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."
You Are Invisible
Anya Marina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
It's not evil, but it's physical
Sometimes, it's like you are invisible
I got something I can never tell
It's not evil, but it's physical
Sometimes, it's like you are invisible
It's not something I would ever trade
Sometimes, it's like we are invincible
It's like the sound of a drone
Coming through a telescope
Like desire, all alone
Creeping through an open window
Inside the doorway in your quiet room
Outright doing what you gotta do
Sometimes, it's like you are invisible
Like when you were small
In the ice, playing with sticks and stones
Fuckin' around, didn't know
Fear from your little toe, oh, oh, oh...
When you were small...
In the ice...
Like when you were small
In the ice, playing with sticks and stones...
The lyrics of the song "You Are Invisible" by Anya Marina seems to be about a secret that the singer is holding onto. She has something physical that she can never tell, indicating that it is secretive and possibly even taboo. However, she assures the listener that it is not evil but rather something that is of the highest grade and of great value.
There is a repetition of the line "sometimes, it's like you are invisible", which impacts the song's overall meaning. The singer mentions that the sensation is similar to the sound of a drone or the feeling of desire creeping through an open window - something that might go unnoticed or ignored. She goes on to describe how the feeling is similar to being small and playing in the ice with sticks and stones, a time when one was carefree and unburdened by the weight of the world's expectations.
Overall, the song captures a mood of secrecy, vulnerability, and isolation. It seems to suggest that even though we might have deep-seated emotions or experiences, they can go unnoticed or ignored, turning us invisible. This can leave us feeling lonely, misunderstood and disconnected from the people around us.
Contributed by Parker V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.