“Stand Up”, written by Cynthia Erivo for the movie Harriet, a biopic of the famous life of Harriet Tubman. This song was not only an anthem for an empowering movie, but it was formed into a rallying cry across social media during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and so on. The lyrics, seemingly specific to the functioning of Tubman’s underground railroad, are ambiguous enough to allow for people today to use it as well. Take the second verse, for example, ““You know I got a made up mind/And I don't mind if I lose any blood on the way to salvation/And I'll fight with the strength that I got until I die”. The intended meaning was to illustrate the liberating of slaves across the Ohio river, but to the activists of today, it was a call to come together and protest for all those taken by police brutality. In Cynthia’s own words, “The song, for me, is a thank you to Harriet – an expression of hope, strength and inspiration to do good for one another,” (Billboard). The chorus explains the connection well, “That's when I'm gonna stand up/Take my people with me/Together we are going/To a brand new home/Far across the river/Can you hear freedom calling?”. There is a heavy emphasis on togetherness and the clear goal of freedom or the end of oppression.
