When considering the origin story of Christmas, the song, “Mary, Did You Know?” comes quickly to mind. While the holiday, which celebrates the birth of the historical and religious figure Jesus Christ, has become a popular day for gift-giving, it is also, if you share in this faith, the day that changed the course of history.
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And the song, “Mary, Did You Know?” is all about that change and whether Christ’s mother, Mary, had any idea what her actions as a mother might have on the world.
Let’s dive into more about the song, which has since been covered myriad times by artists from Dolly Parton to Clay Aiken, and its composers.
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The Song’s Original Writers
The song’s lyrics were written by Mark Lowry in 1984 and the music was composed by gospel artist Buddy Greene in 1991. The track was recorded first by Christian artist Michael English on his self-titled debut solo album, also in 1991. That song hit No. 6 on the Contemporary Christian Music Magazine Adult Contemporary Chart.
Before that first official release, Lowry and English, whose highest charting song was the 1996 top 10 Adult Contemporary song “You Love Amazes Me,” were both members of the Gaither Vocal Band. And Greene was also on tour with them.
Lowry, who was both a comedian and a musician who released 12 albums, later recorded the song several times himself, including with the Gaither Vocal Band on the 1998 Christmas LP, Still the Greatest Story Ever Told.
The Composition Itself
The song’s lyrics are largely comprised of a series of questions that Lowry wrote first for a Christmas program at his church. “I just tried to put into words the unfathomable,” Lowry said to AbsolutelyGospel.com. “I started thinking of the questions I would have for her if I were to sit down and have coffee with Mary. You know, ‘What was it like raising God? What did you know? What didn’t you know?’”
While the questions are not answered by Mary or any other character, the voicing of them allows the listener to wonder what was happening in real-time by real-life people at this crucial moment in religious history. In this way, they make the listener wonder how they would have reacted at the moment, and what they might have been thinking had they been in Mary’s shoes.
Some Criticism
While the song is largely beloved, it has also garnered some criticism, namely for infantilizing Mary. Theologian Michael Frost said it is the “most sexist Christmas song ever written” and that it “treats [Mary] like a clueless child.” He adds, “Could you imagine a song asking Abraham 17 times if he knew he’d be the father of a great nation?”
On the other side of the coin, Roman Catholic author Karl Erickson said the song is a “beautiful expression of God’s love for all of us.” He added, “‘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.”
In 2017, the Toronto-based theologian Jennifer Henry wrote new lyrics that attempt to address the criticisms the song has garnered. The song has also been used as the basis for the stage musical written by David Guthrie and Bruce Greer called, Mary, Did You Know? The musical won the 1999 Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Musical of the Year.
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Cover Renditions
Over the years, some of the biggest names in music have performed covers of “Mary, Did You Know?”
Those artists include Wynonna Judd and Kenny Rogers for Rogers’ holiday album, The Gift. Their rendition hit No. 55 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1997.
Other cover versions include one by Clay Aiken on his 2004 Christmas album, Merry Christmas with Love. CeeLo Green’s 2012 Christmas album, CeeLo’s Magic Moment, also includes the song. Pentatonix recorded a version on their second Christmas album, That’s Christmas to Me, in 2014. Carrie Underwood released a version in 2020 on her album, My Gift.
And last but certainly not least, Dolly Parton covered the song for her 2020 LP, A Holly Dolly Christmas.
Photo by Guildhall Library & Art Gallery/Heritage Images/Getty Images
