Erica Atkins-Campbell and Trecina Atkins-Campbell were born in Inglewood,
California. The Campbell (formerly Atkins) sisters grew up as part of a large family of nine children in Inglewood, California. Their parents are Thomasina (An evangelist and choir director at the Evangelistic Church of God in Christ) and Eddie (a youth minister). Because of their proximity in age, the two singers grew up closer to one another than to any of their seven siblings. The sisters quickly entered the world of church choirs, traveling gospel shows, and some television productions. All nine Atkins children were on the Bobby Jones Gospel show on BET.
The sisters had their sights set on making music a career and enrolled at El Camino College to study voice. There they ran up against the divide between academic music studies and the popular musical world. "We had to study classical and sing arias, which was fine," Erica told the Times, "but the teachers would tell us if we sang anything else it would damage our instrument." The sisters tours with the 1995 Michael Matthews traveling gospel show Mama I'm Sorry and Sneaky. Each sister subsequently toured as a backup singer for a variety of R&B acts including Brandy.
A meeting with producer Warryn Campbell led to their song publishing deal with the giant EMI music conglomerate and a series of songs that landed on the soundtracks. They wrote "Dance" and performed it with Robin S. for the soundtrack to the 1998 film Dr. Dolittle; "Let Go, Let God" for The Prince of Egypt Inspirational, one of three soundtrack albums for the film; and songs of theirs were recorded by Yolanda Adams and 702. At the same time, Mary Mary as a musical entity took shape.
The sisters' profile in the gospel industry was raised when their songs "Time To Change" and "Yeah" were recorded by Yolanda Adams on the Mountain High... Valley Low CD. The duo was subsequently signed to Columbia Records/C2 Records and decided to perform under the name Mary Mary, honoring Mary, the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. They were first gospel act to record for the industry giant Columbia Records since Tramaine Hawkins in the mid-1990s. Their first single, "Shackles (Praise You)" became a crossover hit, being popular with gospel, R&B, and pop audiences. It was a Top 10 R&B and Top 40 pop hit, and peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It became the first gospel song in five years to crack the R&B top ten and gained wide exposure on the MTV video cable channel. The album was a huge success because it offered a younger, hipper version of gospel that audiences could relate to.
Their first album, Thankful (Mary Mary Album) in May 2000, which would go on to win the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album, and a second single, "I Sings". Peaking at #1 on the Gospel album chart and at #59 of the overall Top 200 chart, Thankful was certified Platinum for sales of 1 million copies in the USA. Both singles were also hits in the UK and Europe, and to this day remain popular with Christian youths in the US, Latin America, and Europe.
With their second album Incredible, the duo was able to maintain their success. The record, soon after its release, went to #1 on the Gospel chart, and was able to enter the Top 20 of the Top 200 album chart. Incredible was later certified Gold for 500,000 copies sold in the United States. The album's singles In The Morning and I Try became relatively large hits within the contemporary gospel nation.
After taking time off to have children, their third album Mary Mary appeared. It became the duo's first album to enter the Top 10 on Billboard and was later on certified Gold for sales of 500,000 copies. The first single "Heaven" containing a sample from seventies soul trio the Honey Cone's "Want Ads". Heaven made history and broke chart records as it had an unprecedented 9 week run as the #1 record on Billboard's Gospel Radio chart. The second single, "Yesterday", also became a hit, especially on the Adult R&B charts where it peaked at #10. On the R&B/Hip Hop chart, the song became their second biggest hit since "Shackles" in 2000, reaching the #53 spot so far.
On October 10, 2006`, the recording group released their most recent album inspired by Christmas songs and is called A Mary Mary Christmas.
Shackles
Mary Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It sure is hot out here
Ya know?
I don't mind thought
Just glad to be free
Know what I'm saying, uh
Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance
I just want to praise you
(What ya want to do?)
I just want to praise you
(Yeah, yeah)
You broke the chains now I can lift my hands
(Uh feel me?)
And I'm gonna praise you
(What ya gon do?)
