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.
I Feel the Earth Move
Martika Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you're around
Ooh, baby, when I see your face
Mellow as the month of May
Oh, darling, I can't stand it
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you're around
Oh, darling, when you're near me
And you tenderly call my name
I know that my emotions
Are something I just can't tame
I've just got to have you, baby
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I just lose control
Down to my very soul
I get hot and cold all over
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down, tumbling down, tumbling down
The lyrics to Martika's song "I Feel the Earth Move" express powerful emotions of uncontrollable passion and desire. The image of the earth moving under the singer's feet represents the intensity of her feelings when she is around the object of her desire. The sky tumbling down conveys the overwhelming nature of these feelings - they are not just strong, but all-encompassing and unstoppable. The singer's heart starts to tremble whenever this person is around, emphasizing the physical and emotional effects that they have on her.
The second stanza of the song shifts from the physical sensation of the earth moving to the emotional effect that this person has on the singer. When she sees their face, she feels mellow, like the month of May. The contrast between the intensity of the first stanza and the more peaceful image of May here reinforces the idea that the singer's emotions are all-consuming and can change rapidly. She can't stand it when this person looks at her in a certain way, suggesting that their attraction is mutual and equally intense.
The final stanza of the song focuses on the singer's inability to control her emotions. Even though she knows that her feelings are overwhelming and potentially dangerous, she cannot help but be drawn to this person. The repeated line "I feel the earth move under my feet" reinforces the all-consuming nature of her passion. She loses control, down to her very soul, and experiences both hot and cold sensations all over.
Overall, "I Feel the Earth Move" is a powerful song about the intensity of human desire and how it can overwhelm our ability to control our emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel the earth move under my feet
I'm so overwhelmed by your presence that I can physically feel the ground moving.
I feel the sky tumbling down
Your impact on me is so strong that I perceive the whole world as falling apart.
I feel my heart start to trembling
Your effect on me is so intense that I can't help but feel nervous and excited when you're around.
Whenever you're around
Everything around me changes because of your presence in my life.
Ooh, baby, when I see your face
I'm completely delighted by your beauty and lean into that feeling.
Mellow as the month of May
Your demeanor is so calming and soothing, like the gentle beginning of springtime.
Oh, darling, I can't stand it
I'm overwhelmed by how much I love you and how much you affect me.
When you look at me that way
Your loving gaze compels me and makes me feel weak with desire.
Oh, darling, when you're near me
Your proximity is electric, and I feel like I'm caught in your magnetic field.
And you tenderly call my name
Your gentle voice carries me away and makes my heart skip a beat.
I know that my emotions
I'm so in tune with my feelings that I understand them completely.
Are something I just can't tame
My feelings for you are so intense that they often overwhelm me and cannot be restrained.
I've just got to have you, baby
My desire for you is insatiable and fills me up completely.
I just lose control
Loving you makes me feel like I'm spiraling out of control or losing my mind.
Down to my very soul
My love for you runs so deep that it feels like it's at the core of my being.
I get hot and cold all over
Loving you is a rollercoaster of emotions that makes me feel both excited and anxious.
Tumbling down, tumbling down, tumbling down
You have such an overpowering effect on me that everything seems to be falling apart, but I wouldn't have it any other way because being with you makes me feel alive.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Carole King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Drew
MOM - thank you for this now clear understanding of why you good people call it that and why is Arhsee’s call it MUM!! WOW Who’d of thought except Mother Nature over course of her gift and serving ;-)
Earth
Move
Earth
Move
Earth
Move
“Waaaaaagggaaahhh”
bassc
Love her voice, energy, stage presence, enthusiasm - you just don't get this anymore!
Maryann Rojas
Oh you get this, but from rockstars from the most part ;)
Armando Cardona
This arrangement is PURE 80's. That sound is UNMISTAKABLE.
En de rest Ikke
The years that will never fade away,the 80's will never die
Valentina Perez
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Ochenteros Unidos, jamás serán vencidos!!!!!
Carlos Yeste Vergara
@Valentina Perez😊😊😊aaaaqaq.qaa
Liz Zee
I was a teenager when this song came out, and I couldn’t get enough of it. I bought the album and ended up playing it to death, lol. Martika was gorgeous, with a great voice and so much energy!
Joshua Brockman
Kids incorporated
KEVIN P WILLIAMS
She wore massive earrings magnificently!
Carajillo Music
This woman is pure energy! I love that sound of late 80's and early 90's that mixed the melody of pop with the power of rock like Roxette did.