Toy Soldiers (song)

Martika wrote the song about a friend who was battling a cocaine addiction. "I was a little hesitant because I had only written two songs before and they were light songs. I came up to Michael and said I wanted to write about drugs. It was the first time I got the nerve to write about something that was scary for me to talk about, so I did."[1] According to an episode of VH-1's Pop-Up Video, in which "Toy Soldiers" was featured, the friend-in-question eventually conquered the addiction.

The song is performed in the key of C♯ minor with a tempo of 65 beats per minute in ⁴
₄ time. The song follows a chord progression of A–B–A–B–C♯m–B–C♯m–G♯m–C♯m–B.

Martika is the lead singer throughout the song, and is joined on the chorus by some of her former castmates from Kids Incorporated -- Stacy Ferguson (Fergie), Rahsaan Patterson, and Renee Sands—as well as later cast members Kimberly McCullough and Devyn Puett as backup vocalists ("The Toy Soldiers")

The video for the song was directed by Jim Shea, who later became a regular in directing country music videos. Martika is seen singing with a waterfall in front of her (this was done by filming her in an empty pool with a water current flowing between her and the camera).

The song spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and New Zealand while reaching number five in both the United Kingdom and Australia. On Billboard's year-end chart for 1989, "Toy Soldiers" placed number 29. It was Martika's only number-one single in the U.S., and her highest-ranking single in the United Kingdom. The single was certified Gold in the United States by the RIAA.

In March and April 2009, VH1 ran a countdown of the 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s. "Toy Soldiers" placed at #67 on the countdown, although Martika had three other top 40 hits: "More Than You Know" (#18); "I Feel the Earth Move" (#25); and "Love... Thy Will Be Done" (#10).

7" single

1. "Toy Soldiers" – 4:52
2. "Exchange of Hearts" – 4:15

3" single

1. "Toy Soldiers" – 4:52
2. "Exchange of Hearts" – 4:15
3. "It's Not What You're Doing" – 4:11

12" single

1. "Toy Soldiers" – 4:52
2. "It's Not What You're Doing" – 4:11
3. "Exchange of Hearts" – 4:15

Bryan Buss of AllMusic retrospectively reviewed the Martika album, stating "the big hit single, 'Toy Soldiers', works with its childlike vocals and lyrics, creating a haunting, effective dichotomy with its subject of drug addiction." Buss also highlighted the song as an album standout by labeling it an AMG Pick Track.[2] Rob Theakston of Allmusic labeled the song as an AMG Pick Track on the 2005 compilation Toy Soldiers: The Best of Martika.[3]

• Martika recorded and produced a Spanish version of "Toy Soldiers" renaming it "Como Un Juguete", though it was not as successful as the original English version. She also recorded the song in Japanese.
• Eminem's 2005 single "Like Toy Soldiers" features samples from "Toy Soldiers". A sample of Martika's singing the chorus is used as the chorus of the Eminem version. The subject of the Eminem song is markedly different from the Martika song, concerning violence and murder linked to rap music rather than drug addiction. The sample is played faster than the original version with an added drum beat. The final chorus of Martika's song is used as the chorus of Eminem's version.
• My Vitriol covered the song for their 2007 EP A Pyrrhic Victory.[25]
• Silversun Pickups covered the song for a 2020 7" single titled Toy Soldiers.[26]

• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1989

• Music video on YouTube