See Usher & Shakira's Impressive Cover of "Higher Ground" with Stevie Wonder Himself
The former The Voice Coaches and the R&B legend teamed up for an epic performance for President Obama's 2009 inauguration.
Two former The Voice Coaches (Seasons 4 and 6) got to collaborate with one of the greats for a highly honorable event.
In 2009, Usher and Shakira joined forces with one of R&B's most celebrated musicians, Stevie Wonder, for We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, celebrating Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony as the 44th President of the United States. The three gathered at the event to perform a show-stopping rendition of Wonder's hit "Higher Ground."
The performance started out with Usher ramping up the crowd, and some pillars moved to reveal Wonder playing the keyboard upstage. Usher sang the introduction lyrics with soul and Shakira jumped in with her own signature vocals.
The song wrapped up as the three began to ad-lib some passionate riffs, perfectly playing off of each other's voices.
Check out the epic performance here.
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What to know about "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder
A track off of Wonder's 1973 album Innervisions, "Higher Ground" reached the number 4 position on the Billboard charts that year. In 2021, Rolling Stone listed it on the 113 position on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list. “Higher Ground had a drive and intensity that truly sounded like Wonder reaching for new heights," the outlet wrote of the track, noting the song's use of its funky guitar pedal and spiritual lyrics.
In 1989, the track was famously was covered by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
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The lyrics to "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder
People keep on learning
Soldiers keep on warring
World keep on turning
'Cause it won't be too long
Powers keep on lying
While your people keep on dying
World keep on turning
'Cause it won't be too long
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
Going to keep on trying
'Til I reach my highest ground
Teachers keep on teaching
Preachers keep on preaching
World keep on turning
'Cause it won't be too long
Lovers keep on loving
Believers keep on believing
Sleepers just stop sleeping
'Cause it won't be too long
I'm so glad that 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
Going to keep on trying
'Til I reach my highest ground
'Til I reach my highest ground
No one's going to bring me down
Oh no
'Til I reach my highest ground
Don't you let nobody bring you down
God is gonna show you highest ground
He's the only friend you'll have around
'Cause the rest of the world will bring you down
