"Higher Ground" is a funk song written by Stevie Wonder and first appearing on his 1973 album Innervisions. Against a driving, percolating clavinet-based arrangement, the lyric posits that religion can perhaps successfully do battle with the darker sides of human nature. It reached #4 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and #1 on the U.S. Hot Soul Singleschart. The album version of this song contains an extra verse and runs 30 seconds longer than the single version. The unique wah-clavinet sound in the song was achieved with a Mutron envelope filter pedal. The bass is a Moog synthesizer. Via overdubs, Wonder played all instruments on the track, including drums.
In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song #261 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, offering the following explanation: "'Ground' was recorded just before Wonder was involved in a near-fatal accident in August '73 that left him.
Download this sheet!