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.
stand still
Mary Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I remember like a lover can
But I forget it like a leaver will
It's no place you can get to by yourself
You've got to love someone and they love you
Time will stop for nothing else
The more we cling, the less we trust
And the less we trust, the more we hurt
And as time goes on, it just gets worse
So, baby, where's that place where time stood still?
It is under glass inside a frame
Was it over when you had your fill
And here we are with nothing
But this emptiness inside of us
Your smile a fitting, final gesture
Wish I could have loved you better
Baby, where's that place where time stands still?
I remember like a lover can
But I forget it like a leaver will
It's the first time that you held my had
It's the smell and the taste and the fear and the thrill
It's everything I understand
And all the things I never will
Mary Mary's "Stand Still" speaks of a particular place where time seemingly stands still. The singer of the song asks her lover where this place is - a place where she can escape time and forever cherish a memory that means so much to her. She has experienced it before and can remember the feeling like a lover can, but at times it slips away from her like a "leaver" would. The singer knows that the place where time stands still is not a place you can access by yourself; you need someone to love you and for you to love them in return. She believes that when you are with someone you love, time ceases to matter, and everything else in the world fades away.
The chorus of the song seems to lament the passage of time and how it affects our memories. Sometimes we cling onto memories so much that they become distorted and fade away. The more we hold onto them, the less we trust them, and the more it hurts us in the long run. The further time goes on, the more this pain intensifies. The song speaks of how memories play tricks on us, and how the only way to truly relive a memory is to be with someone we love and who loves us back.
"Stand Still" is not only a beautiful song because of its melody, but it also speaks to the human condition. It touches on our longing to hold onto memories and a deep desire for them to last forever. We never want to forget the moments that make us feel alive and loved. However, the passing of time ensures that our memories will fade away, and sometimes we will need to let go of them to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, where's that place where time stands still?
Asking where the place is where everything seems perfect and time seems to stop.
I remember like a lover can
Remembering with intense emotions and feelings, like a lover does.
But I forget it like a leaver will
Forgetting it just as quickly and easily as someone who leaves.
It's no place you can get to by yourself
This perfect place is not something one can achieve alone.
You've got to love someone and they love you
It can only be achieved through mutual, reciprocal love.
Time will stop for nothing else
Nothing else can pause or slow down time, only this kind of love.
And memory plays tricks on us
Memories can be unreliable and deceptive.
The more we cling, the less we trust
The tighter we hold onto memories, the less we believe in them.
And the less we trust, the more we hurt
The more we doubt our memories, the more it hurts us emotionally.
And as time goes on, it just gets worse
Over time, the pain and confusion only intensifies.
It is under glass inside a frame
That perfect place exists only as a memory, preserved like a picture.
Was it over when you had your fill
Wondering if that perfect love came to an end when one or both of them had enough.
And here we are with nothing
Now in the present, having lost that love, and currently having nothing.
But this emptiness inside of us
Feeling hollow and unfulfilled without that love.
Your smile a fitting, final gesture
Remembering their smile as a suitable farewell or goodbye.
Wish I could have loved you better
Regretting not loving them as best as they could have.
It's the first time that you held my hand
Recalling that perfect moment when they first expressed their love physically.
It's the smell and the taste and the fear and the thrill
Remembering all the intense sensations and emotions that accompanied that moment.
It's everything I understand
It represents everything they know and comprehend about love.
And all the things I never will
However, there are still many aspects of love that they do not understand or may never understand.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARY CARPENTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind