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| "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Jennifer Holliday | ||||
| from the album Dreamgirls: Original Broadway Cast Album | ||||
| B-side | "Fake Your Way to the Top" by Cleavant Derricks, Loretta Devine, Jennifer Holliday, and Sheryl Lee Ralph | |||
| Released | 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:08 | |||
| Label | Geffen | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | David Foster | |||
| Jennifer Holliday singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio | ||||
| "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" by Jennifer Holliday on YouTube | ||||
"And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (also known in short as just "And I Am Telling You") is a torch song from the Broadway musical Dreamgirls, with lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger. In the context of the musical, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is sung by the character Effie White, a singer with the girl group The Dreams, to her manager, Curtis Taylor Jr., whose romantic and professional relationship with Effie is ending. The lyrics to "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", often considered the show's signature tune, describe Effie's love for Curtis, both strongly devoted and defiant. She refuses to let Curtis leave her behind, and boldly proclaims to him, "I'm staying and you ... you're gonna love me."
In addition to its presence in the musical, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" is also notable as the debut single of two women who portrayed Effie. Jennifer Holliday originated the role on Broadway in 1981 and won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for the role as well as the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for its re-release in 1982 for which it became a number-one R&B hit for Holliday. Jennifer Hudson portrayed Effie in the 2006 film adaptation of the musical, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. Hudson's version became a Top 20 R&B single, and a number-one dance hit.
- ^ Molanphy, Chris (June 28, 2019). "The Lullaby of Broadway Edition". Hit Parade | Music History and Music Trivia (Podcast). Slate. Retrieved September 7, 2023.