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.
You Pulled Me Though
Jennifer Hudson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was out in the cold
Seemed nothing could heal this
This hole in my soul
You reached out your arms to me
Held out your heart to me
Pulled me back from the edge
Thought I reached the end.
When I was drowning
When I was so confused
You you you pulled me through
I was in the shadows
Lost, nothing left to lose.
You, you, you pulled me through.
You gave my faith back
Faith was so hard to find
You gave me my life back
You were my lifeline
The love that you gave me
Is love that has saved me
Your strength is what made me strong
You held me and I held on
When I was drowning
When I was so confused
You you you pulled me through
I was in the shadows
Lost, nothing left to lose.
You, you, you pulled me through.
Out of the dark
Into your arms
Into the light
Your love saved my life
When I was drowning
When I was so confused
You, ooh you, you (pulled me through)
(When I was drowning) when I was drowning
I was so confused (when I was confused)
Yea you ooh you yea you you pulled me through
(You pulled me through, you) you, you pulled me through
The song “You Pulled Me Through” by Jennifer Hudson is a powerful ballad about finding hope and strength in someone else during dark times. The opening lines describe a feeling of hopelessness and despair that the singer was struggling with - “I was in the darkness, I was out in the cold/ seemed nothing could heal this, this hole in my soul”. However, she finds comfort in the support of someone else, who “reached out [their] arms to me, held out [their] heart to me” and saved her from the brink of despair.
Through the rest of the song, the singer expresses her gratitude and admiration for the person who “pulled [her] through”. She sings about how they gave her faith back and saved her life, and credits their strength as something that made her strong. The repeated refrain of “you, you, you pulled me through” reinforces the central theme of the song - the power of a close relationship to help someone through difficult times.
Overall, “You Pulled Me Through” is a beautiful tribute to the healing power of love and human connection. The song acknowledges the reality of struggle and pain, while also emphasizing the role that supportive relationships can play in helping people persevere through difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
I was in the darkness
I was in a state of despair and discouragement
I was out in the cold
I was feeling alone and abandoned
Seemed nothing could heal this
I was losing hope that my situation could improve
This hole in my soul
I had a deep emotional pain that I couldn't heal by myself
You reached out your arms to me
You offered me comfort and support
Held out your heart to me
You showed me kindness and compassion
Pulled me back from the edge
You helped me avoid making a desperate and destructive decision
Thought I reached the end.
I felt like there was no hope left for me
When I was drowning
I was struggling and overwhelmed
When I was so confused
I was lost and uncertain
You you you pulled me through
You were the one who helped me survive and overcome my hardships
I was in the shadows
I was feeling invisible and unnoticed
Lost, nothing left to lose.
I had hit rock bottom and had nothing to lose
You gave my faith back
You helped me regain my confidence and trust in myself
Faith was so hard to find
I had lost my sense of faith and hope
You gave me my life back
You helped me regain control of my life
You were my lifeline
You were the one who supported and guided me through my struggles
The love that you gave me
Your caring and affectionate nature helped me get through a tough time
Is love that has saved me
Your love and support helped me save myself from a difficult situation
Your strength is what made me strong
Your strength and resilience inspired me to become stronger myself
You held me and I held on
Your support and encouragement helped me keep going during a difficult time
Out of the dark
Out of a difficult and sorrowful period
Into your arms
Into your loving embrace
Into the light
Into a better and brighter place
Your love saved my life
Your love and support helped me survive and overcome my struggles
You, ooh you, you (pulled me through)
You, and only you, were the one who helped me get through my hardships
(When I was drowning) when I was drowning
When I was overwhelmed and struggling
I was so confused (when I was confused)
I was lost and uncertain
Yea you ooh you yea you you pulled me through
You were the one who helped me survive and overcome my hardships
(You pulled me through, you) you, you pulled me through
You were the one who helped me survive and overcome my hardships
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Realsongs
Written by: DIANE WARREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LaMia Latten-Hernandez
When I hear this song, I like to refer it to my relationship with Christ. He (Jesus) pulled through all of my confusion in my life & for that, I'm eternally grateful! Thank You Jesus<3
Beautifuljorie
I feel the same
Krystal Braswell
Her voice is so amazing. I get tears every time I hear this song
Joachim Vetter
So much better than all these mainstream pop songs playing on the radio all day and night long…love her voice and performances so damn much! Thanks, JHud :)
Stacey R
I love her voice and the fact that she sings about things with deeper meaning than the stuff you hear on the radio.
Trish T
YESSS!! Even though this was recorded before her family's tragedy I feel this is HER song!
nonkululeko mbele
2020 and I still love this song!
Mahogany brown
This song means a lot to me after losing My dad in January of this YEAR… he was my hero and my rock, He was there for me whether I needed him or not! A beautiful song Jennifer! God bless! :-)
Yanique Sainvil
Mahogany brown so sorry😢
Mahogany brown
Yanique Sainvil thanks sweetie, sorry for replying so late