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.
Believer
Mary Mary Lyrics
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I'm a believer, even though I've never seen
I'm a believer, look at my life and you will see
I'm a believer, how can you not believe?
I'm a believer, every word he says to me
I'm a believer, cause he gave me my liberty
I'm a believer, now and forever I will be
I'm a believer, how can you not believe?
We got home late one night from service
Something wasn't right, momma was nervous
She said we're staying at your auntie's house tonight
Cause something in my spirit ain't right
Just as soon as we all went to sleep
Momma got a call from the police saying "your house is on fire"
We were sad, but alive God spared our lives
I'm a believer, tellin' you I really believe
I'm a believer, even though I've never seen
I'm a believer, look at my life and you will see
I'm a believer, how can you not believe?
I'm a believer, every word he says to me
I'm a believer, cause he gave me my liberty
I'm a believer, now and forever I will be
I'm a believer, how can you not believe?
On the highway minding my business
Another car was tryna get by
So I put my foot on the brakes and
My car flipped upside down
I cried, "Lord have mercy on me
Take the car but save my life"
I walked away no scars, no pain, nothing broken
So now I testify
I'm a believer, tellin' you I really believe
I'm a believer, even though I've never seen
I'm a believer, look at my life and you will see
I'm a believer, how can you not believe?
I'm a believer, every word he says to me
I'm a believer, cause he gave me my liberty
I'm a believer, now and forever I will be
I'm a believer, how can you not believe?
Somebody, somewhere out there is watching us,
And taking care of every little thing we need, and some
People still don't believe, but I have seen too many things,
Tell me what will make you see that he's able
To be all you need and more
I'm a believer, tellin' you I really believe
I'm a believer, even though I've never seen
I'm a believer, look at my life and you will see
I'm a believer, how can you not believe?
I'm a believer, every word he says to me
I'm a believer, cause he gave me my liberty
I'm a believer, now and forever I will be
I'm a believer, how can you not believe?
Mary Mary's song "Believer" is an uplifting anthem about faith in God and trusting in His protection and providence. The lyrics reflect the artists' personal experiences of miracles and divine interventions in their lives. The song begins with a declaration of faith and encourages those listening to observe the artist's life and see the evidence of God's goodness and faithfulness. The chorus repeats this declaration and poses a rhetorical question, asking how one cannot believe in God when He has done so much for them.
The first verse recounts a time when the artist's house caught fire while they were all asleep at their auntie's house. They received a call from the police in the middle of the night informing them of the fire. While the experience was upsetting, the artist acknowledges that they were grateful to have been spared and reassured that God was watching over them. The second verse tells the story of an accident on the highway where the artist's car flipped over. Despite the trauma of the experience, the artist emerged from the accident without any physical injuries. The song concludes with an encouragement to those listening to see the signs of God's presence and care in their own lives.
Overall, "Believer" is an uplifting and celebratory song that encourages listeners to have faith in God and trust in His protection and providence. It reflects the artists' personal experiences with God and provides a source of encouragement and inspiration to those who may be experiencing doubt or uncertainty in their faith.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a believer, tellin' you I really believe
I have complete faith and trust in God and I want to share this belief with others
I'm a believer, even though I've never seen
I have faith in the existence of God even though I have never physically seen him
I'm a believer, look at my life and you will see
My life is a testament to my faith, and by looking at how things have worked out for me, you can see God's presence in my journey
I'm a believer, how can you not believe?
Given all the evidence of God's power and presence in my life, it seems impossible for someone not to share my belief
I'm a believer, every word he says to me
I put my trust in God's words and believe that he guides me in the right path
I'm a believer, cause he gave me my liberty
God has freed me from past barriers and helped me live my life more fully
I'm a believer, now and forever I will be
My belief in God is permanent and will never fade
On the highway minding my business
I was driving peacefully and not doing anything wrong
Another car was tryna get by
Another driver was trying to overtake me on the road
So I put my foot on the brakes and
I slowed down my car to allow the other driver to pass
My car flipped upside down
In a sudden turn of events, my car overturned
I cried, 'Lord have mercy on me
I prayed earnestly to God for help in this dangerous situation
Take the car but save my life'
I pleaded with God to let me live even if it meant losing my car
I walked away no scars, no pain, nothing broken
Despite the severity of the accident, I emerged completely unscathed
Somebody, somewhere out there is watching us,
I believe in a higher power that is constantly observing and looking out for us
And taking care of every little thing we need
God is attentive to our every want and need, regardless of how small it may be
And some people still don't believe, but I have seen too many things,
Despite some people's continued skepticism, I have witnessed enough evidence of God's power and presence in my life
Tell me what will make you see that he's able
If people could only see the many ways that God is capable of giving aid and support, they would undoubtedly believe in him as well
To be all you need and more
God has the capacity to be everything we need and more, and my experiences have shown me this to be true
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERICA ATKINS-CAMPBELL, ERICA MONIQUE ATKINS-CAMPBELL, TRECINA ATKINS-CAMPBELL, WARRYN CAMPBELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind