Higher Ground – acoustic version

Hey guys.  I posted a recording of this song about a year ago.  But I’m posting again cause I made a new acoustic recording of the song (Rick Lombera shot the video), and I’m doing a worship concert in a couple weeks to raise funds for mission work in Mexico and Central America; the title of the concert event is HIGHER GROUND.

As I mention in the video, there is a spot near my house where I go to be with God.  When my kids were really little we named it “The Mountain of the Lord’s Blessing” in the same way in the Bible men who called on God would often name mountains or special places where they had been with God (Genesis 22:14, Genesis 28:16-19, Genesis 32:2, Genesis 32:30, Genesis 35:7, Genesis 35:15).  The name has stuck and we still all call it that.  The hill is a striking feature when viewed from the kids elementary school yard, and the kids even told their schoolmates that was the name of the spot.

It is amazing how just being up there, just walking into that place has help me to instantly began to feel better when I’m feeling stuck, faithless, discouraged, tired, bummed, whatever (do you ever feel any of those things)?  I wrote the song one time when perched up there looking down over my neighborhood and the surrounding great LA area.  Above a photo of the view from up there.   Below is also the new video I mentioned, and below that the full band version of the song that appears on my album of the same title (available as CD or download).  Lyrics and chords are below as well.

Higher Ground – studio recording:

HIGHER GROUND

Brake lights for as far as I can see
Mountain is too high for me to climb
I am frozen, body is broken, can’t move
I need something to lift me up

Lift me up and rescue me
Lift me up and set me free
Lift me up and set my feet on high…

I seek and find
You open eyes that were blind
I was lost, now I’m found
Only you can take me to higher ground
Higher ground

I was tired, I was on a wire, gonna fall
I didn’t think I could keep this up
But you take me higher
You fill my mind with your thoughts
I am crying out for your love
Lift me up and rescue me
Lift me up and set me free
Lift me up and set my feet on high…

I seek and find
You open eyes that were blind
I was lost, now I’m found
Only you can take me to higher ground
Higher ground
HIGHER GROUND (chords)

verse
//   /     //   /
G  C  /  D  C (repeating)
Em C  /  F  C
Em C  /  D
Em  C /  F  C
D…

chorus
//    /        //   /
G   Em  /  D  C (repeating)

^chorus
A   F#m  /  E  D

4/4 breakdown
A   D  /   E   D

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