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.
Water
Martika Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You reach into me and I ripple round in circles
Reflections of my dreams in yours
Bring me to the shores of desire
I have been like a desert creature
Wandering on this earth so cracked and dry
But now your love is bringing me alive
Like water, how could I do without you?
My body heat will not cool down
Like water, I could not live without you
I want to dive so deep into you, I might drown
Tu eres como el agua
You know me, an invisible line connects us in time
And now there is no distance between us
You see what I feel
And all I am feeling is you
Like water, how could I do without you?
My body heat will not cool down
Like water, I could not live without you
I want to dive so deep into you, I might drown
Tu eres como el agua
No se que haria sin ti mi amor
Yo no pudiera vivir sin ti
Quiero ahogarme en ti why nunca
Regresar
Como el agua me ves tan clara
Siempre puedes tu llegar a mi
Tu amor me da razon para vivir
Like water, how could I do without you?
My body heat will not cool down
Like water, I could not live without you
I want to dive so deep into you, I might drown
Like water
Like water
Like water
Nana nana na
Like water
Like water
Dive so deep into you, I might drown
Like water
Like water
The Martika song "Water" is a soulful and romantic ballad that uses the metaphor of water to describe the depth and intimacy of a relationship. Throughout the song, Martika compares the connection she shares with her lover to the properties of water. Just like water, her lover is able to see into her and bring her to life. Martika also uses the idea of water to describe the intensity of their passion, stating that she wants to dive so deep into her lover that she might drown. The song is sung in both English and Spanish, adding a multicultural flair to the lyrics.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the intimacy and depth of love that Martika and her partner share. The lines "You know me, an invisible line connects us in time, and now there is no distance between us" reflect the idea that their love transcends time and space. Martika's use of water to describe the relationship also hints at the idea of purity and cleansing. Water is often used in spiritual contexts as a symbol of purification and renewal.
Overall, the lyrics to "Water" by Martika are a powerful exploration of love and intimacy. By blending English and Spanish and using water as a metaphor throughout the song, Martika creates a uniquely emotional and captivating ballad that speaks to the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Like water you see into me
You understand me deeply and intimately, much like water can seep into every crevice and corner.
You reach into me and I ripple round in circles
Every action or word from you creates a big impact on me, like how a drop can cause a ripple effect in water.
Reflections of my dreams in yours
Our aspirations have integrated with each other, made one by water, and we understand each other’s deepest passions.
Bring me to the shores of desire
You’re leading me towards deeper love and intimacy - just like water brings boats to the shore.
I have been like a desert creature
I've been struggling through life without any real nourishment, just like a creature wandering through a hot, barren desert.
Wandering on this earth so cracked and dry
I've been wandering aimlessly, feeling parched by the dryness of my surroundings.
But now your love is bringing me alive
Your love is completely nourishing and revitalizing for me - like water to someone who has been thirsty for a long time.
Like water, how could I do without you?
You’ve become an essential element in my life, just like water is to every living organism.
My body heat will not cool down
I feel my passion and heart for you constantly burning like a fire that cannot be extinguished.
I want to dive so deep into you, I might drown
I desire to submerge myself completely in this love, like how one might fully immerse themselves in water until they almost can't breathe.
You know me, an invisible line connects us in time
We are deeply interconnected through time, and no distance can separate us.
And now there is no distance between us
Our connection has grown even stronger than before, as if the space between us was never there.
You see what I feel
You understand and feel everything I feel, making our relationship even more effortless.
And all I am feeling is you
You've taken over my heart completely and my emotions revolve around you entirely.
Tu eres como el agua
This phrase translates to 'You are like water' in Spanish, emphasizing the centrality of water in this song.
No se que haria sin ti mi amor
This phrase translates to 'I don't know what I would do without you, my love' in Spanish, emphasising how essential water is to our lives.
Yo no pudiera vivir sin ti
This phrase translates to 'I couldn't live without you' in Spanish, emphasizing water's importance for survival.
Quiero ahogarme en ti why nunca Regresar
This phrase translates to 'I want to drown in you and never look back' in Spanish, highlighting the desire to be fully immersed in water and stay there forever.
Como el agua me ves tan clara
This phrase translates to 'Like water, you can see me so clearly' in Spanish, showcasing how deeply connected the two are.
Siempre puedes tu llegar a mi
This phrase translates to 'You can always reach me' in Spanish, emphasizing the unbreakable bond they share.
Tu amor me da razon para vivir
This phrase translates to 'Your love gives me a reason to live' in Spanish, showcasing how water is the life source for many on earth.
Like water
This refrain represents how water is central to the author's life.Central idea of the song
Dive so deep into you, I might drown.
The singer is so in love with the subject of the song, they would lose themselves entirely in the love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARRERO, SHERIDAN, TREADWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind