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.
Stand Up
Jennifer Hudson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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
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