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STAND UP is a musical call-to-action created and performed by a diverse group of professional musicians led by vocalist Clairdee and pianist Jon Herbst.
We hope STAND UP will serve as an anthem, encouraging people all across America to exercise our most precious and fundamental right; the right to vote.
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We imagine STAND UP being played at events and rallies helping to inspire folks to participate in the democratic process so all our voices are heard.
Please "STAND UP" and “Do Something":
— Check to be sure you’re registered to vote; help friends and family to register
— Volunteer (make phone calls, walk precincts) to get out the vote
— Support candidates who represent the kinds of change and progress you want to see
— Vote!
SHARE THIS PAGE with your friends and let's "Help the Solution".
The musical arrangement includes excerpts from speeches by the Honorable US Senator Cory Booker sprinkled throughout the song. (An alternate version of STAND UP with just the music is also available for download.)
STAND UP ©
music by Marcus McLaurine
lyrics by Keva Singletary Youngblood
Published by Jade Elephant Publishing (ASCAP)
Music arranged and produced by:
Jon Herbst & Clairdee
Vocalists:
Clairdee, Tony Lindsay, Janice Maxie-Reid, Kenny Washington
Instrumentalists:
Jon Herbst, piano; Ron Belcher, bass; Deszon Claiborne, drums;
Mario Guaneri, trumpet; Dave Bell, guitar
Audio Recording:
Coventry Studio, Kensington, CA
Studio Videographer:
Paul Kagawa
Mastering:
Dave Bell, Bellboy Recording
Very special thanks to:
Karla Clement and Ken French
Contact us about STAND UP!
STAND UP (lyrics)
© Marcus McLaurine &
Keva Singletary Youngblood
© Jade Elephant Publishing (ASCAP)
Don't just complain
Go and shake it up!
If you wanna see change
Go and change it up!
We waited much too long
Now it's time that we stand up!
Stand up!
Stand up!
[Speech excerpts: Senator Cory Booker.]
"We cannot allow our inability to do everything to undermine our determination to do something. We cannot get caught up in that sedentary state of agitation where we're sitting on our couch, so upset about what's going on we fail to realize we have got to do something about it. No action in the cause of justice, helping a child, mentoring a brother, speaking out, standing up; no action no matter how small in the cause of justice is ever wasted".
Verse 1:
Rising up to the top
Like a pressure cooker
The problems of today
They can sure get to ya
Social media hits going off
On your phone all day
Can make anybody crazy
But don't tune it out
That doesn't work at all
Stop trying to pass
And run with the ball
You see,
I got one or two suggestions for you
Little things you can do
Chorus:
Like maybe you can
Say something, say something
Stop standing there and
Do something, do something
Get off the couch and maybe
Move something, move something
Instead of helping the problem
Help the solution
["You must stand; stand with all of your love, all of your idealism, all of your passion. You must stand".]
Verse 2:
You got problems at work
And you wanna leave
You got problems at home
And you can't breathe
Ev'ry night you sit and yell at the TV
Because of problems you see
First, you get a little sad
Then you get a little mad
Thinking of the world we could have
Hey, I got one or two suggestions for you
Easy things you can do
Chorus:
Like maybe you can
Say something, say something
Stop standing there and
Do something, do something
Get off the couch and maybe
Move something, move something
Instead of helping the problem
Help the solution
["The call from our ancestors has come up. We must stand up because people stood for us. People stood for you. You've got to stand up".]
Hook:
Don't just complain
Go and shake it up!
If you wanna see change
Go and change it up!
We waited much too long
Now it's time that we stand up!
Stand up!
Stand up!
Don't just complain
Go and shake it up!
If you wanna see change
Go and change it up!
We waited much too long
Now it's time that we stand up!
Stand up!
Stand up!
["You can't sit on the sidelines".]
Shake it up!
["We must stand up".]
Change it up!
We waited much too long
Now it's time that we stand up!
Stand up!
Stand up!