Steve Winwood owned the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of August 30, 1986, with ‘Higher Love,’ the lead single of his fourth solo album, Back in the High Life.
Surprisingly, this is the first Steve Winwood song featured on the blog (though I did use a Traffic song in a post about Avengers: Endgame in 2019). Winwood has had a very successful career, as a member of three popular bands as well as a solo artist. I just haven’t found the right time to write about him.
Back in the High Life was a big hit for Winwood, going 3X Platinum in the U.S. and spawning this chart-topping hit, his first. The album was nominated for an Album of the Year Grammy, and ‘Higher Love’ won Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male.
Two members of the funk band Rufus contributed to ‘Higher Love’ — drummer JR Robinson and vocalist Chaka Khan. Robinson improvised the drum fill that opens the song while waiting for Khan to record her backing vocals.
Old songs. Great memories.
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Think about it, there must be higher love
Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above
Without it, life is wasted time
Look inside your heart I’ll look inside mine
[Pre-Chorus]
Things look so bad everywhere
In this whole world, what is fair?
We walk blind and we try to see
Falling behind in what could be
[Chorus]
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love, oh-oh
Bring me a higher love
Where’s that higher love I keep thinking of?
[Verse 2]
Worlds are turning, and we’re just hanging on
Facing our fear and standing out there alone
A yearning, and it’s real to me
There must be someone who’s feeling for me
[Pre-Chorus]
Things look so bad everywhere
In this whole world, what is fair?
We walk blind and we try to see
Falling behind in what could be
[Chorus]
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love, oh-oh
Bring me a higher love
Where’s that higher love I keep thinking of?
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love, oh-oh
Bring me a higher love
I could, rise above on a higher love
[Bridge 1]
I will wait for it
I’m not, too late for it
Until then, I’ll sing my song
To cheer, the night along
Believe
[Bridge 2]
I could light the night up with my soul on fire
I could make the sun shine from pure desire
Let me feel, that love come over me
Let me feel, how strong it could be
[Chorus]
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love, oh-oh
Bring me a higher love
Where’s that higher love I keep thinking of?
[Outro]
Bring me a higher love
Bring me a higher love, oh-oh (Bring me)
Bring me a higher love, (Oh-oh)
Bring me a higher love, (Oh-oh, bring me higher love)
Bring me a higher love (I said bring it)
Bring me a higher love (Oh, I said bring it)
Bring me a higher love
Bring me an higher love
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