Hudson rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season of American Idol, placing seventh. She made her film debut as Effie White in the musical Dreamgirls (2006), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the youngest African-American to win in a competitive acting category. After signing to Arista Records, Hudson released her self-titled debut studio album in 2008, which was certified Gold in the US and the UK, and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.
Hudson's subsequent studio albums, I Remember Me (2011) and JHUD (2014), both charted within the top ten of the Billboard 200, with the former also being certified Gold in the US. Meanwhile, her other acting roles include the films Sex and the City (2008), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), Winnie Mandela (2011), Black Nativity (2013), Sing (2016), Cats (2019) and Respect (2021), the television shows Smash (2012), Empire (2015) and Confirmation (2016), and her Broadway debut with the musical The Color Purple. Hudson also contributed as a coach on the UK and the US version of The Voice from 2017 up to 2019, becoming the first female coach to win the former.
Effie Sing My Song
Jennifer Hudson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
EFFIE, IT'S BEEN ALL THESE YEARS
YOU HAVENT EVEN SAID, "HELLO."
I'M YOUR BROTHER, EFFIE,
SAY, "HELLO."
COME ON, EFFIE, YOU KNOW I'M SORRY
I SHOULD HAVE COME BEFORE TODAY
HOLD ME IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY
EFFIE
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE BABY
C.C.
BUT I'M TRYING TO CHANGE
EFFIE
AND SO AM I
BOTH
IT'S TAKEN ALL THESE YEARS TO BE FREE
EFFIE
OF LOVING THAT MAN
C.C.
FINDING MYSELF
BOTH
AND GETTING A HOLD OF THE ANGER IN ME
C.C
EFFIE, I HAVE A SONG
AND ONLY YOU CAN SING IT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE
EFFIE
I'VE WAITED SO LONG TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT TO ME
SAY IT AGAIN! SAY IT AGAIN!
C.C.
EFFIE, SING MY SONG THE WAY IT SHOULD BE!
In the song "Effie Sing My Song" by Jennifer Hudson, two siblings, Effie and C.C, have a conversation after many years. C.C tries to make amends for not reaching out to her and apologizes while also stating that he tried to change so he can be a better brother. Effie acknowledges that it took them long enough to be free from their past experiences, referring to not loving herself for so many years and getting ahold of her anger. They then have a moment where C.C confesses that he has a song only she can sing the way it should be. Effie, ecstatic, repeats his request for her to sing his song again.
Line by Line Meaning
EFFIE, IT'S BEEN ALL THESE YEARS
C.C. acknowledges the long time they have been separated as siblings
YOU HAVENT EVEN SAID, "HELLO."
C.C. expresses hurt over Effie not reaching out to him
I'M YOUR BROTHER, EFFIE,
SAY, "HELLO."
C.C. reminds Effie of their familial bond and requests her to greet him
COME ON, EFFIE, YOU KNOW I'M SORRY
I SHOULD HAVE COME BEFORE TODAY
HOLD ME IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY
C.C. apologizes for not visiting earlier and expresses his desire for a physical embrace
EFFIE
YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE BABY
Effie has been seen as the youngest sibling in the family
BUT I'M TRYING TO CHANGE
C.C. is attempting to modify his previous behavior towards his sister
AND SO AM I
Effie is also making an effort to change
IT'S TAKEN ALL THESE YEARS TO BE FREE
Both siblings have had to overcome personal struggles to reach this point in their relationship
OF LOVING THAT MAN
Effie has finally learned to free herself from the love she had for a previous partner
FINDING MYSELF
C.C. has been on a journey of self-discovery
AND GETTING A HOLD OF THE ANGER IN ME
Both siblings have been working on controlling their anger
EFFIE, I HAVE A SONG
AND ONLY YOU CAN SING IT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE
C.C. has written a song specifically for Effie to sing and believes only she can do it justice
I'VE WAITED SO LONG TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT TO ME
SAY IT AGAIN! SAY IT AGAIN!
Effie is excited to finally hear C.C. appreciate her musical talent and asks him to repeat his support
EFFIE, SING MY SONG THE WAY IT SHOULD BE!
C.C. urges Effie to perform the song he has written perfectly
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TOM EYEN, HENRY D. KRIEGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind