Here’s the story behind ‘Mary, Did You Know?’

Lynchburg, Va., is the birthplace of the smash holiday song “Mary, Did You Know?” The tune was associated with the legendary Thomas Road Baptist Church, founded by the Rev. Jerry L. Falwell Sr.

 

One of his Christmas creations, launched in 1970, was “a Broadway-style Christmas program that, for decades, was known as The Living Christmas Tree. The choir would stand, like live ornaments, in a large tree-shaped loft and fill the sanctuary auditorium with the beautiful sounds of Christmas,” according to the Rev. Tyler Scarlett, pastor of the Forest (Va.) Baptist Church.

 

Researching Christmas carols is one of Rev. Scarlett’s hobbies.

“In 1984, as preparations were being made for that year’s Living Christmas Tree, Dr. Falwell asked one of his church members to write the program. The virtually unknown singer-songwriter was Mark Lowry,” Rev. Scarlett said. 

Lowry was born in 1958 in Houston, Texas, and came to Lynchburg to attend Rev. Falwell’s Liberty Baptist College (now named Liberty University.) While a student, Lowry joined a college evangelistic team and began singing in the church. 

“In his efforts to write a memorable Living Christmas Tree program,” Rev. Scarlett said, “Lowry took popular Christmas carols and hymns and interspersed them with (dramatic) dialogue. While he was struggling to capture the wonder and amazement of the first Christmas, it was his mother, Bev, who gave him the spark of an original idea.” 

“In a casual conversation, one day, she simply commented to Mark, ‘You know, if anyone knew (Jesus) was virgin born, it was Mary…and her silence at the cross is proof, I think, that her story was indeed true.’” 

“That simple observation,” Rev. Scarlett continued, “unleashed a torrent of questions and thoughts in Lowry’s mind about Jesus’ mother.” 

“Lowry’s reflections became the dialogue. What started as a mere play, though, was begging to become a song. There was only one piece missing: the music. Lowry spent years trying to track down the right notes to cradle his lyrical baby. Believe it or not, it was not until seven years later that the lyrics found a musical home,” Rev. Scarlett said.

“Lowry pitched the lyrics to a gospel music songwriter, Buddy Greene. Greene, born in 1953 in Macon, Ga., was well-known as an expert harmonica player but also as a staple of the Southern Gospel music scene. He had an ear for timeless tunes.”

 

 

 

Lowry shared his song idea and lyrics with Greene, and almost instantly, Greene crafted a tune “that fit the lyrics perfectly,” Rev. Scarlett said. 

“By this time, in 1991, Lowry was singing and touring fulltime with The Gaither Vocal Band. He felt like the song was too ‘rangy’ for his personal abilities but had one singer in mind to record it: Michael English.”

 

“English’s debut album featuring ‘Mary, Did You Know?’ had a seasonally unfortunate release date of Jan. 1, 1992. Though it made its first appearance after Christmas, the song was an instant hit that insured its longevity,” Rev. Scarlett said. 

For years, Lowry refused to sing the song publicly, thinking it was beyond his ability and musical comfort zone. However, one night during a Gaither concert in Detroit, an audience member yelled out for him to sing ‘Mary Did You Know?’” 

Lowry politely declined, but the crowd cheered and chanted, encouraging him to try. Lowry indulged the audience with an impromptu, acapella rendition. 

“Since then,” Lowry said, “I’ve sung it every night.” 

Rev. Scarlett remarked: “While so many modern Christmas songs focus on ‘the season,’ Lowry’s timeless work is a refreshing reminder of its ‘reason.’” 

Mary knew.