Mary, Did You Know? Explained

"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 six on CCM Magazine's Adult Contemporary Chart.[2] In 1993, the second singer (and first secular artist) to record the song was Country singer Kathy Mattea on her album Good News, which won the Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album.[3] 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. Several recordings have reached the top ten in various Billboard charts. The song encourages contemplation of the relationship between Mary and her son, although some religious commentators have criticized the lyrics.

Music and lyrics

"Mary, Did You Know?" was originally released in the key of E minor, with a tempo of 53 beats per minute in meter, based around a chord progression of Em–D–Am7–B7sus4–B7.[4] The lyrics evolved from a series of questions that Lowry scripted for a Christmas program at his church:

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, even if her faith and awareness did not yet include the details of what would unfold.[5]

The text has received both praise for reflecting the love of God, as well as criticism for perceived ambiguity or lack of theological depth.[6] [7] Baptist theologian Michael Frost suggested that it was 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] Robert McTeigue and Michelle Arnold, both Roman Catholic commentators, have questioned a particular line of text ("This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you") that might confuse or challenge the belief that Mary herself was conceived without sin.[6] [5] [7] On the other hand the Roman Catholic author Karl Erickson implored people to praise Mary, Did You Know? as a "beautiful expression of God’s love for all of us" and responded to criticism of the piece, stating that "Mary, Did You Know is a song and not a theological essay. Even as simple Christmas music, however, it does a fine job conveying the beauty and profound mystery of the Incarnation. Yes, there is some poetic license taken within the lyrics, but much less than is taken within innumerable other songs we are asked to sing regularly—Sing a New Church, for example."[9] Lutheran clergyman Timothy Koch states that criticism of the song is unwarranted because Mary, Did You Know? is simply poetry using rhetorical questions and that it is "actually communicating to the singer and hearer the truths about Jesus", including doctrines of salvation, homoousious, and the theotokos.[10]

In 2017, Toronto-based theologian Jennifer Henry wrote new lyrics that address the criticisms and echo Mary's words from the biblical Magnificat.[11] These new lyrics have begun to spread in religious settings.[12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

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.[18]

Charted cover recordings

Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd (1996)

Mary, Did You Know?
Type:single
Artist:Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd
Album:The Gift
Genre:Country
Length:3:53
Label:Magnatone
Producer:Brent Maher, Jim McKell
Chronology:Kenny Rogers
Prev Title:I'll Be There for You
Prev Year:1992
Next Title:The Greatest
Next Year:1999

A duet, 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.

Chart positions

Clay Aiken (2004)

Mary, Did You Know?
Type:single
Artist:Clay Aiken
Album:Merry Christmas with Love
Released:2005
Recorded:2004
Genre:Contemporary Christian music, Latin Pop
Label:RCA
Producer:Walter Afanasieff
Prev Title:Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Prev Year:2005
Next Title:Without You
Next Year:2006

"Mary, Did You Know?" is the fifth single from Clay Aiken's 2004 Christmas album Merry Christmas with Love. Aiken performed the song on The Tyra Banks Show.

Chart positions

Chart (2005)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks35
U.S. Billboard Hot Christian Songs32

CeeLo Green (2012)

Mary, Did You Know?
Type:single
Artist:CeeLo Green
Album:Cee Lo's Magic Moment
Recorded:2012
Genre:R&B
Label:RCA
Producer:Adam Anders, Peer Åström

"Mary, Did You Know?" is the eleventh track on CeeLo Green's Christmas album Cee Lo's Magic Moment. On December 15, 2012, the song appeared on the US R&B Songs chart at No. 22 and peaked three weeks later at No. 9. This version is the slowest of all. A remixed version 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[19] 9
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[20] 35

Pentatonix (2014)

Mary, Did You Know?
Type:single
Artist:Pentatonix
Album:That's Christmas to Me
Recorded:2012
Genre:Ambient, a cappella
Label:RCA

"Mary, Did You Know?" is the sixth track on Pentatonix's second Christmas album, That's Christmas to Me. 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 (2014-2022)Peak
position
Global 200 (Billboard)180
US Holiday 100 (Billboard)[21] 1

Jordan Smith (2015)

In 2015, Jordan Smith performed the song on the season nine finals of The Voice (U.S.). This version debuted and peaked at No. 24 on Billboards Hot 100 chart and at No. 2 on its Holiday 100 chart in the week ending January 2, 2016.

