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Stand Up
Jennifer Hudson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Said I, I, I
I never meant to hurt you
But you didn't even try
To take away my pain
Or dry my weeping eyes
Cause you can't
Can you baby?
Keep doing me wrong
And I won't accept it no more

You had me so caught up baby
Had me so blind
Everything was about you
I put all my needs aside
So go back to her
Stop wasting my time
Cause I'm gonna, I'm gonna
I'm gonna stand up

(Stand up)
I'm tired of being let down
Takes a damn fool
To keep you around
Gonna stand up
On my two feet
Cause I don't need you
To make me complete

See, I had to learn the hard way
That you were doing me
You were doing me wrong
I'ma stand up
You left me alone
And gave me the power to finally stand up

(Stand up, damn fool)
To keep you around gonna
Stand up
On my two feet
Cause I don't need you to make me complete

To all my ladies and my girls
Know that he's not your world
Don't be afraid to leave
Come on ladies sing with me

And stand up (Stand up, damn fool)
I'm gonna stand, I'm gonna
Stand up
On my two feet
Cause I don't need you (I don't need you)
To make me complete (I won't need you)

Stand up (I won't miss you around oh baby)
(Damn fool) I'd be a damn fool to keep you around
Stand up
(I'll stand up)
I don't need you to make me complete

Overall Meaning

In Jennifer Hudson's song Stand Up, the singer is addressing an ex-lover who has caused her emotional pain. She acknowledges that she never wanted to hurt him, but feels frustrated that he made no effort to ease her pain or comfort her when she was upset. She questions whether he is capable of changing his behavior and treating her better, and asserts that she will no longer tolerate being mistreated. Hudson expresses regret for putting her own needs aside and becoming so caught up in pleasing her partner that she lost sight of her own self-worth. She proclaims that she has learned from her mistakes and is ready to stand up for herself, even if it means walking away from a toxic relationship.


One interesting fact about the song Stand Up is that it was written and produced by Antwan "Amadeus" Thompson, who has worked with artists such as Justin Bieber, Chris Brown, and Trey Songz. The song was released as a single in 2017, and is featured on Jennifer Hudson's EP, "Songs from the Stage and Screen." The EP includes covers of songs from popular musicals such as "The Color Purple," "Cats," and "Dreamgirls," which is the movie that launched Hudson's career.


Another interesting fact is that the lyrics to Stand Up were influenced by Hudson's personal experiences with relationships. In an interview with Billboard, she explained that the song was inspired by "an ex that helped me grow to be stronger," and that she hopes it will resonate with anyone who has been through a similar situation. She also stated that the song's message is about "standing up for yourself, believing in yourself, and loving yourself."


Additionally, the music video for Stand Up features powerful images of women of all ages, sizes, and ethnicities standing up for themselves and each other. Hudson explained in an interview with Essence magazine that the video is meant to be a tribute to female empowerment and self-love, and that she wanted to show that "we are all unique and beautiful in our own way."


Further, since its release, Stand Up has received critical acclaim and has been praised for its empowering message and Hudson's powerful vocals. The song has also been used in commercials and various television shows, and has been performed live by Hudson on several occasions.


Lastly, though there is no official chord sheet available, it seems that Stand Up is played in the key of F# Major. The main progression is F# - E - B - C#m. The chorus introduces a new chord sequence, which is F# - E - B - C#m, followed by F# - E - B - C#m - G#m - A.


Line by Line Meaning

Said I, I, I
I am speaking up and taking control of this situation


I never meant to hurt you
I didn't intend to cause you pain, but you did


But you didn't even try
You didn't attempt to make things right


To take away my pain
To soothe the emotional distress you caused me


Or dry my weeping eyes
Or comfort me in my sadness


Cause you can't
Because you aren't capable of showing me love and respect


Can you baby?
Do you really have the ability to treat me right?


Keep doing me wrong
Continuing to mistreat me


And I won't accept it no more
And I won't tolerate it any longer


You had me so caught up baby
You had me wrapped around your finger


Had me so blind
I was oblivious to your true nature and intentions


Everything was about you
You were selfish and only thought about yourself


I put all my needs aside
I sacrificed my own wants and desires for you


So go back to her
Go back to the person you were with before me


Stop wasting my time
Don't keep stringing me along


Cause I'm gonna, I'm gonna
Because I'm determined to


I'm gonna stand up
I'm going to assert myself and take back my power


(Stand up)
Repeating the phrase for emphasis


I'm tired of being let down
I'm fed up with constantly being disappointed


Takes a damn fool
It's foolish to continue putting up with this treatment


To keep you around
To continue a relationship with someone who doesn't treat you right


Gonna stand up
I'm going to be strong and assertive


On my two feet
I'm standing tall and proud


Cause I don't need you
I'm capable of living my life and being happy without you


To make me complete
My sense of self-worth and happiness doesn't depend on you


See, I had to learn the hard way
I had to go through a difficult experience to realize the truth


That you were doing me
That you were treating me poorly


You were doing me wrong
You were hurting me


You left me alone
You abandoned me and my needs


And gave me the power to finally stand up
And empowered me to take control of my life


(Stand up, damn fool)
Repeating the phrase for emphasis


To all my ladies and my girls
Addressing women of all ages and backgrounds


Know that he's not your world
Remember that your partner doesn't define your entire existence


Don't be afraid to leave
Don't be scared to end a toxic relationship


Come on ladies sing with me
Encouraging others to join her in solidarity


And stand up
Assert yourself and take your power back


I'm gonna stand, I'm gonna
Repeating the phrase for emphasis


I don't need you (I don't need you)
I'm capable of thriving independently


To make me complete (I won't need you)
I won't rely on you to feel fulfilled and happy




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: NEVILLE POWELL, WILLIE WILLIAMS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Ronda Martin

Love this song

Cicero Matias Vieira

Amo essa música/ love this song

Support4MySingers

Always loved this from the first time I heard it on the net back in 2004/2005-ish. Can’t believe this wasn’t on her debut as a final track. One time a video she and her friend filmed of her getting ready in the bathroom while singing this was uploaded to YouTube and she sang it even better, but her management made her friend take it down. God I wish I could see that again.

I really wanna hear her shelved early album that had this song, “Where have all the good men gone” and “Over it”. I saw the video of her singing Over It on Chicago Fox, but again, it was taken down.

There’s still a video on YouTube of her singing Where Have All The Good Men Gone live so check it out.

Peter Richardson

A beautiful heart felt song from a beautiful woman sang girl and be independent stand up and fight love this s

Robert Smythe

My Fav

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