Take Me as I Am (song)

"Take Me As I Am" is the fourth U.S. single released from Mary J. Blige's seventh studio album The Breakthrough (2005). It samples Lonnie Liston Smith's 1979 "Garden of Peace" from his 1979 album Dreams of Tomorrow. Smith has said of all the artists who have sampled his song ( Jay-Z twice and Stacie Orrico^{[citation needed]});

"Mary J. really captured my original feel with this song, and it sends a very important message to today's young ladies. Be confident in yourself, stay true to yourself, and not what others say or want you to be!".^[1]

It debuted on the U.S. Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in August 2006, and has peaked at number three.

1 Music video
2 Song information
3 Charts
4 References

[edit] Music video

The video for the song was directed by Bille Woodruff. It has premiered on BET's 106 & Park in September 2006 at number nine. The single was not released in the United Kingdom.

In "Take Me As I Am", Mary portrays many ladies. Mary is a waitress/dishwasher getting her children ready for work and also trying to get her man a job. Next Mary is a professional photographer taking pictures of model Mary. Model Mary is replaced by an Anglo model due to a tabloid report of a breakdown. Photographer Mary is then sexually harassed and walks out; while model Mary overdoses drugs in the bathroom of the photo shoot set. In another scene another character Mary is at lunch with her date. The date refuses to allow Mary to eat the standard bread appetizer, takes her menu from her; instead he orders her a salad. The date then gets up and flirts (literally behind Mary's back) with a girl in a pink dress. Mary is checking her makeup and sees her date in the mirror reflection, then gets up and throws a glass of water in their faces, then leaves. Waitress Mary return homes after dropping food at work and kicks her lazy boyfriend out.

[edit] Song information

The overall feel of the song is the passion for Mary J. Blige and her music. The theme of the song is Mary telling the listeners that she can only be one person, herself. If others do not like her, she is not willing to change, as she states :"Take me as I am or have nothing at all".