Mary, Did You Know?
"Mary, Did You Know?" is a Christmas song addressing Mary, mother of Jesus, with lyrics written by Mark Lowry in 1984, and music written by Buddy Greene in 1991. It was originally recorded by Christian recording artist Michael English on his self-titled debut solo album in 1991. At the time, English and Lowry were members of the Gaither Vocal Band, and Greene was touring with them.[1] The song reached Number 6 on CCM Magazine's Adult Contemporary Chart.[2] Lowry would record the song several times himself, most notably with the Gaither Vocal Band on their 1998 Christmas album, Still the Greatest Story Ever Told.
The song has since gone on to become a modern Christmas classic, recorded by hundreds of artists over the years, across multiple genres.[1] Different versions have reached the top ten in the Billboard R&B and Holiday charts.
Music and lyrics
"Mary, Did You Know?" was originally released in the key of E♭ minor, with a tempo of 53 beats per minute based around a chord progression of E♭m–D♭–A♭m7–B♭7sus4–B♭7 and is in the 4
4 meter.[3] The lyrics evolved from a series of questions that Lowry scripted for a Christmas program at his church:
I just tried to put into words the unfathomable. I started thinking of the questions I would have for her if I were to sit down & have coffee with Mary. You know, "What was it like raising God?" "What did you know?" "What didn't you know?"[1]
None of the questions are answered in the song. Instead, the lyrics poetically invite the listener to contemplate the relationship between Mary and her newborn divine son,[4] even if her faith and awareness did not yet include the details of what would unfold.[5]
The text has received criticism for perceived ambiguity or lack of scriptural or theological depth.[4][6] For example, Lutheran writer Holly Scheer, in addressing the rhetorical question of the song's title, wrote: "Anyone who has even a slight familiarity with the biblical account of Christ's conception and birth shouldn't need to ask if Mary knew, because the Bible plainly tells us she did."[7] Baptist theologian Michael Frost suggests it is the "most sexist Christmas song ever written... It treats her like a clueless child... Could you imagine a song asking Abraham 17 times if he knew he'd be the father of a great nation?"[8]
Kenny Rogers & Wynonna Judd version
| "Mary, Did You Know?" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Kenny Rogers & Wynonna Judd | ||||
| from the album The Gift | ||||
| Released | December 1996 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:53 | |||
| Label | Magnatone | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Mark Lowry, Buddy Greene | |||
| Producer(s) | Brent Maher, Jim McKell | |||
| Kenny Rogers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
A duet version, recorded by Wynonna Judd and Kenny Rogers on Rogers' holiday album The Gift, peaked at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1997.[9]
Chart positions
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[10] | 55 |
Clay Aiken version
| "Mary, Did You Know?" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Clay Aiken | ||||
| from the album Merry Christmas with Love | ||||
| Released | 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 2004 | |||
| Genre | Contemporary Christian music, Latin Pop | |||
| Length | 3:21 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Mark Lowry, Buddy Greene | |||
| Producer(s) | Walter Afanasieff | |||
| Clay Aiken singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Mary, Did You Know?" was Clay Aiken's fifth single from his 2004 Christmas album Merry Christmas with Love. Aiken performed the song on The Tyra Banks Show.[11]
Chart positions
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 35 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Christian Songs | 32 |
Cee Lo Green version
| "Mary, Did You Know?" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Cee Lo Green | |
| from the album Cee Lo's Magic Moment | |
| Released | 2012 |
| Recorded | 2012 |
| Genre | R&B |
| Length | 3:54 |
| Label | RCA |
| Songwriter(s) | Mark Lowry, Buddy Greene |
| Producer(s) | Adam Anders, Peer Åström |
"Mary, Did You Know?" is the eleventh track on Cee Lo's Christmas album Cee Lo's Magic Moment. On December 15, 2012, the song appeared on the US R&B Songs chart at number 22, and peaked three weeks later at number 9. This version is the slowest of all. It also served as the closing credits song to the 2014 20th Century Fox movie Son of God.
Chart positions
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Songs[12] | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[13] | 35 |
Pentatonix version
| "Mary, Did You Know?" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Pentatonix | |
| from the album That's Christmas to Me | |
| Released | October 17, 2014 |
| Recorded | 2012 |
| Genre | Ambient, a cappella |
| Length | 3:23 |
| Label | RCA |
| Songwriter(s) | Mark Lowry, Buddy Greene |
| Music video | |
| "Mary, Did You Know?" on YouTube | |
"Mary, Did You Know?" is the sixth track on Pentatonix's second Christmas album, That's Christmas to Me.[14] The song both debuted and peaked at No. 26 on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 6, 2014.
Chart positions
| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[15] | 47 |
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[16] | 44 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40)[17] | 39 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[18] | 26 |
Jordan Smith version
In 2015, Jordan Smith performed the song on The Voice's season nine finals. This version debuted and peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at No. 2 on the Billboard Holiday 100 chart on the week ending January 2, 2016.
Stage musical
The song was used as the basis for a stage musical, written by David Guthrie and Bruce Greer and also titled Mary, Did You Know?, which won the 1999 Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Musical of the Year.[19]
References
- "How Well Do You Know 'Mary Did You Know?'". Sheet Music Direct. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
an interview with the songwriter, Mark Lowry ... originally conducted by Martha Lyon for AbsolutelyGospel.com
- Brothers, Jeffrey Lee (2003). Hot hits: adult contemporary charts, 1978–2001 (1st ed.). Bloomington, IN: 1stBooks Library. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-4107-3294-1.
- "Mary Did You Know sheet music". Sheet Music Direct. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- McTeigue, Robert (December 9, 2015). "The Problem With 'Mary Did You Know'". Aleteia. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- Greydanus, Steven D. (December 24, 2015). "What Did Mary Know and When Did She Know It?". National Catholic Register. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- Arnold, Michelle (December 12, 2011). "Mary, Did You Know?". EWTN. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- Scheer, Holly (December 21, 2016). "Why 'Mary Did You Know' Is The Most Biblically Illiterate Christmas Tune". The Federalist. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- Frost, Michael (November 28, 2019). "Is this the least biblical, most sexist hymn ever written?". Retrieved December 5, 2019.
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p93355/charts-awards/billboard-singles
- "Kenny Rogers Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- Clay Aiken – Mary Did You Know – The Tyra Banks Show on YouTube
- "Hot R&B Songs". Billboard. January 5, 2013.
- "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. January 5, 2013.
- Official Video – Mary, Did You Know? - Pentatonix on YouTube
- "Austriancharts.at – Pentatonix – Mary, Did You Know?" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- "Pentatonix Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
- "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
- "Pentatonix Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
- Cusic, Don (2010). Encyclopedia of contemporary Christian music: pop, rock, and worship. ABC-CLIO. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-313-34425-1. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
