Ullanda began her solo career at age 13 at the Jones Temple Church of God i… Read Full Bio ↴Ullanda began her solo career at age 13 at the Jones Temple Church of God in Christ, Detroit, Michigan, which was founded by her grandfather, Bishop Alexander Jones. In 1975, Ullanda relocated to New York and sang with Ashford and Simpson, receiving a gold record for their hit song, “Solid As A Rock.” She also collaborated on other gold hits including “Sesame Street,” and Bill Whithers’ hit song, “Just the Two of Us.”

TV host, Joan Rivers, dubbed her, “Queen of Jingles,” for her thousands of commercials, including Coca Cola (“I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”), and American Airlines (“Something Special in the Air”).

Her TV appearances included, The David Letterman Show, The Joan Rivers Show, Live with Regis and Kathy Lee, Saturday Night Live, and the Martin Luther King Special.

She has recorded with Tina Turner, Luther Vandross, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Patti La Belle, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Lucille Ball, Candice Bergen, Bette Midler, Englebert Humperdinck, James Taylor, Michael Bolton, Eddie Murphy, and Christian artists including Tremaine Hawkins, Wintley Phipps, Clifton Davis.

In 1985 Ullanda had a life-changing experience and was baptized as a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. A new song emerged in her heart. She hosted her own TV program aired on 3ABN for five years entitled, “It’s All About Love,” and has recorded four CDs of sacred music.

Her ministry has taken her to Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, France, Italy, Great Britain, India, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, the Philippines, Holland, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Guatemala, Panama, Cuba, and the Caribbean. She has also co-authored two books -- All That Glitters, and her autobiography, Something Special.

In 2002, she wedded cardiologist H. Schubert Palmer, M.D., author of the book God Must Be Crazy, and together Schubert and Ullanda have teamed up to form Heart & Soul Ministries, dedicated to sharing the good news of God’s amazing love. She goes by the name Ullanda Innocent-Palmer

It's You
Ullanda McCullough Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Friends are mystified
But it don't matter to me
I can't take the credit
For what they see

It's you
It's you
Great or small

I owe it all to you and nothing else
I'd just be lying to myself

You persuaded me so gently
You brought me alive
What I thought had died

They think I have some power
Or a secret hidden inside
Like a puzzle and a rhyme
At the same time
To get the answer they've got to go find you

It's you
The specializer is who they want to see
You, it's you
'Cause none of the credit belongs to me

You, sweet inspiration
So grateful for how you brought me

You, time and patience
'Cause only you could have taught me

Overall Meaning

In Ullanda McCullough's song "It's You", the singer is expressing gratitude to a person whom they credit for their success. The first stanza reveals that the singer's friends are amazed by their achievements, but the singer dismisses any credit for themselves. Instead, they "owe it all to you and nothing else." The second stanza describes the gentle persuasion and inspiration the person provided, bringing the singer back to life after something had died within them. The final stanza reveals that the singer's friends believe they possess some kind of special power, but the singer knows the real source of their success. That source is the person to whom the singer sings this song of gratitude.

Line by Line Meaning

Friends are mystified
My friends are confused about my success

But it don't matter to me
But I don't really care what they think

I can't take the credit
I cannot claim the credit

For what they see
For my achievements

It's you
It's because of you

Great or small
No matter what size

I owe it all to you and nothing else
I am grateful to you and you alone

I'd just be lying to myself
I would be dishonest if I took the credit

You persuaded me so gently
You convinced me in a gentle way

You brought me alive
You gave me new life

What I thought had died
What I thought was lost