The Living Proof

Album: The Help Soundtrack (2011)
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Songfacts®:

  • This is the theme song for the 2011 comedy-drama film The Help. The movie is an adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's 2009 novel of the same name, and the Underdogs produced tune was written for the movie's character Aibileen Clark, a middle-aged maid living in Jackson, Mississippi in the '60s. According to the story, Aibileen has spent her life raising white children, and recently lost her only son. Blige sings about letting go and moving forward. She croons, "I am so glad the worst is over, I can start living now/ I feel like I can do anything, and finally I am not afraid to breath/ Anything you said to me and everything you do/ You can't deny the truth, 'cause I am the living proof."
  • "The beautiful thing about these women is that they were very smart," says Blige of the film's characters. "They chose to walk in love and forgiveness. To speak to so many women with this song means a lot to me. I wanted to be involved with this film, because I think we need to encourage each other more, we are here to tell a story."
  • A few months after The Help hit theaters, the song was also included on Blige's 10th studio album, My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1), which was released on November 21, 2011.
  • Blige's song is the only original tune from the soundtrack, which is mostly made up of tunes from the '50s and '60s to fit the setting of the film. Also on the track list is "Sherry" by The Four Seasons and "Jackson" by Johnny Cash and June Carter.
  • Blige also wrote songs for the movies More Than A Game (I Can See In Color") and Precious ("I Can See In Color").
  • Blige composed this with the film's score composer Thomas Newman, along with Damon Thomas and Harvey Mason Jr. of the production team The Underdogs.
  • This was nominated for Best Original Song at the 2011 Golden Globe Awards, but lost to Madonna's "Masterpiece" from the movie W.E.

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