Wednesday, July 25, 2012

"Up to the Mountain" by Patty Griffin

One of my favorite songs. I discovered it by watching American Idol - it was performed by Kelly Clarkson during Idol Gives Back in season 6 then by Crystal Bowersox in the finale of Season 10. It was the Bowersox cover that made me search for the original version, and while those two Idol versions were good, Patty Griffin's original just cannot be touched.


video uploaded in youtube by realimghty

"Up to the Mountain" is also called the MLK song because it draws upon themes from Martin Luther King, Jr's famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech that he gave a day before his assassination. Patty's clear yet haunting vocals showcase an amazing depth of emotion and deliver the song's powerful lyrics that create such vivid imagery:

The peaceful valley
Few come to know
I may never get there
Ever in this lifetime
But sooner or later
It's there I will go

A truly amazing song by a brilliant artist.

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