| "Up to the Mountain" | |
|---|---|
| Song byPatty Griffin | |
| Written | 2005 |
| Released | 2006 (2006) |
| Genre | Contemporary folk |
| Songwriter | Patty Griffin |
"Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)" is acontemporary folk song written byPatty Griffin. The song touches upon emotions surroundingMartin Luther King Jr.'s famous 1968 "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, given the day beforehis assassination inMemphis, Tennessee. Originally recorded bySolomon Burke in 2006 and Griffin herself in 2007, it has found greater prominence in performances and recordings since then byKelly Clarkson andJeff Beck,Susan Boyle,Crystal Bowersox, andKree Harrison.
The song has been variously described as "gospely"[1] or "folkie spiritual".[2] In writing about King, Griffin followed other songwriters, such asU2 with "Pride (In the Name of Love)" and "MLK",James Taylor with "Shed a Little Light", andStevie Wonder, whose song "Happy Birthday" about King provided a boost in bringing about theMartin Luther King Jr. Day national holiday. Griffin's take on King uses visual, naturalistic imagery to describe various states of mind expressed in the speech, but with a generality that could extend to other contexts as well:
"Up to the Mountain" first appeared in public during Griffin's concert appearances in the spring of 2005; she has performed it both with her ownacoustic guitar accompaniment and also with a band member'selectric guitar. Based upon a roughdemo,[1] it was suggested to and selected by soul artistSolomon Burke (who had known King) for recording on his September 2006 albumNashville. Griffin participated in the recording, singing a backup part; she later said, "He sang it ten times I think, and I could tell when he got his take—little chills came on my arms."[3]
Griffin recorded it herself officially in a slow rendition built aroundIan McLagan's piano, with an accompanyingstring section, which appeared on her February 2007 albumChildren Running Through.[4] It was praised bySlant Magazine for being "reverent and inspired without ever becoming over-the-top or heavy-handed,"[1] while aBBC review said it had "a feel of cinematic grandness."[5] Thom Jurek ofAllmusic stated that Griffin "carries [King]'s inspiration in the grain of her voice" and complimented her respectful and unassuming singing.[4]
| "Up to the Mountain" | |
|---|---|
| Promotional single byKelly Clarkson featuringJeff Beck | |
| Released | April 26, 2007 |
| Recorded | 2007 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 3:32 |
| Label | RCA/19 |
| Songwriter | Patty Griffin |
"Up to the Mountain" gained visibility through a live rendition byKelly Clarkson, featuring intertwinedelectric guitar byJeff Beck, on an April 25, 2007 charity episode ofthe sixth season ofAmerican Idol, entitled 'Idol Gives Back'.[6] The event was dedicated to poverty relief inAfrica and inHurricane Katrina-related areas in the United States. This event came in the middle of Clarkson's artistic struggle with her record company and management;[2] they wanted her to promote her new single "Never Again", while she thought to do so at a charity event would be "beyond crass".[2] Clarkson—an avowed Griffin fan[3]—instead picked "Up to the Mountain". The audience gave the song and the performance astanding ovation; Beck subsequently said, "[she has] this fully developed soul voice that I wasn't expecting. It just knocked me out. It was quite riveting to listen to. At one point, the audience started to stand up. They were so moved by her."[2]Idol judgeSimon Cowell stated the performance was the best of the show.[2]
A live recording of the Clarkson-Beck performance was made available for download oniTunes shortly after being broadcast on television and "Up To The Mountain" entered theBillboard Hot 100, debuting at number 56. This became the highest chart placement for a Griffin song.[6] Clarkson added the song to thesetlist for her 2007My December Tour, and sang it together withReba McEntire on the pair's2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour in 2008.
The song was also included on Scottish singerSusan Boyle's November 2009 debut album,I Dreamed a Dream,[7] which became the biggest-selling album in the world for that year.[8] She commented regarding her choice of the song: "Reassurance, love and the ability to keep going no matter what 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune' life throws at you.... God is our Light."[9]
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USBillboard Hot 100[10] | 56 |
| "Up to the Mountain" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byCrystal Bowersox | ||||
| Released | May 28, 2010 (2010-05-28) | |||
| Recorded | 2010 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 3:53 | |||
| Label | 19 Recordings | |||
| Songwriter | Patty Griffin | |||
| Crystal Bowersox singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song'sIdol visibility continued in May 2010, whenCrystal Bowersox performed it as her potential "coronation song" in the final round ofAmerican Idol season 9.[7][11] Her performance of "Up to the Mountain" was well-received, both on the show—judgeRandy Jackson characterized it as "an amazing song by an amazing singer" and Cowell said "that was by far the best performance and the song of the night"—and off—MTV said she showed an unmistakable connection to the lyric, whileThe Boston Globe said her performance of this "great song" was the night's only true highlight.[7][11]
After Bowersox finished up as runner-up toLee DeWyze, her recording of "Up to the Mountain" was released as a single on May 28, 2010.[12]
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[13] | 47 |
| U.S.BillboardHot 100[14] | 57 |
