Coverinfo
Bruce covered the song only once:
Bruce Springsteen performs at the Grand Opening Ceremony and dedication of the Barack Obama Presidential Center, playing a solo acoustic "Land Of Hope And Dreams" and then joining many of the event's performers for the closing rendition of "Higher Ground" (Bruce's first performance on the song). Additional musical performers include Christina Aguilera, Common, Eddie Vedder, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Marc Anthony, The Roots, Stevie Wonder, Tems, and Bono & The Edge.
Songinfo
"
Higher Ground" is a song written by Stevie Wonder which first appeared on his 1973 album Innervisions.
Background:
The song lyrics address the issue of reincarnation. Wonder commented, when interviewed by The New York Times:
"I would like to believe in reincarnation. I would like to believe that there is another life. I think that sometimes your consciousness can happen on this earth a second time around. For me, I wrote "Higher Ground" even before the accident. But something must have been telling me that something was going to happen to make me aware of a lot of things and to get myself together. This is like my second chance for life, to do something or to do more, and to value the fact that I am alive."
According to Billboard, the lyrics are about "people who are moving ahead in love and in all phases of life."
Bruce on the artist
1973-03-29 - KEYSTONE HALL, KUTZTOWN STATE COLLEGE, KUTZTOWN, PA
Bruce opens for Stevie Wonder at Kutztown State College. One show, triple bill held in the sold out 2,500 seat Keystone Hall as part of the school's 'Black Cultures Weekend'. Bruce and the boys (performing a 60-minute set) opened for headliner Stevie Wonder, who performed a two-hour show.
Lyrics
Are you ready? (yeah)
Can we do this? (yeah)
Here we go
Battete le mani con me
Battete le mani con me
Everybody clap your hands
People keep on learnin'
Soldiers keep on warnin'
World keep on turnin'
'Cause it won't be too long
Powers keep on lyin', yeah
While your people keep on dyin'
World keep on turnin'
'Cause it won't be too long
Oh, no
I'm so darn glad He let me try it again
'Cause my last time on earth, I lived a whole world of sin
I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then
Gonna keep on tryin'
'Til I reach my highest ground
Lovers keep on lovin'
Believers keep on believin', um yeah
Sleepers just stop sleepin'
'Cause it won't be too long, oh, yeah, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm so darn glad He let me try it again
'Cause my last time on earth, I lived a whole world of sin
I'm so glad that I know more than I knew then
Gonna keep on tryin'
'Til I reach my highest ground, whoo
'Til I reach my higher ground, oh no
No one's gonna bring me down
They're sure gonna try
I'm gonna go higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher)
Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh
(Higher) Higher
Higher (higher)
Higher (higher), yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Don't you let nobody take you to a low level
Just keep on and keep on until you reach higher ground
Don't you let nobody take you to some low, low level
Just keep on and keep on until you reach higher ground
And a high, and a how
Grazie