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.
Catch Me
Mary Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even at my best I'm still my greatest enemy
Good intentions never saved a soul
They never changed reality
You had to die for me
'Cause I, only you mend me
Tried so hard and still get lost
Give our all, but nothing's complete
And I'm so flawed that you know I'm gonna fall
And you catch me
Your mercy, your grace
My faith gives me strength to feel perfectly safe
'Cause you'll catch me
Uninvited
Locked away from paradise a heart of golden dreams
Traded places
The walking in the steps creates the only hope for me
And you handed me the keys
'Cause I'm only you mend me
Tried so hard and still get lost
Give our all, but nothing's complete
'Cause we need your love so strong
And I'm so flawed that you know I'm gonna fall
And you catch me
Your mercy, your grace
My faith gives me strength to feel perfectly safe
'Cause you'll catch me
All of the time I couldn't do, I couldn't see, I couldn't read
You made me more than enough
And though I lose my step
I'm nothing less than yours
There's one thing I know
You'll catch me
We need your love so strong
And I'm so flawed that you know I'm gonna fall
And you catch me
Your mercy, your grace
My faith gives me strength to feel perfectly safe
'Cause you'll catch me
[Repeat: x5]
You'll catch me
The song "Catch Me" by Mary Mary delves into the idea of grace and redemption. The song begins with the singer admitting that she can be both a hero and a villain, and that even at her best she is her own worst enemy. She acknowledges that good intentions aren't enough to save her soul and that they don't alter reality. She realizes that the only way to be mended is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who died for her. The chorus of the song is an act of faith, that even when the singer falls or loses her way, God is always there to catch her. She knows she is flawed but believes in God's strength to keep her perfectly safe.
The second verse continues the concept of grace, detailing how the singer was once uninvited and locked away from paradise. However, by following the steps of her faith, God handed her the keys to paradise. This section speaks of the idea of redemption and how through faith and following in the steps of God, anyone can be saved. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the singer's faith in God to catch her when she falls, and how she knows that she is nothing less than God's creation and that God will always catch her.
Overall, the song is a powerful anthem of faith and redemption, one that speaks to the core of the Christian message. It acknowledges the pitfalls of humanity while embracing the power of grace and God's protection.
Line by Line Meaning
Hero, villain
Despite who I am or what I do, I cannot escape my own shortcomings.
Even at my best I'm still my greatest enemy
No matter how well I perform, I am never satisfied and I tend to undermine my own achievements.
Good intentions never saved a soul
Having good intentions does not guarantee success, and the road to hell is often paved with good intentions.
They never changed reality
Good intentions can only do so much, and often do not result in real change or progress.
You had to die for me
Only through the ultimate sacrifice can true salvation be achieved.
'Cause I, only you mend me
I cannot do it alone, and I need a savior to help me mend.
Tried so hard and still get lost
Despite my best efforts, I often find myself feeling lost and confused.
Give our all, but nothing's complete
We can put forth all of our effort, but that does not guarantee success or completion.
We need your love so strong
Love is the most powerful force in the universe, and we need it in our lives to thrive.
And I'm so flawed that you know I'm gonna fall
Being flawed is a part of our nature, and we are bound to fail at some point.
And you catch me
But even in our failures, we can still be caught and lifted up by a loving savior.
Your mercy, your grace
The only way we can be caught and lifted up is through the love, mercy, and grace of our savior.
My faith gives me strength to feel perfectly safe
Having faith in a loving savior gives us the strength and security we need to face life's challenges.
Uninvited
Sometimes we feel unworthy or uninvited, but we are still loved and valued by our savior.
Locked away from paradise a heart of golden dreams
We may feel disconnected from happiness and fulfillment, but our hearts hold the keys to our dreams.
Traded places
Through the sacrifice of our savior, we have the opportunity to trade our old, broken lives for new, abundant ones.
The walking in the steps creates the only hope for me
Following in the footsteps of our savior is our only hope for salvation and fulfillment.
And you handed me the keys
Through the sacrifice of our savior, we are given the keys to a new, abundant life.
All of the time I couldn't do, I couldn't see, I couldn't read
Even when we were lost and unable to find our own way, our savior was there to guide us.
You made me more than enough
Through the love of our savior, we are made more than enough - we are made whole and complete.
And though I lose my step
Even when we stumble or fall, our savior is there to lift us up and set us back on the right path.
I'm nothing less than yours
As a beloved child of our savior, we are part of something greater and more significant than ourselves.
There's one thing I know
Of all the uncertainties in life, one thing is certain - our savior will always be there to catch us.
[Repeat: x5]
You'll catch me
No matter how many times we fall or stumble, we can take comfort in the knowledge that our savior will always be there to catch us.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind