Miya Folick (born in Santa Ana, CA) is an American singer-songwriter and mu… Read Full Bio ↴Miya Folick (born in Santa Ana, CA) is an American singer-songwriter and musician based in Los Angeles. She released her first EP "Strange Darling" in May, 2015. She is half-Japanese and half-Russian and was raised as a Jōdo Shinshū Buddhist, learning to play the taiko drums in a church group.

Self describing her songs as a fusion between grunge and folk, she brings dreamy melodies and slightly confessional lyrics that, along with her discreet charm, are bound to get any music lover hooked.

As a young adult, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Miya Folick was drawn to music as a creative outlet because of its ability to combine emotional and intellectual content. Bringing contemplative lyrics to intense indie rock, her debut EP, Strange Darling, was released in 2015.

A native of Santa Ana, California, Folick attended New York University after graduating high school, but eventually started skipping classes, opting to spend her time exploring the city by herself. After dropping out and moving back home, she spent the remainder of the semester learning to play the guitar. Her first EP, the self-produced Strange Darling, was recorded by Mark Rains (Alice Bag, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) at his Station House Studio in Echo Park. It saw release in 2015. Folick's second EP, Give It to Me, followed on Terrible Records in 2017 and included a cover of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock." Inspired by reading an article about abusive power structures, the defiant "Deadbody" arrived in March 2018, with the synth poppier "Stock Image" following that June in advance of her debut LP. In the meantime, she toured in support of Kate Nash.

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What I Have To
Miya Folick Lyrics

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I think you're real groovy, baby
You think I am dumb and lazy
Maybe I will show you how well
I can write a song
That's how the guys all get the ladies
Don't they? Or does it work the other way?
Maybe I should just find better things to say

I do what I have to
I do it to have you

Here's a game that we can play
Where we try to find
Single solid reason why
I've gone and lost my mind
Hey, how bout this way?
I drank the kool-aid
I thought that it would make me cool enough for your taste
Or less of a fool enough to say "no, thanks"

But I do what I have to
I do it to have you

My infatuation's fading
Chemically more sound
Pulse is slowing, vision clearing
I'm getting it now
Then I somehow make you smile

And it's like I won a prize at the carnival
Red lights flashing, head back in the clouds

Overall Meaning

Miya Folick's song "What I Have To" highlights the struggles one endures in a relationship. The song begins with the singer praising her partner, stating "I think you're real groovy, baby" while acknowledging her partner's low opinion of her, "You think I am dumb and lazy". In an attempt to win her partner's affection, she decides to write a song, hoping that it would work the same way it worked for guys in getting ladies, questioning whether it works the other way as well. She realizes she needs to find better things to say instead of relying on songwriting as a way to improve the situation.

The chorus "I do what I have to, I do it to have you" shows the extent to which she is willing to go for her partner's sake. She tries to rationalize her behavior by suggesting the possibility of having lost her mind or perhaps making bad decisions like drinking the Kool-aid. Nonetheless, she affirms she does what she has to keep her partner in her life.

In the second verse, she reveals that her infatuation is fading, indicating that she is becoming more realistic about the situation. She suggests that perhaps she was under the illusion of how much they had in common, but now they are beginning to show their differences. However, she still manages to make her partner smile, which seems to be like winning a prize at the carnival, with her head back in the clouds.

Line by Line Meaning

I think you're real groovy, baby
I'm attracted to you

You think I am dumb and lazy
You don't take me seriously

Maybe I will show you how well
I'll prove myself to you

I can write a song
By showcasing my talents

That's how the guys all get the ladies
Writing songs is a usual tactic by guys to impress girls

Don't they? Or does it work the other way?
Or maybe it's girls who impress guys with their talents?

Maybe I should just find better things to say
Maybe I should try another strategy

I do what I have to
I'll do what I need to

I do it to have you
Just to make you mine

Here's a game that we can play
Let's try to figure it out

Where we try to find
Let's discover