After introducing the Harriet anthem and early Oscar contender “Stand Up” in a lyric video, Cynthia Erivo sheds her character’s garb and sings out in a new, official music video for the original song. Take a look above.
The song, co-written by Erivo and Joshua Brian Campbell, draws on classic spiritual themes, putting them in a contemporary light in the ongoing fight for civil rights and justice. The final lyrics, the repetition of “I go to prepare a place for you,” are said to be Harriet Tubman’s final words before she died.
Erivo, a Tony winner for The Color Purple, stars as the abolitionist in the Kasi Lemmons-helmed biopic, which arrived in theatres November 1. The cast also includes fellow Tony winner Leslie Odom Jr., Janelle Monáe, Clarke Peters, and Jennifer Nettles.
READ: How Playing The Color Purple’s Celie Prepared Cynthia Erivo for Harriet Tubman