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.
Ordinary People
Mary Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm just ordinary people
Who found extraordinary love
Sometimes it's hard to believe
That God keeps loving me so much
There are so many people I look up to
Used to tell them I want to be just
Then God took ordinary me
And gave me a chance
And everyday I gotta thank him for
Where I am
[Chorus]
I looked in the mirror, I saw average
You looked down from heaven, you saw
A gift
Still can't figure out why you
Loved me so but that's what makes
You God
I'll never know cause
[Chorus]
Listen to me, I can tell you how it goes
God can take a nobody
Who no one knows
Make `em more than you ever could be
Ask me how I know, he did it for me
[Chorus]
The song "Ordinary People" by Mary Mary is a song about the gratitude and amazement of receiving God's love despite being an ordinary person. The chorus repeats the phrase "I'm just ordinary people who found extraordinary love" which emphasizes the contrasting concept between an average person and an exceptional love. The verse mentions how the singer used to admire other people and wished to be like them. However, God gave her an opportunity to be more than just average and she appreciates that every day. The idea behind this song is that God can take someone ordinary and make them into something magnificent.
The lyrics also touch upon the mystery of why God loves and chooses to bless a person. The line "Still can't figure out why you loved me so but that's what makes you God" suggests that this is a question that may never be fully answered. It reveals the wonder and awe that is felt when understanding the grace and mercy of God. The final verse serves almost like a testimony to God's power, stating that he can take a nobody and make them into something extraordinary. The song overall is a positive message of hope and faith that God can take anyone, despite their flaws or status, and use them for good.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just ordinary people
Despite what others may believe or expect of me, I am just like everyone else.
Who found extraordinary love
Even though I am ordinary, I have been blessed with an extraordinary kind of love.
Sometimes it's hard to believe
That God keeps loving me so much
At times, it may be difficult for me to comprehend the extent of God's love and how he continually shows me that love.
There are so many people I look up to
Used to tell them I want to be just
Like you
In the past, I looked up to and wanted to be like certain people I admired.
Then God took ordinary me
And gave me a chance
And everyday I gotta thank him for
Where I am
However, God chose to use someone as ordinary as me and gave me an opportunity to be where I am today. I am grateful for this every day.
I looked in the mirror, I saw average
You looked down from heaven, you saw
A gift
Still can't figure out why you
Loved me so but that's what makes
You God
I'll never know cause
When I look at myself, I see an average person. But when God looks at me from his heavenly perspective, he sees a special gift. I may never fully understand why he loves me so much, but that is what makes him God.
Listen to me, I can tell you how it goes
God can take a nobody
Who no one knows
Make `em more than you ever could be
Ask me how I know, he did it for me
I want to share with you that God can take someone who is a nobody and unknown to the world, and turn them into more than anyone could have imagined. I know this firsthand because he did it for me.
I'm just ordinary people
Who found extraordinary love
Sometimes it's hard to believe
That God keeps loving me so much
I may be just an ordinary person, but I have received an extraordinary kind of love from God. Sometimes, it is hard to believe the depth of his love for me.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERICA ATKINS-CAMPBELL, ERICA MONIQUE ATKINS-CAMPBELL, TRECINA ATKINS-CAMPBELL, CHARLES BEREAL, CHARLES W BEREAL, KENNETH BEREAL, KENNETH M. BEREAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yahosaphat
Man they sung the heck out this song!!!!! And that beat just make it hella DOPE!!!!
Naomi Estrada
Itβs 2020 and this song can still never get played out
Sekayna Mitchell
Classic tunes NEVER dieππ₯°
Ella Presley
I love, love this song. I'm amazed at God's love for us!!
Shivon Bedford
GOD ONLY HAS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Punkverseβ‘
Ella Presley me toooooo
Patroba Ojwang
such a powerful Mary Mary track and i like it that much.
Tanesia Boston
I love your music Mary Mary. =) It means alot to me and other people im pretty sure.
Shavoris Veal
God is good all the time!!ππΎππΎππΎβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈππππ
Melissa Robinson
love the beat, its pumping
even after so many years