Zara Larsson (2017)

Mary, Did You Know?
Type:song
Artist:Zara Larsson
Album:The Star (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Genre:Christmas
Label:Epic Records
Producer:Ron Fair

In 2017, Zara Larsson's cover of the song was included in the soundtrack to the film The Star, released on October 27, 2017.[22] The cover went on to peak at number 55 on the Swedish charts during the 2018 holiday period, making another appearance for one week in 2019 at number 87.[23]

Carrie Underwood (2020)

In 2020, Carrie Underwood included the song as the eighth track on her debut Christmas album, My Gift. Underwood's version charted on Billboards Hot Christian Songs, peaking at No. 31. Underwood performed the song on The Kelly Clarkson Show.[24]

Dolly Parton (2020)

Mary, Did You Know?
Type:single
Artist:Dolly Parton
Album:A Holly Dolly Christmas
Genre:Christmas
Producer:Kent Wells
Chronology:Dolly Parton
Prev Title:When Life Is Good Again
Prev Year:2020
Next Title:I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Next Year:2020

In 2020, Dolly Parton covered the song on her album A Holly Dolly Christmas. It was released as the first single from the album on August 21, 2020. Parton performed the song for the first time during a livestream event on Amazon Music on November 13, 2020. She also performed the song during NBC's annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center tree-lighting ceremony on December 2 and again during her CBS special A Holly Dolly Christmas on December 6. Parton's version of the song peaked at number 49 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart[25] and number 18 on the Billboard Christian Digital Song Sales chart.[26]

Chart positions

Maverick City Music (2022)

Mary Did You Know?
Type:single
Artist:Maverick City Music featuring Chandler Moore, Lizzie Morgan and Mav City Gospel Choir
Album:A Very Maverick Christmas
Genre:Worship
Length:2:54
Label:Tribl
Producer:
Chronology:Maverick City Music
Prev Title:Fear Is Not My Future
Prev Year:2022

Maverick City Music's version of "Mary Did You Know?" impacted Christian radio in the United States on November 25, 2022, becoming the first single from the album.[27] Maverick City Music released the radio version of "Mary Did You Know?" On December 2, 2022.[28]

Chart (2022)! scope="col"
Peak
position
US Christian AC (Billboard)[29] 8
US Gospel Songs (Billboard)[30] 7

Notes and References

  1. Web site: How Well Do You Know 'Mary Did You Know?' . Sheet Music Direct . December 30, 2018. an interview with the songwriter, Mark Lowry ... originally conducted by Martha Lyon for AbsolutelyGospel.com.
  2. Book: Brothers. Jeffrey Lee. Hot hits: adult contemporary charts, 1978–2001. 2003. 1st Books Library. Bloomington, IN. 978-1-4107-3294-1. 86. 1st .
  3. Web site: Mary, Did You Know? by Kathy Mattea . SecondHandSongs.com . en.
  4. Web site: Mary Did You Know sheet music . Sheet Music Direct . September 13, 2018.
  5. Web site: What Did Mary Know and When Did She Know It? . Steven D. . Greydanus . . December 24, 2015 . December 30, 2018.
  6. Web site: McTeigue . Robert . The Problem With 'Mary Did You Know' . . December 9, 2015 . November 27, 2017.
  7. Web site: Mary, Did You Know? . https://web.archive.org/web/20171201040447/http://www.ewtn.com/v/experts/showmessage.asp?number=614345 . Michelle . Arnold. EWTN . December 12, 2011 . December 1, 2017 . dead.
  8. Web site: Frost . Michael . Michael Frost (minister) . Is this the least biblical, most sexist hymn ever written? . November 28, 2019 . December 5, 2019.
  9. Web site: What Did Mary Know?. Erickson. Karl . 30 December 2015. Catholic 365. English. 27 November 2017.
  10. Web site: Koch . Timothy . Hold the Snark: An Apologetic for "Mary, Did You Know?" . The Beggars Blog . 22 December 2022 . English . 14 December 2017.
  11. Web site: Henry . Jennifer . Mary, did you know... . Church of the Holy Trinity, Toronto . December 14, 2020 . December 4, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20210918160716/https://holytrinity.to/2017/12/mary-did-you-know/ . 2021-09-18 .
  12. Web site: Winkel . Karen . Mary Knew! . Community Spirit Church, Montrose, Colorado . December 15, 2019 . December 14, 2020.
  13. Web site: Schott . Lee Roorda . Rethinking Merry Gentlemen and Other Carols . December 11, 2019 . Valley United Methodist Church, West Des Moines, Iowa . December 14, 2020.
  14. Web site: Wilcox . Diana L. . Of Course Mary Knew! . Christ Episcopal Church, Bloomfield & Glen Ridge, New Jersey . December 15, 2019 . December 14, 2020.
  15. Web site: Findley . Kathy Manis . Mary's Spirit Song . God of the Sparrow . December 14, 2019 . December 14, 2020.
  16. Web site: deVega . Magrey . Midweek Message: Mary's Spirit Song . Hyde Park United Methodist Church, Tampa . December 14, 2020 . December 20, 2019.
  17. Web site: Lige . Eric . Mary Did You Know (reworked lyrics by Jennifer Henry) . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/gIOnze1N3XQ . 2021-12-21 . live. Youtube . The Ethnos Project, San Diego . December 7, 2020 . December 14, 2020.
  18. Book: Cusic, Don . Encyclopedia of contemporary Christian music: pop, rock, and worship. June 7, 2011. 2010. ABC-CLIO. 978-0-313-34425-1. 141.
  19. Hot R&B Songs . Billboard . January 5, 2013.
  20. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs . Billboard . January 5, 2013.
  21. Pentatonix Chart History - Holiday 100. . December 29, 2021.
  22. Web site: Hermanson . Wendy . 'The Star' Soundtrack Features Kelsea Ballerini, Jake Owen, More . Taste of Country . 14 October 2017 . 22 March 2022.
  23. Web site: Zara Larsson - Mary, Did You Know? . Swedish Charts . 22 March 2022.
  24. Web site: December 19, 2020. Matthew. Wilson. Carrie Underwood Sings 'Mary, Did You Know?' on Kelly Clarkson Show. December 27, 2020. Outsider.
  25. Dolly Parton Chart History (Hot Christian Songs) . Billboard . December 15, 2020.
  26. Dolly Parton Chart History (Christian Digital Song Sales) . Billboard . December 10, 2020.
  27. Web site: Future Releases for Christian Radio Stations Free New Songs from Music Artists . AllAccess.com . December 4, 2022 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20221124041714/https://www.allaccess.com/christian/future-releases . November 24, 2022.
  28. Web site: Mary Did You Know? (Radio Version) (Single) by Maverick City Music CD Reviews And Information NewReleaseToday.com . Ford . Bradden . December 2, 2022 . NewReleaseToday . December 4, 2022 . live . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221204131209/https://www.newreleasetoday.com/albumdetail.php?album_id=29292 . December 4, 2022 .
  29. Maverick City Music Chart History (Christian AC Airplay) . . December 28, 2022.
  30. Maverick City Music Chart History (Hot Gospel Songs) . Billboard . December 28, 2022.