| Mary Had a Little Boy | |
| Cover: | Mary_Had_a_Little_Boy_Snap.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Snap! |
| Album: | World Power |
| B-Side: | Remix |
| Released: | 10 December 1990 |
| Genre: | Eurodance, hip-house |
| Length: | 3:41 (Radio Edit) |
| Label: | Logic Records |
| Producer: |
|
| Prev Title: | Cult of Snap |
| Prev Year: | 1990 |
| Next Title: | Megamix |
| Next Year: | 1991 |
"Mary Had a Little Boy" is a song recorded by German Eurodance group Snap!, released in December 1990 by Logic Records as the fourth and final single from their debut studio album, World Power (1990). The song features vocals by Penny Ford, who also co-wrote the lyrics, and reached number-one in Zimbabwe and on the RPM Dance/Urban chart in Canada. Its lyrics are based on the nineteenth century nursery rhyme, Mary Had a Little Lamb. The chorus includes the line "Mary had a little boy, little did she know; and everywhere that Mary went, the little boy was sure to go". The music video for the song was directed by James Hudson and filmed in London. The song was re-recorded and included on their 2003 remix album The Cult of Snap! featuring Milky & 2NF.
"Mary Had a Little Boy" was quite successful on the charts on several continents, peaking at number-one in Zimbabwe and on the RPM Dance/Urban chart in Canada. In Europe, it peaked within the top 10 in Austria (9), Belgian Flanders (7), Finland (9), Germany (4), Ireland (10), the Netherlands (2), Spain (6), Sweden (7), Switzerland (4) and the United Kingdom. In the latter, the single reached number eight in its third week on the UK Singles Chart, on December 16, 1990.[1] It spent two weeks at that position. Additionally, it entered the top 20 in Italy, reaching number 19. In the US, "Mary Had a Little Boy" charted on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, peaking at number four. In New Zealand and Australia, it went to number 13 and 18, respectively.
AllMusic editor Andrew Hamilton constated that Penny Ford's "telling vocal and the story line" on the song make it "the most accessible cut" on the World Power album.[2] Larry Flick from Billboard complimented it as a "fairly appealing hip-houser".[3] Push from Melody Maker viewed it as "funky".[4] Another Melody Maker editor, Andrew Smith, described it as "pure European house", "on the acceptable, if rather bland".[5] Pan-European magazine Music & Media declared it as an "irresistable, [sic] nervous dance track based on a wicked, sticking tune."[6] James Hamilton from Music Week called it a nursery rhyme paraphrasing singalong".[7] Timmy Mallett reviewed the song for Smash Hits, commenting, "This is really good." He added, "It's the sort of record I'd dance to, but it does sound as though they're scraping the barrel by doing what is basically a nursery rhyme."[8]
A music video was released to promote the single. Filmed at Westway Studios in London, it was directed by James Hudson and produced by Nick Verden for Radar Films. The video received heavy rotation on MTV Europe,[9] and was later made available on Snap!'s official YouTube channel in 2011. As of February 2024, the video had generated more than seven million views.[10]
| Chart (1990-1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Dance/Urban (RPM) | 1 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[12] | 9 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[13] | 10 |
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[14] | 19 |
| Spain (AFYVE)[15] | 6 |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[16] | 4 |
| Zimbabwe (ZIMA)[17] | 1 |
| Chart (1991) | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[18] | 100 | |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[19] | 70 | |
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[20] | 43 | |
| Europe (European Hit Radio)[21] | 99 | |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[22] | 35 | |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[23] | 49 | |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[24] | 93 |
List of RPM number-one dance singles of 1991