Hooking up w/ producer Michael Jay, Martika landed a deal with Columbia Records. Martika's self-titled debut album was released in the fall of 1988. But it wasn't until 1989 that she broke through in a big way. By January her debut single "More Than You Know" was a US Top 20 smash. Her second single, a haunting ballad about addiction, entitled "Toy Soldiers" spent 2 weeks at #1 in the US during the summer of 1989. Up next was a dance/rock version of the Carole King classic "I Feel The Earth Move" which would eventually score Martika her 3rd Top 40 US hit. This song as well as her previous singles also became huge hits all over the world by charting high in the UK, Australia, Japan and Spain just to name a few. A fourth single was released in Europe and Australia entitled "Water".
After the success of her debut, her label compiled a 4 song EP of Spanish language versions of 3 of her hits ("Water" was included as well but in it's bilingual original state). It was during this time that Martika would perform throughout many Spanish speaking countries, and was heavily promoted to the US Latino market.
During the fall of 1990, Martika returned briefly to acting playing Dahlia Mendez on the CBS drama "Wiseguy". Playing a sultry nightclub singer & girlfriend to the then new lead Steven Bauer, Martika turned heads w/ her sexy outfits & latin jazz standards sprinkled throughout the show. Much like her character's untimely death, the show also was cancelled after failing to catch on with viewers. Luckily for Martika all 4 of her episodes aired.
Martika followed up her debut (which eventually went gold in the US) with 1991's "Martika's Kitchen". Led by the first single, "Love...Thy Will Be Done", a prayer that Martika had written which would later be turned into a song by Prince, Martika would find herself once again on the charts. The song peaked at #10 in the US and was a #1 hit in Australia. Unfortunately a sophmore slump of sorts took its toll on what could have been a huge hit album. The 2nd single, a funky Prince penned and produced tune, failed to set the charts on fire and stalled at #98 in the US. However it did fare better in Europe making it all the way to #1 in Spain. A third single, the C+C Music Factory produced "Coloured Kisses", failed to chart in the US but was a modest hit internationally. Two more singles would see the light of day in Europe, a club only release of yet another Prince produced track "Spirit" made the rounds as did a 4th single "Safe In The Arms Of Love".
It was during 1992 that Martika would walk away from her music career. After a headlining stint at the Expo Sevilla in Sevilla, Spain, Martika walked off the stage and began a long hiatus from music. Rumors of her whereabouts would range from the weird to plain ridiculous.
During this time Martika wrote songs for several artists (Maria Nyler, Tevin Campbell, etc.) as well as lending her voice to several projects (C+C Music Factory's "Música es mi vida" and the Conga Club's "The Happy Song" to name a few). But it was not until 1999 that Martika would come out of musical obscurity by launching a website (the new defunct martika.net) and talk of a new album brought many fans out of the woodwork so to say. At this time several demos leaked on the internet and she even went as far as to release an internet only single "The Journey" available exclusively on mp3.com.
This brief return sort of came and went and it wasn't until the beginning of this decade that Martika would again return. This time as 1/2 of the musical duo Oppera. Along with her musical partner (and husband) Michael Mozart, the duo released their internet only debut "Violince". Since they have released a self-titled follow-up, opened for Pat Benatar.
In 2010 Martika, under the name Vida Edit, starred in the internet series J8DED along w/ her hubby Michael Daemon. The show is currently on hiatus.
Martika is currently working on her first solo album in 20 years. It will see her return to her dance/pop roots. Expect a fall 2011 release.
Also of note rapper Eminem sampled Martika's "Toy Soldiers" in his 2004 hit "Like Toy Soldiers", thus resparking some interest in this often ignored pop star. To boot, in 2007 British shoegaze/alternative rock band My Vitriol covered the song for their A Pyrrhic Victory EP.
Alibis
Martika Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am not gonna put up with this any more
So tell me what's your excuse this time
No never mind I don't wanna hear it
So many times you pushed me aside
I'm getting sick and tired of your alibis
All alone sleepless nights
I could've changed my mind
If you cared enough to just apologize
But now it's much too late
Your license to my heart has met it's expiration date
Alibis
Tell me no lies
I don't wanna listen to the reasons why
Alibis
Don't act surprised
When I walk away from you and
All your alibis
You gave to me a little teddy bear
To keep me company the nights you were not there
wanting to say baby please stay
Now I don't wanna deal with all the games you play
I gave you all I had
But now I know that loving me was just a fad
There's nothing more to take
If love is just a test then you're my big mistake
The lyrics of Martika’s song “Alibis” describe a person who has had enough of their partner’s excuses and lies. The song’s narrator demands that their partner explain why they have been treating them so poorly, but then changes their mind and doesn’t want to hear any more lies. The singer is tired of being pushed aside and left alone, and they feel that their partner doesn’t care enough to apologize for their actions. The reference to a teddy bear symbolizes the loneliness that the singer has experienced in their relationship and their desire for their partner to stay. However, in the end, the singer realizes that their love was only a temporary fad, and they are ready to walk away from their partner and all their excuses.
The song is a powerful portrayal of the pain and frustration that can come from being in a relationship with someone who is constantly making excuses for their behavior. The singer’s anger and resolve to move on from the relationship is conveyed through the energetic and catchy pop melody. Martika’s performance is passionate and heartfelt, highlighting the emotional intensity of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
This has got to stop
I cannot tolerate this behavior anymore
I am not gonna put up with this any more
I refuse to accept this treatment any longer
So tell me what's your excuse this time
Explain to me your reasons for your behavior
No never mind I don't wanna hear it
Actually, I don't want to hear your excuses
So many times you pushed me aside
Numerous occasions when you ignored me or dismissed my feelings
I'm getting sick and tired of your alibis
I have become weary of listening to your explanations for your behavior
All alone sleepless nights
Lonely, restless nights spent thinking about our relationship
Trying to pretend our love would be alright
Attempting to convince myself that our love could still work out
I could've changed my mind
I would have considered forgiving you if you had apologized
If you cared enough to just apologize
If you were genuinely remorseful and showed it
But now it's much too late
However, it is too late now
Your license to my heart has met it's expiration date
You no longer have the right or ability to be with me
Alibis
Excuses
Tell me no lies
Be truthful with me
I don't wanna listen to the reasons why
I am no longer interested in hearing your justification for your actions
Don't act surprised
Don't act as if you didn't see this coming
When I walk away from you and
When I finally leave you behind
All your alibis
All your excuses
You gave to me a little teddy bear
You gave me a small gift as a token of affection
To keep me company the nights you were not there
To keep me company when you were not physically present
Wanting to say baby please stay
Your desire for me to not leave you
Now I don't wanna deal with all the games you play
I am no longer interested in your manipulations and mind games
I gave you all I had
I gave you my everything
But now I know that loving me was just a fad
But now I realize that you were never truly in love with me
There's nothing more to take
There is nothing left for us to try and make this relationship work
If love is just a test then you're my big mistake
If love was some kind of challenge, then you were my huge failure
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARTA E. MARRERO, MITCHELL HARLAN KAPLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind