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.
More Than You Know
Martika Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It should come as no surprise to you
If I've shown you once or twice
How I feel it's because it's the truth
(You know that it's true)
Wanted to tell you so many times
How I feel when you're with me
I know that you are my destiny
I love you more than you know
This feeling's so strong inside
I won't let you go
I'm afraid to show it
'Cause I don't want to blow it
I love you more than you know
You know you've got me hypnotized
But that's something I should hide from you
If I feel so mesmerized
It's because of the things that you do
(The things that you do)
I only wish I could read your mind
So I'd know just how you feel
Send me a signal
Tell me your feelings are just as real
I don't mean to put you under pressure
But it's something that I can't control
And though I'd give you the world if I could
I'm afraid to let you know
'Cause I don't want to lose your love
In Martika's song "More Than You Know," she sings about her intense feelings for someone and her reluctance to express them fully out of fear of rejection. Martika conveys her emotions using vivid imagery like, "If there's a fire in my eyes, it should come as no surprise to you," suggesting the intensity and depth of her love. She goes on to sing about how she has been holding back her feelings for too long and how finding this person was like finding her destiny. Martika is afraid to reveal the full extent of her emotions, admitting "I'm afraid to show it 'cause I don't want to blow it."
Martika's lyrics capture the universal feeling of being in love with someone but being too scared to express it for fear of losing them. The song shows how the fear of rejection can be overwhelming and how some people choose to keep their feelings hidden. The song also touches on the idea of being hypnotized by someone, but at the same time not wanting to reveal that feeling as it can make one vulnerable.
Overall, "More Than You Know" is a powerful expression of love that highlights the importance of being open and honest about one's feelings. It is also a reminder that sometimes keeping one's feelings hidden can lead to missed opportunities and lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
If there's a fire in my eyes
If I'm looking at you intensely, it's because of the intense passion I feel inside me.
It should come as no surprise to you
You should know that I'm revealing my true feelings to you.
If I've shown you once or twice
If I've expressed my feelings to you before, then you know how deep they are.
How I feel it's because it's the truth
I don't lie about my emotions, what you see is what you get.
(You know that it's true)
I know you feel the same way too, my love.
Wanted to tell you so many times
I have felt this way for a long time now, but never let it show.
How I feel when you're with me
When you're around me, you make me feel complete and alive.
Now that I found you
Now that I have found true love, I can't imagine my life without you.
I know that you are my destiny
You are the person I am meant to spend the rest of my life with.
I love you more than you know
My feelings for you go beyond words, they are almost impossible to express.
This feeling's so strong inside
My love for you is so intense that it's hard to contain it or ignore it.
I won't let you go
I will hold on to you until the end of time, no matter what.
I'm afraid to show it
I'm hesitant to express my love openly because I fear losing you.
'Cause I don't want to blow it
I don't want to ruin our relationship by revealing too much too soon.
You know you've got me hypnotized
You have the power to mesmerize me and leave me feeling captivated.
But that's something I should hide from you
I don't want to seem too emotionally dependent or needy by showing you just how much you mean to me.
If I feel so mesmerized
I am under your spell and cannot resist falling in love with you.
It's because of the things that you do
You capture my heart and soul by being your wonderful self, always.
(The things that you do)
It's your little, admirable habits and qualities that make me fall for you more and more each day.
I only wish I could read your mind
I wish I knew what you thought and felt about me in return, so that I wouldn't worry so much about revealing my own emotions.
So I'd know just how you feel
If I knew your true emotions, I'd feel more secure in expressing my own.
Send me a signal
Give me a sign, no matter how small, that lets me know you love me too.
Tell me your feelings are just as real
Reassure me that you feel the same way that I do and that our love is genuine and not one-sided.
I don't mean to put you under pressure
I don't want to stress you out or make you feel uncomfortable by expressing my undying love to you.
But it's something that I can't control
My love and passion are so strong that they're hard to hold in.
And though I'd give you the world if I could
If I had the means, I would do anything for you to show how much I love you.
I'm afraid to let you know
I'm scared to tell you exactly how much you mean to me, for fear of either scaring you off or not hearing the same in return.
'Cause I don't want to lose your love
I'm afraid to do or say anything that might push you away or make you love me less.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward Eliscu, Billy Rose, Vincent Youmans
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thank You So Very Much
If there's a fire in my eyes
It should come as no surprise to you
If I've shown you once or twice
How I feel it's because it's the truth
(You know that it's true)
Wanted to tell you so many times
How I feel when you're with me
Now that I found you
I know that you are my destiny
I love you more than you know
This feeling's so strong inside
I won't let you go
I'm afraid to show it
'Cause I don't want to blow it
I love you more than you know
You know you've got me hypnotized
But that's something I should hide from you
If I feel so mesmerized
It's because of the things that you do
(The things that you do)
I only wish I could read your mind
So I'd know just how you feel
Send me a signal
Tell me your feelings are just as real
I don't mean to put you under pressure
But it's something that I can't control
And though I'd give you the world if I could
I'm afraid to let you know
'Cause I don't want to lose your love
Trevor Tenentes
Ugh we didn’t give Martika the credit and accolades she so well deserved. She was an icon of her time. I’m just glad we can still appreciate her craft today.
Jason Nolan
I rocked, danced, sang the absolute Everything from this album. I was a total Kid's Incorporated fan!! Martika is still on my everyday playlist...🥰💯
Alex Oyarzabal
She did the 80s fashion just right. Still looks cool in 2020
Mario Alt
This is more like early 1990s fashion, Martika was a bit ahead of her time with that. A trendsetter :)
Brandon Moore
I'm listening to Martika More Than You Know late October 2021
mikey p
@Mario Alt There were many bands/artists a bit or way ahead of their time!
Nir Nirjon
Watchin from Bngladesh.
otherwise
seriously, this video is timeless. could have been 1995 just as easily.
Daniel Marquis
This is a #1 song to me. Her vocals and the arrangements are great.
Innate Nobility
So underrated even during her day. Martika is an awesome artist.