Higher Ground – English Lyrics

• By: UB40
• Album: Promises and Lies

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the melodic world of UB40's "Higher Ground" and discover a rich tapestry of reggae sounds that perfectly complements its introspective English lyrics. This song offers a unique opportunity to engage with English through a global lens, featuring straightforward yet poetic language that explores themes of self-discovery, learning, and connection with nature. Its uplifting vibe and clear vocal delivery make it an accessible and enjoyable way to enhance your English vocabulary and listening skills while appreciating the band's iconic reggae-pop style. What makes it special is its ability to convey profound messages of growth and positivity through an infectious, globally recognized reggae rhythm.

[English]

[♪ ♪ ♪]

♪ Every hour of every day I'm learning more ♪

♪ The more I learn the less I know about before ♪

♪ The less I know the more I want to look around ♪

♪ Digging deep for clues on higher ground ♪

♪ The moon and stars sit way up high ♪

♪ Earth and trees beneath them lie ♪

♪ The wind blows fragrant lullaby ♪

♪ To cool the night for you and I ♪

♪ On the wing the birds fly free ♪

♪ Leviathan tames angry sea ♪

♪ The flower waits for honeybee ♪

♪ The sunrise wakes new life in me ♪

♪ Every hour of every day I'm learning more ♪

♪ The more I learn the less I know about before ♪

♪ The less I know the more I want to look around ♪

♪ Digging deep for clues on higher ground ♪

♪ The fishes swim while rivers run ♪

♪ Through fields to feast my eyes upon ♪

♪ Intoxicated drinking from ♪

♪ The loving cup of burning sun ♪

♪ In dreams I'll crave familiar taste ♪

♪ Of whispered rain on weary face ♪

♪ Of kisses sweet and warm embrace ♪

♪ Another time another place ♪

♪ Every hour of every day I'm learning more ♪

♪ The more I learn the less I know about before ♪

♪ The less I know the more I want to look around ♪

♪ Digging deep for clues on higher ground ♪

♪ Every hour of every day I'm learning more ♪

♪ The more I learn the less I know about before ♪

♪ The less I know the more I want to look around ♪

♪ Digging deep for clues on higher ground ♪

♪ The moon and stars sit way up high ♪

♪ Earth and trees beneath them lie ♪

♪ The wind blows fragrant lullaby ♪

♪ To cool the night for you and I ♪

♪ On the wing the birds fly free ♪

♪ Leviathan tames angry sea ♪

♪ The flower waits for honeybee ♪

♪ The sunrise wakes new life in me ♪

♪ Every hour of every day I'm learning more ♪

♪ The more I learn the less I know about before ♪

♪ The less I know the more I want to look around ♪

♪ Digging deep for clues on higher ground ♪

♪ The fishes swim while rivers run ♪

♪ Through fields to feast my eyes upon ♪

♪ Intoxicated drinking from ♪

♪ The loving cup of burning sun ♪

♪ In dreams I'll crave familiar taste ♪

♪ Of whispered rain on weary face ♪

♪ Of kisses sweet and warm embrace ♪

♪ Another time another place ♪

♪ Every hour of every day I'm learning more ♪

♪ The more I learn the less I know about before ♪

♪ The less I know the more I want to look around ♪

♪ Digging deep for clues on higher ground ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
learn /lɜrn/ A2	verb - to acquire knowledge or skills
look /lʊk/ A1	verb - to direct one's gaze towards
clue /kluː/ B1	noun - a piece of information that helps solve a problem
moon /muːn/ A1	noun - the natural satellite of the Earth
star /stɑːr/ A1	noun - a fixed luminous point in the night sky
wind /wɪnd/ A1	noun - the perceptible natural movement of the air
flower /ˈflaʊər/ A1	noun - the seed-bearing part of a plant
sea /siː/ A1	noun - the expanse of salt water that covers most of the Earth's surface
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition of being alive
burn /bɜrn/ B1	verb - to destroy something by fire
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep verb - to imagine or visualize something while asleep
taste /teɪst/ B1	noun - the sensation of flavor perceived in the mouth
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - the organs of sight
anger /ˈæŋɡər/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility
embrace /ɪmˈbreɪs/ B2	verb - to hold someone closely in one's arms
place /pleɪs/ A1	noun - a particular position or point in space

Key Grammar Structures

• Every hour of every day I'm learning more

  ➔ Present continuous tense for ongoing actions

  ➔ The phrase "I'm learning" shows an action happening right now, indicating continuous progress.

• The more I learn the less I know about before

  ➔ Correlative comparative: "The more... the less..."

  ➔ Shows a proportional relationship between two actions or states: as one increases, the other decreases.

• Digging deep for clues on higher ground

  ➔ Gerund phrase as object complement

  ➔ "Digging deep" functions as a gerund phrase describing the ongoing activity related to the object.

• The moon and stars sit way up high

  ➔ Simple present tense to describe general truths

  ➔ "Sit" is in the simple present to indicate a permanent or habitual state of the moon and stars.

• Earth and trees beneath them lie

  ➔ Inversion with verb before subject

  ➔ The verb "lie" comes before the subject "Earth and trees" for poetic emphasis.

• The wind blows fragrant lullaby

  ➔ Simple present for habitual or natural actions

  ➔ "Blows" describes a natural, repeated action of the wind, typical of simple present usage.

• In dreams I'll crave familiar taste

  ➔ Future form with modal auxiliary "will" in contractions

  ➔ The contraction "I'll" combines "I" + "will" indicating a future desire or intention.

• Another time another place

  ➔ Ellipsis: omission of verbs for poetic brevity

  ➔ The line omits verbs to create a succinct, evocative phrase typical in poetry.