I'm gonna praise you
In the corners of mind
I just can't seem to find a reason to believe
That I can break free
Cause you see I have been down for so long
Feel like the hope is gone
But as I lift my hands, I understand
That I should praise you through my circumstance
Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance (I can dance)
I just want to praise you (I just want to praise you)
I just want to praise you (I just want to praise you)
You broke the chains now I can lift my hands (I can lift my hands)
And I'm gonna praise you
I'm gonna praise you
Everything that could go wrong
All went wrong at one time
So much pressure fell on me
I thought I was gon' lose my mind
But I know you want to see
If I will hold on through these trials
But I need you to lift this load
Cause I can't take it no more
Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance (so I can dance)
I just want to praise you (woo-hoo-hoo)
I just want to praise you (yeah)
You broke the chains now I can lift my hands (woah, yeah)
And I'm gonna praise you (I'm gonna)
I'm gonna praise you (I'm gonna, I'm gonna praise you)
Been through the fire and the rain
Bound in every kind of way
But God has broken every chain
So let me go right now
Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance (so I can dance)
I just want to praise you (woo-hoo-hoo)
I just want to praise you (I wanna praise you)
You broke the chains now I can lift my hands (I can lift my hands)
And I'm gonna praise you (praise you)
I'm gonna praise you (praise you)
Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance ('cause I just wanna)
I just want to praise you ('cause I just wanna)
I just want to praise you (yeah, yeah)
You broke the chains now I can lift my hands (I can lift my hands)
And I'm gonna praise you (praise you)
I'm gonna praise you (c'mon dance with me)
Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance
(I just want to praise you) I just want to praise you
('Cause I'm free tonight) I just want to praise you (yes I'm free)
You broke the chains now I can lift my hands (I can lift my hands)
And I'm gonna praise you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I'm gonna praise you (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Take them off, take them off
What ya gonna do, yeah
You broke the chains now I can lift my hands (broke off the chains)
And I'm gonna praise you (what ya gonna do?)
I'm gonna praise you (what ya gonna do?)
The lyrics of Shackles by Mary Mary are about the empowerment and freedom that come from a strong, unyielding faith in God. The song begins with the singer acknowledging the heat and the physical discomfort she may be experiencing, but also expressing her gratitude for being free. She then implores God to "take the shackles off [her] feet so [she] can dance," indicating a desire to fully embrace and praise God without any hindrances in her path.
As the song progresses, the singer reveals that she has been struggling to maintain her faith and hope despite difficult circumstances. She feels trapped and hopeless, but ultimately understands that praising God can be a way to break free from the chains that bind her. The lyrics show that although life can be challenging, faith in God can be a powerful tool for finding joy and peace even in the midst of those struggles.
Overall, Shackles is meant to be an uplifting and empowering anthem that encourages listeners to hold fast to their faith and trust that God will guide them to a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoo
Expressing excitement and enthusiasm
It sure is hot out here
Commenting on the weather
Ya know?
Asking for agreement or confirmation
I don't mind thought
Saying that the weather doesn't bother them
Just glad to be free
Feeling happy and grateful for their freedom
Know what I'm saying, uh
Asking if the listener understands
Take the shackles off my feet so I can dance
Asking to be set free from the restrictions that limit their movements
I just want to praise you
Expressing their desire to give thanks and show gratitude
(What ya want to do?)
Questioning what they should do next
(Yeah, yeah)
Expressing enthusiasm or agreement
You broke the chains now I can lift my hands
Feeling liberated from their past struggles and now able to lift their hands in appreciation
(Uh feel me?)
Asking if the listener understands their feelings
(What ya gon do?)
Asking what they should do next
And I'm gonna praise you
Reiterating their intention to give thanks and show gratitude
In the corners of mind
Referencing one's inner thoughts and emotions
I just can't seem to find a reason to believe
Feeling hopeless and struggling to have faith
That I can break free
Doubting their ability to escape their struggles
Cause you see I have been down for so long
Describing their prolonged struggle and difficulty
Feel like the hope is gone
Believing that there is no longer hope for them
But as I lift my hands, I understand
Realizing that they can find hope and gratitude by lifting their hands in praise
That I should praise you through my circumstance
Recognizing the importance of showing gratitude even in difficult situations
Everything that could go wrong
Listing the various struggles that they have faced
All went wrong at one time
Describing a time when everything seemed to fall apart
So much pressure fell on me
Feeling overwhelmed and burdened
I thought I was gon' lose my mind
Feeling like they were going crazy or losing their sanity
But I know you want to see
Believing that God has a purpose for their struggles
If I will hold on through these trials
Questioning whether they can persevere through these challenges
But I need you to lift this load
Asking for help and guidance from God
Cause I can't take it no more
Expressing their inability to carry the weight of their struggles alone
Been through the fire and the rain
Referencing their difficult past experiences
Bound in every kind of way
Feeling trapped and restricted in various aspects of life
But God has broken every chain
Believing that God has set them free from their struggles
So let me go right now
Requesting to be fully liberated from their past struggles
Take them off, take them off
Urging for their restrictions to be lifted
(broke off the chains)
Describing their freedom from past struggles
(what ya gonna do?)
Asking what they should do next
I'm gonna praise you (what ya gonna do?)
Reiterating their intention to show gratitude and give thanks
I'm gonna praise you
Enduring to continue showing gratitude and appreciation
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Erica Atkins-Campbell, Trecina Atkins-Campbell, Warryn Campbell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind