“This CD is about accepting and embracing each other’s differences, and many of the songs speak to those issues,” said Chanelle. “Our message is that God will bring you to a place of acceptance and love, and there is so much power and freedom in that,” concludes Chanelle. “Throughout our career we were always trying to please everyone, we wanted people to like us and accept what we were trying to do,” added Angel. “We have gone through so much and fought so hard to get to the place where we love who we are and know that God made us who we are. We are no longer trying to conform to someone else’s idea about who we should be. We believe that is reflected in the music on our new CD.”
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Trin-i-tee 5:7 is a contemporary gospel trio from New Orleans, Louisiana. The group was inspired by R&B girl groups such as Destiny's Child and TLC. They debuted in 1998 with a self-titled album. In 1997 the New Orleans-based gospel group comprised of high school students Angel Taylor, Chanelle Hayes, and Terri Brown, was brought to the attention of gospel label GospoCentric Records by their manager Kenneth Grant. Label owner Viki Mack Lataillade pictured them crossing over to urban market as her flagship artist Kirk Franklin had four years before. "A great deal of attention was put into their imaging because there's a fine line you have to walk with female talent with relation to church and secular audiences as well," Lataillade told Billboard magazine in 1998. "Nobody wants to think a female group is not clear about who they are and what they're singing about. They had to be attractive and trendy, but a class act as well." The label named the group Trin-i-tee 5:7 based on 1 John 5:7 biblical scripture that refers to the Trinity. The group's self titled debut project was produced in 1998 by R. Kelly and Kirk Franklin. With preorders of 100,000 copies and an aggressive urban marketing campaign, the project debuted at No. 3 on the gospel charts and eventually stepped up to the top slot. It also reached the R&B Top 20 charts and was eventually certified gold. The album created two gospel radio hits in "Mary Don't You Weep" and "God's Grace." The CD would go on to spend 7 weeks at #1 on Billboard's Top Gospel Album chart, over 30 weeks in the Top on Billboard's Contemporary Christian chart, and almost 50 weeks on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart. Terri Brown left the group in mid-1999 and was replaced before their second album, Spiritual Love, by the group's make up artist Adrian Anderson. In 2000 the group issued their second project, Spiritual Love which featured the big hits "Put Your Hands" and "My Body", which charted in the UK charts also. "Our videos and our music are really different from most of what's out in the music industry today," says Angel. "We want to convey hope and positiveness and that's really who we are. The more popular we become, the more attention will be focused on our personal lives. I think the best thing we can do is show the world what Christianity is all about through the way we live our own lives." The album featured collaborations with gospel artists such as Kirk Franklin, Tramaine Hawkins, Crystal Lewis, and Natalie Wilson (founder of the S.O.P Chorale). Unlike their first two CDs, The Kiss did not feature any production from R. Kelly, as the group had by necessity disassociated themselves from him after several controversies and scandals attached themselves to his name. By the time the group's The Kiss CD was issued in 2002, they were having issues with GospoCentric. The urban radio track "Holla" didn't get the urban radio push they felt the song merited. All their past singles at least made it to the lower reaches of the R&B charts. During that period Kenneth Grant left his post as manager, and the group sought to be released from the deal, but the company refused. Pop star Brandy's mother and manager, Sonja Norwood, took over management and brought the group to a higher level of respect by booking them on major non-gospel television shows. However, she eventually turned the management over to Beyonce's father and manager, Mathew Knowles.
My Body
Trin-i-tee 5:7 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Games
Not goin' out like that let me explain
Tryin' to save myself don't pressure me
My spirit leads me to celibacy
I have to just be real and I know it's fair
I want to please my God and I don't care
You can just leave now but if you stay
If this is love then you can take it
If this is not then don't ya fake it
My body is the Lord's temple
Don't mess with me God's property
It ain't that bad if you try to see
His perfect will is all that I need
My body is the Lord's temple
Don't mess with me God's property
What part of no don't you seem to
Understand
I just can't move that fast it's not His plan
I'm not ashamed to do what I know is right
His yoke is easy and His burden's light
Momma sat me down and she would say
Just trust in the Lord and Him only
No disrespect but I can't be with you
And try to serve the Lord in honesty too
My body is God's body
No it ain't your property
Jesus died on Calvary
Just to save someone like me
Who am I to betray His love
Tell ya what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna pray fo you
The lyrics of Trin-i-tee 5:7's song My Body are an expression of the singer's desire to save herself for God and follow His perfect will. She refuses to engage in physical intimacy with her partner, asserting that her body is God's temple and no one should mess with it. She pleads with her partner to respect her wishes and not deceive her if he is not truly in love with her.
She is not afraid to be honest about her beliefs, as her spirit leads her to celibacy. She is not playing games with her partner and will not compromise her relationship with God to please him. She explains that it is not His plan for her to move that fast physically and she is not ashamed to do what she knows is right.
The singer's mother's words of wisdom guide her decision to trust in the Lord and Him only. Even though the singer refuses her partner's advances, she still shows compassion and promises to pray for him, indicating that her faith and love for God extend to those around her.
Overall, the lyrics of My Body are an empowering statement of self-worth and devotion to God, refusing to allow others to treat one's body as anything less than sacred.
Line by Line Meaning
Who do you think I am I don't play these Games
I won't let you play games with me or try to pressure me into doing something I don't want to do.
Not goin' out like that let me explain
I won't leave without telling you why I want to save myself and why it's important to me.
Tryin' to save myself don't pressure me
I'm trying to stay pure and celibate, and I don't want you to force or pressure me into anything else.
My spirit leads me to celibacy
My faith and beliefs lead me to stay celibate until marriage.
I have to just be real and I know it's fair
I have to be honest with you about my values and beliefs, and I believe it's fair to be truthful.
I want to please my God and I don't care
My ultimate goal is to please God, and I'm not worried about pleasing anyone else who doesn't align with that goal.
You can just leave now but if you stay
You have the choice to leave now, but if you choose to stay, you need to respect my decision and values.
There's gonna be no other way
There's no other option besides respecting my decision and values if you choose to stay.
If this is love then you can take it
If your love for me is true and real, you will accept and respect my decision to stay celibate.
If this is not then don't ya fake it
If your love for me isn't real, don't try to pretend or fake it just to try and change my mind.
My body is the Lord's temple
I believe my body is a sacred temple given to me by God, and I want to keep it pure and clean.
Don't mess with me God's property
My body belongs to God and I won't let anyone disrespect or harm it.
It ain't that bad if you try to see
Staying celibate isn't as hard as it may seem if you try to understand and respect my decision.
His perfect will is all that I need
God's will for my life is more important than anything else, and I trust that staying celibate is His plan for me.
What part of no don't you seem to Understand
I've already said no, and I don't understand why you continue to pressure me or try to change my mind.
I just can't move that fast it's not His plan
I can't rush into anything physical, as it goes against my faith and what I believe is God's plan for me.
I'm not ashamed to do what I know is right
I'm confident and unashamed in my decision to stay celibate and follow what I believe is right for me.
His yoke is easy and His burden's light
Following God's will may seem difficult, but I trust that His way is easy and light compared to the weight of going against His plan.
Momma sat me down and she would say
My mother taught me the importance of trusting in God and staying true to my values.
Just trust in the Lord and Him only
My mother emphasized the importance of putting my trust in God and following His plans for my life.
No disrespect but I can't be with you
I don't mean any disrespect, but I can't be with someone who doesn't respect my decision to stay celibate.
And try to serve the Lord in honesty too
I can't stay true to my faith and serve God honestly if I'm with someone who can't respect my beliefs.
My body is God's body
I believe that my body is a sacred creation of God, and I want to honor and respect it accordingly.
No it ain't your property
My body belongs to me and God, and I won't let anyone else try to claim ownership or control over it.
Jesus died on Calvary
I believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that His sacrifice is the ultimate expression of love.
Just to save someone like me
I believe that Jesus died to save me and that His love and sacrifice inspire me to live my life in a way that honors Him.
Who am I to betray His love
I don't want to dishonor the love that Jesus showed by betraying my own values and beliefs.
Tell ya what I'm gonna do
I'm going to pray for you and hope that you can respect and understand my decision to stay celibate.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TRAVON M. POTTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind