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.
Temptation
Martika Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Right now, yeah
Just you and me
The image of the way it's gonna be
Close by my side
Livin' in the luxury of paradise
No matter what the the consequences are
You've lost control of something deep inside your soul
And now it's gone a little bit too far
Temptation
Tappin' on the back of my neck
Up and down my spine
Workin' on my mind
I haven't got rid of it yet
Temptation
Every day it's haunting me back
Scratchin' on my brain
Drivin' me insane
I can't seem to get on track
I know you've got
Oh, someone in your life but I can't stop
Oh, we've tried to be just friends
But you feel it just like I do, so don't pretend
'Cause you know you want it so bad that you'd risk it all
No matter what the consequences are
You've lost control of something deep inside your soul
And now it's gone a little bit too far
Temptation
Tappin' on the back of my neck
Up and down my spine
Workin' on my mind
I haven't got rid of it yet
Temptation
Every day it's haunting me back
Scratchin' on my brain
Drivin' me insane
I can't seem to get on track
Afraid you've lost a part of yourself
All your thoughts go to someone else
Bit by bit 'til there's nothing inside
Temptation is the question that you can't decide
'Cause you know you want it so bad that you'd risk it all
Temptation
Tappin' on the back of my neck
Up and down my spine
Workin' on my mind
I haven't got rid of it yet
Temptation
Every day it's haunting me back
Scratchin' on my brain
Drivin' me insane
I can't seem to get on track
Temptation
Tappin' on the back of my neck
Up and down my spine
Workin' on my mind
I haven't got rid of it yet
Temptation
Every day it's haunting me back
Scratchin' on my brain
Drivin' me insane
I can't seem to get on track
You can't control this feelin' that you're feelin'
And everyday life seems less than real and
You're body and mind don't connect to your soul
You try everything but there's no place to go
Admit to yourself that you have an addiction
The love in your life has caused you infliction
The deeper you go, the higher you search
But before it gets better it's gonna get worst
Kick it in!
Temptation that you can't live without
Given you something to think about
Temptation that you can't live without
Given you something to think about
Martika's song "Temptation" tells the story of a person who is deep into a feeling of temptation towards someone they are not supposed to be with. The song is about a person who is trying to resist an attraction that is consuming them. The lyrics suggest that the temptation is a powerful force that is constantly nagging at the person's mind, even when they try to ignore it. The song is relatable to the human experience because everyone has gone through a time where they are tempted to do something they know they should not do. The song is about the struggle of trying to resist that temptation and the damage it can do to a person's life.
The lyrics suggest that the person is stuck between a desire for something they cannot have and the fear of the consequences that come with indulging in that desire. The song captures the feeling of powerlessness and the sense of urgency that comes with trying to resist temptation. The lyrics capture a sense of desperation where the person is trying to convince themselves that they can resist the temptation while acknowledging that they have already lost control.
Line by Line Meaning
Come over here
I need you to come here now
Right now, yeah
Immediately, without waiting
Just you and me
Only the two of us
The image of the way it's gonna be
An imaginary scenario of a desired outcome
Close by my side
Being physically near me
Livin' in the luxury of paradise
Enjoying a life free of hardships or struggles
Did you ever want something so bad, you'd risk it all
Have you ever desired something so much you would jeopardize everything for it?
No matter what the the consequences are
Despite any negative outcomes that may arise
You've lost control of something deep inside your soul
Feeling helpless about a craving or desire
And now it's gone a little bit too far
The situation has escalated beyond a reasonable level
Temptation
The alluring desire for something that could be harmful or problematic
Tappin' on the back of my neck
Feeling the temptation like a physical sensation
Up and down my spine
Feeling the temptation through the entire body
Workin' on my mind
The temptation is having an effect on the thought process
I haven't got rid of it yet
The temptation hasn't faded away
Every day it's haunting me back
The temptation is persistently troubling me
Scratchin' on my brain
The temptation is mentally vexing
Drivin' me insane
The temptation is causing mental instability
I can't seem to get on track
I cannot regain my focus or composure
Afraid you've lost a part of yourself
Fearful that a part of your identity or values has been compromised
All your thoughts go to someone else
Your thoughts are consumed by someone or something other than yourself
Bit by bit 'til there's nothing inside
Gradually losing control or willpower until there is nothing left
Temptation is the question that you can't decide
Being unable to choose between fulfilling the temptation or maintaining self-control
Oh, someone in your life but I can't stop
Knowing that someone else is in your way but feeling unable to resist the temptation
Oh, we've tried to be just friends
Attempting to maintain a platonic relationship instead of giving in to temptation
But you feel it just like I do, so don't pretend
Acknowledging that the other person feels the same way and not pretending otherwise
You can't control this feelin' that you're feelin'
Being unable to manage or suppress the desire or temptation
And everyday life seems less than real
Feeling disconnected from reality or the present
Your body and mind don't connect to your soul
Feeling a disconnect between physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of oneself
You try everything but there's no place to go
Attempting various strategies to resist the temptation but finding no solution
Admit to yourself that you have an addiction
Recognizing and accepting that the temptation has become an addiction or serious problem
The love in your life has caused you infliction
The object of desire or temptation is causing emotional or mental harm
The deeper you go, the higher you search
Increasingly pursuing the temptation without satisfaction
But before it gets better it's gonna get worst
The temptation will likely worsen before any improvement is possible
Temptation that you can't live without
A temptation that has become essential or necessary to life
Given you something to think about
Providing the listener with something to consider or reflect on
Contributed by Liam T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.