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."
two left feet
Anya Marina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You cry on graves, while I dance
You will ebb, and I will flow
I'm so sure about you, you don't know
The more I love you, the more you stray
The more I leave you, the more you come for me
Dance like this, dance like that
But the music sounds so sweet
The music comes so easy, easy
Why can't we?
C'mon, count me in. (two, three)
C'mon, let's play it again
Now I retreat, you advance
Goddamn this goddamn dance
Lover, how I miss you so
Oh, I wish I never would've let you go
I wish I never would've let you go
"what do you want," he said all coy,
"some kind of boy toy? some kind of boy toy?"
Two broken birds, you say, we're two left feet
Now take your coat off and make a mess of me
So I've got a broken heart
So what, it's a heart you could start
Yeah, it's a heart you could start
So shut up, shut up, shut up
In "Two Left Feet," Anya Marina tells the story of a complicated relationship where the two parties appear to be taking turns leading and following. The lyrics "you retreat, I advance" and "now I retreat, you advance" illustrate this dynamic. One person is always running from the other while the other is loving the chase. The chorus suggests that the two are not in sync, but the music is always in perfect harmony, teasing them to follow its rhythm. The lyrics "love me like a baseball bat" express the plea for the love and passion to be intense like a game of baseball where one hits the ball as hard as possible. In the middle of the song, Marina reminds us that no matter how hard the relationship might be, the music always brings people together, and they should keep on dancing to its beat.
A possible interpretation of the track is that the two individuals in the relationship are not good for each other, but they still can't resist their attraction. They keep falling into the same destructive pattern, doing each other wrong, and regretting it later. At the end of the song, she says, "So I've got a broken heart, so what, it's a heart you could start," which might imply that there is hope that another person can fix it, where that other person could be the current or a different partner.
Line by Line Meaning
You retreat, I advance
I'm moving forward in our relationship while you pull back
You cry on graves, while I dance
You're focused on death and sadness, while I choose to celebrate life and happiness
You will ebb, and I will flow
You'll have ups and downs, while I remain steady and consistent
I'm so sure about you, you don't know
I'm confident in our relationship, but you may not be
The more I love you, the more you stray
I care deeply about you, but you continue to distance yourself from me
The more I leave you, the more you come for me
When I try to give you space, you come back to me and want to be close again
Dance like this, dance like that
We have different styles and approaches to life and love
Love me, love me, love me like a baseball bat
Love me with force and passion, not with hesitation or reluctance
But the music sounds so sweet
Despite our differences, there is still something enjoyable about our relationship
The music comes so easy, easy
We have a natural chemistry and connection despite any challenges we may face
Why can't we?
Why can't we make our relationship work despite our differences?
C'mon, count me in. (two, three)
I'm ready to work on this relationship and want us to move forward together
C'mon, let's play it again
Let's give this another shot and see where it goes
Now I retreat, you advance
Our positions have reversed, and you're now pulling ahead while I hold back
Goddamn this goddamn dance
Our relationship can be frustrating and challenging at times
Lover, how I miss you so
I still have deep feelings for you and miss being close to you
Oh, I wish I never would've let you go
I regret ending our relationship and wish we were still together
what do you want," he said all coy, "some kind of boy toy? some kind of boy toy?"
You may not take our relationship as seriously as I do and see me as just a casual partner
Two broken birds, you say, we're two left feet
You see us as being flawed and misaligned in our relationship
Now take your coat off and make a mess of me
Despite any issues in our relationship, there is still physical attraction between us and a desire for intimacy
So I've got a broken heart
I'm still hurting from our past breakup
So what, it's a heart you could start
My heart may be broken, but it's still capable of love and starting anew
Yeah, it's a heart you could start
I'm willing to open myself up to the possibility of repairing our relationship
So shut up, shut up, shut up
Stop talking and let's focus on taking action to make our relationship work
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANYA MARINA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind