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.
PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Martika Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Growing frightened of the sound of my own voice
I really didn't want to listen, but I had no choice
All the things you taught me begin to ring untrue
Now all I wanna do, all I wanna do is love you
(Chorus)
Pride and prejudice
Lies and cowardice
The walls that keep us locked out
Sticks and stones may break us
But the fire of hate will burn us down
Now we're all alone
With the war inside our souls
Everything I'm feeling is reflected in your eyes
(Can't you see?)
But caught up in a struggle and too blind to realize
That to love without connection
There's a rule that makes us strong
The only place to find it
Is deep inside and it's been there all along
(Repeat Chorus)
There is a hunger in the human heart
That leads us to the light
There is a higher power
To teach us wrong from right
(Repeat Chorus)
Inside our souls
(Rap)
No more hate, no more lies
We're all the same in God's eyes
Show some faith and peace will come
Give your heart and trust in love
No more pain, no more tears
Time to chase away the fears
Make this world a better place
Resurrect the human race
Let love in, let love in to your heart
(Repeat with Ad-Libs and Fade)
The lyrics of the song "Pride and Prejudice" by Martika go beyond the conventional expressions of love in songs. The lyrics speak of a profound struggle with one's self-doubt, the influence of the societal constructs of pride and prejudice, and the quest for true connection through love. In the first verse, the singer seems afraid of her own voice and is compelled to listen to what she has been taught, which now rings untrue. As she awakens to this realization, she is no longer afraid and merely desires to love.
In the chorus, the song confronts the societal forces present in "pride and prejudice" that drive people away from each other, creating walls of lies and cowardice. Lucidly expressed in the song, the 'fire of hate' endangers these societal walls, which ultimately further isolates the individuals, leading them to lonely battles with the war inside their souls. To transcend this wall, the song acknowledges that there is a universal hunger in our hearts, leading us towards the light and a higher power that teaches us right from wrong.
The song concludes with a hopeful message of love that encourages people to break down societal constructs, to trust in love, speak against hate, and to heal the world with kindness. The lyrics examine the transcendent power of love that can defeat societal constructs like prejudice and pride by creating genuine connections between people.
Line by Line Meaning
Growing frightened of the sound of my own voice
I'm becoming scared of speaking my mind and expressing my true feelings.
I really didn't want to listen, but I had no choice
I didn't want to hear the truth, but I was forced to confront reality.
All the things you taught me begin to ring untrue
The lessons you taught me no longer seem valid or accurate.
Now all I wanna do, all I wanna do is love you
All I want to do is love you, despite the challenges we face.
Pride and prejudice
Our arrogance and preconceived notions are keeping us apart.
Keep us from being together
Our egos and biases are preventing us from forming a connection.
Lies and cowardice
The dishonesty and fear in our hearts are creating barriers between us.
The walls that keep us locked out
These emotions are causing us to build walls that prevent us from truly connecting.
Sticks and stones may break us
Physical harm can affect us, but it pales in comparison to the damage caused by hate.
But the fire of hate will burn us down
Hatred will destroy us from the inside out, leaving nothing but ash.
Now we're all alone
We find ourselves isolated and alone due to our inability to connect.
With the war inside our souls
Our inner turmoil is a constant battle that threatens to consume us.
Everything I'm feeling is reflected in your eyes
Your eyes reveal that you understand my emotions on a deep level.
(Can't you see?)
I hope you can recognize the pain and love in my eyes and respond with compassion.
But caught up in a struggle and too blind to realize
We are so preoccupied with our own struggles that we fail to see each other's pain.
That to love without connection
True love can only exist when there is a deeper, emotional connection between two people.
There's a rule that makes us strong
There is a principle that can make our love stronger and more resilient.
The only place to find it
This principle can only be found in one place.
Is deep inside and it's been there all along
This principle is deep within us and has always been a part of us.
There is a hunger in the human heart
We all have a strong desire for love and connection.
That leads us to the light
This desire can guide us towards positivity and hope.
There is a higher power
There is something greater than ourselves that can help us make sense of our emotions.
To teach us wrong from right
This higher power can help us distinguish between positive and negative emotions.
No more hate, no more lies
We must eliminate feelings of hatred and dishonesty from our hearts.
We're all the same in God's eyes
Regardless of our differences, we are all equal and important in the eyes of a higher power.
Show some faith and peace will come
Believing in something greater can help us find inner peace.
Give your heart and trust in love
Letting go of past hurt and opening our hearts to love can help us move forward.
No more pain, no more tears
We can move past our pain and find happiness if we eliminate hate from our hearts.
Time to chase away the fears
We must overcome our own fears and biases to truly connect with others.
Make this world a better place
By eliminating hate and embracing love, we can create a more positive world.
Resurrect the human race
By finding compassion and connection, we can revive human goodness and kindness.
Let love in, let love in to your heart
Open your heart to love and empathy to fully experience the joy of human connection.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICHAEL CRUZ, MARTA MARRERO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind