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."
Miss Halfway
Anya Marina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You oughtta fear her pretty, pretty mouth
Says I'm imperfect in every way
Miss Almost, Miss Maybe, Miss Halfway
All my friends in L.A.
Got jobs on Melrose Place
I play replacement songs and sigh
You oughtta hear the things I've been thinking
You oughtta swim in a heart that is sinking
You try to break me with all the things you say
Miss Almost, Miss Maybe, Miss Halfway
Tony makes sixty K
Invests in IRA's
But I'm busy making paper airplanes
Out of resumes
But I'm gonna burn I'm gonna shine and multiply
I'm gonna fill up the great divide
You'll never break me with all the things you say
Miss Almost, Miss Maybe, Miss Halfway
I'm gonna burn a pie now and then
And I'm gonna say the wrong things to your friends
I'm gonna burn and shine and multiply
And when I do, you're gonna see me in her eyes
I'm gonna burn and shine and multiply
I'm gonna fill up the great divide
You'll never break me with all the things you say
Miss Almost, Miss Maybe, Miss Halfway
Miss Almost, Miss Maybe, Miss Halfway
Miss Halfway, Miss Halfway, Miss Halfway
In this song, Anya Marina is singing about her own insecurities and imperfections. She mentions a mirror in her house that she fears because it tells her she's imperfect. She goes on to describe herself as Miss Almost, Miss Maybe, Miss Halfway.
She contrasts herself with her friends in LA who have jobs on Melrose Place while she's playing replacement songs and working as a waitress. She's critical of her own thoughts and emotions and says that her heart is sinking. She acknowledges that others try to break her with their words, but she won't let them. She's determined to burn, shine, and multiply, to fill up the great divide, and to be seen for who she truly is.
The song speaks to the way we often hold ourselves back with negative self-talk, but it's also a celebration of the resilience and determination that can help us overcome those feelings. By embracing her imperfections, Anya Marina is able to rise above them and become the person she wants to be.
Line by Line Meaning
You oughtta hear the mirror in my house
The voice inside me, which reflects in the mirror at my house, often points out my imperfections.
You oughtta fear her pretty, pretty mouth
The voice inside me can be brutal and cruel; it can crush your confidence.
Says I'm imperfect in every way
The voice inside me continuously tells me that I am imperfect, and it drags me down.
Miss Almost, Miss Maybe, Miss Halfway
I am always undecided and stuck in halfway, where I am both almost there and almost not.
All my friends in L.A.
My friends in Los Angeles have been successful and have found some meaning in their lives.
Got jobs on Melrose Place
They work in a trendy place and pursue their dreams and passions.
I play replacement songs and sigh
I have to cover songs of other musicians, which I hate, and I am unhappy with my life.
A waitress in the sky
I am waiting for a call that could take me to a better place, a place as vast and unknowable as the sky.
You oughtta hear the things I've been thinking
I've been having negative thoughts, and they have been eating me up slowly.
You oughtta swim in a heart that is sinking
If you were me, you could feel the pain and hurt that I am going through, and you would feel how I am drowning in my troubles.
You try to break me with all the things you say
The people around me often criticize me, making me think less of myself and breaking my confidence.
Tony makes sixty K
My friend Tony earns significantly more than I do.
Invests in IRA's
He is clever and invests his money wisely while growing financially.
But I'm busy making paper airplanes
I am struggling to find employment and create something meaningful, so instead, I am making paper planes.
Out of resumes
I am running out of resumes to send out, and it seems like all companies reject me.
I'm gonna burn I'm gonna shine and multiply
My time will come, and I will work hard to flourish and succeed in everything I do.
I'm gonna fill up the great divide
I will accomplish goals and surpass others' expectations, bridging gaps between mediocre and great.
I'm gonna burn a pie now and then
I know I am not perfect and will make errors every so often.
And I'm gonna say the wrong things to your friends
I am not socially skilled and will screw up when communicating with others.
And when I do, you're gonna see me in her eyes
When I make mistakes, I still want people to see what is compelling about me.
Miss Halfway, Miss Halfway, Miss Halfway
I am weary of being stuck in half measures, and I want to feel complete in all that I do.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
alhaleem
I really really love her voice! Especially if I listen to her at night, her voice sounds so alive to me
dead poets
This song never fails to make me feel better. ❤️ Even though I fail sometimes, I'm still trying my best and that's all that matters. Thank you, Anya!
cho474chang
i love this song! thanks for putting it up!
endlesshore
"I'm gonna burn, I'm gonna shine and multiply" = I love these lines
Milena Dutra
"i miss you"
"i can't"
Hannah Kiefer
Milena Thirlwall the reason i'm here
Cheli ddl
i lovw this song, its so calm. love it!
VioletStarGirl11
I LOVE THIS SONG VANESSA!!!
Eunice Adjei
greys anatomy brought me here
Smith
Same here