Toy Soldiers

"Toy Soldiers" is a song by American singer-songwriter Martika, appearing on her eponymous debut album (1988) and released in the United States as the second single from the album on April 26, 1989. It was her only song to top the charts in the United States, reaching the number-one on Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in mid-1989. An edited version of the song is included in the imported version of the album Toy Soldiers: The Best of Martika. Its music video was directed by Jim Shea. Background 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." 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. Composition The song is performed in the key of C minor with a tempo of 65 beats per minute in time. The song follows a chord progression of A–B–A–B–Cm–B–Cm–Gm–Cm–B. The haunting children's chorus of "Won't you come out and play with me" is notable because four of her former Kids Incorporated castmates -- Fergie, Rahsaan Patterson, Devyn Puett, and Renee Sands -- are among the singers.