doing something drastic like injecting him with something to make his heart beat again. The heart stopping is a metaphor for the pain that the singer is experiencing, and the song is about trying to overcome that pain and hold onto the memories of the love that she once had.
Line by Line Meaning
I fell in love
I fell in love with the beauty of the world and everything in it.
I fell in love with everything
I was in love with the entire universe and all its wonders.
The stars, the sea, the moon
I was captivated by the celestial bodies and the vast ocean.
I had it all
I had everything I ever wanted.
I had it all when everything
I lost everything when the stars, sea, and moon disappeared.
The stars, the sea, the moon disappeared
The very things I loved and admired were gone.
How could the one
How could the one person who meant the world to me
How could the one
disappear so suddenly and leave me in pain?
The one you held so dear
The one person who you cherished the most.
Now you're nowhere near
Now you're far away and out of reach.
You're in the air I breathe
You're always on my mind and part of my every breath.
It's like you're haunting me
I can't escape these constant thoughts of you.
Lights went out, check the sun
Everything was dark and hopeless, but there may still be hope.
Nobody's heart stops beating just for fun
Heartache is not a game, it's a serious matter.
Check your pulse, check your life, check the time
Take stock of your life and consider your options.
Doctor's in, jury's out
Seek help and support, but there may be no clear answer.
I swear that his heart stopped beating, check it out
I'm certain that my heart is broken and I need confirmation.
Shoot it up, make it tick, make him mine
Try everything to fix the problem and win back their heart.
But then you disappeared
But then you left me all alone.
It's like you're haunting me
I can't escape these constant thoughts of you.
Like you're taunting
It feels like you're teasing me with the memory of what we had.
Contributed by Nora J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.