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.
God Bless
Mary Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come and bless our Savior
And enter in His inner courts with praises
And bless the Lord
Come and bless the Lord our God
Come and bless our Savior
And enter in His inner courts with praises
And bless the Lord
Come and bless our Savior
And enter in His inner courts with praises
And bless the Lord
The song "God Bless" by Mary Mary is a call to worship. It urges listeners to come into the presence of God and offer praises to him. The repetitive nature of the lyrics reinforces the idea that worship is an ongoing activity that requires consistent effort and participation. The use of the phrase "inner courts" symbolizes a sacred and intimate space, where believers can commune with God.
The song is a reminder that worship is not just a ritual or a duty, but a personal and emotional expression of love and gratitude towards God. By inviting listeners to "come and bless the Lord," the song encourages a communal experience of worship, where people can lift up their voices and spirit together. The emphasis on the phrase "bless the Lord" highlights the idea that God is the source of all blessings and that our worship is an act of recognition and reverence toward his greatness.
Overall, "God Bless" is a powerful song that encourages believers to enter into a place of worship with an open heart and a spirit of praise and thanksgiving. It is a reminder that, despite the challenges and difficulties of life, we can always find hope and joy in the presence of God.
Line by Line Meaning
Come and bless the Lord our God
Let us praise and honor the Lord, our God
Come and bless our Savior
Let us praise and honor our Savior
And enter in His inner courts with praises
Let us show our gratitude by entering deeply into the presence of God and expressing our reverence through praises
And bless the Lord
And let us continue to bless the Lord and give Him the glory He deserves
Come and bless the Lord our God
Once again, let us bless the Lord, our God
Come and bless our Savior
Once again, let us bless our Savior
And enter in His inner courts with praises
Once again, let us enter deeply into the presence of God, offering our praises
And bless the Lord
And once again, let us bless the Lord and continue to give Him glory
Come and bless the Lord our God
For one final time, let us bless the Lord, our God
Come and bless our Savior
For one final time, let us bless our Savior
And enter in His inner courts with praises
For one final time, let us enter deeply into the presence of God, expressing our gratitude through praises
And bless the Lord
For one final time, let us bless the Lord and give Him the glory He deserves
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Mary Chapman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind