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Did You Know?
This is a favorite Christmas song of mine. After all, it is “the Reason for the Season”. This is my fourth Play for Us submission since joining TAC nine months ago.
Here’s the history behind the song.
“Mary, Did You Know?” is a contemporary Christmas song directed towards Mary, mother of Jesus, with lyrics written by Mark Lowry in 1984, and music composed by Buddy Greene in 1991. Mark Lowry’s song idea came to while working on a Christmas Program in 1984. He recalled a conversation he had with his own mother about Jesus’ birth where she said, “If anyone on earth knew for sure that Jesus was virgin born–Mary knew!”Mark spent seven years tweaking his lyrics and thinking about what he would have asked Mary if he’d met her. In 1991, he asked a friend, Buddy Greene, to write music to accompany his lyrics. Buddy thought about what the music should be for about two weeks before the answer hit him. He sat down to write the music and finished in a mere 30 minutes.
It was first recorded by Christian recording artist Michael English on his self-titled debut solo album in 1991. At the time, English and Lowry were part of the Gaither Vocal Band, and Greene was touring with them. The song reached Number 6 on CCM Magazine’s Adult Contemporary Chart. 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”.This song has since gone on to become a modern Christmas classic, performed by hundreds of artists over the years, across various genres. It has since gone on to be one of the most beloved modern Christmas songs. Many famous musicians have gone on to record it as Kenny Rodgers & Wynonna Judd (1996), Clay Aiken (2004), Pentatonix (2014), Carrie Underwood (2020), and Dolly Parton (2020) to just name a few.
It may surprise you that Mark Lowry wrote “Mary Did You Know?” especially if you know him for his comedy. Mark Lowry, however, is much more than a humorist. He’s been an entertainer since he was eleven, growing up in Houston, Texas. -
14 Replies
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Bravo! Very well done @Guitargeezer-Jack Really enjoyed it. 😊🧙♂️😎
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Appreciate it greatly Marty!
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That was awesome Guitargeezer-Jack! 👏 Thanks for the story behind the song.
Merry Christmas! 🌲
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Thank you. Doing this song was “food” for my soul. A very Merry Christmas to you and yours @stevieblues !
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Wow – music and a story all in one. A great song really nicely played and you have a great voice! Thanks for posting and here’s to more to come.
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Much appreciated @Moonhare – I enjoy learning the history behind musical compositions and the lyrics. Looking forward to hearing your next one too!
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Really beautiful @Guitargeezer! Lovely touch with the creche too… 🌟
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What a beautiful song and thanks for the narrative !
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@Guitargeezer-Jack That was beautiful! I must say I really enjoyed the history lesson about how the Song developed and the many artists who have performed this song. I feel blessed listening to your rendition of this song. Thank you for taking the time to share. 👏👏
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Very nice jack
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Reflecting on 2021, as I have now completed 9 months as a TAC member, I am grateful to have discovered Tony’s Acoustic Challenge and the many contacts made in the forums. Very much appreciate the additional comments made by @Marisa, @Dirk_R, @MarkD66 and @Fly. Looking forward to further instruction by Tony as well as learning from YOU, my fellow TACers in 2022.
Learning to play guitar has been an effective “antidepressant” for me during this prolonged pandemic!
Let’s all have a personally rewarding New Year ahead.
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agreed!
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Another great job @Guitargeezer-Jack .
MG 😀
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Thanks Mike! I’m working on a totally different type of song now. Mirrors our current times. 🤔
Will look for you at this Wednesday’s TAC Progress Party!
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