Chords + Lyrics | (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher
Intro
| N.C | N.C | D | G/D | Em/D | D |
Verse 1
||: D | G/D | Em/D | D :||
Your love, lifting me higher, than I’ve ever been lifted before.
So keep it up, quench my desire and I’ll be at your side, forevermore.
Chorus 1
| D | G/D |
You know your love (your love keeps lifting me). Keep on lifting (love keeps lifting me).
| Em/D | D |
Higher (lifting me). Higher and higher (higher).
| D | G/D |
I said your love (your love keeps lifting me). Keep on (love keeps lifting me).
| Em/D | D |
Lifting me (lifting me). Higher and higher (higher).
Verse 2
Now once, I was downhearted. Disappointment was my closest friend.
But then you, came and it soon departed and you know he never showed his face again.
Chorus 2
That’s why your love (your love keeps lifting me). Keep on lifting (love keeps lifting me).
Higher (lifting me). Higher and higher (higher).
I said your love (your love keeps lifting me). Keep on (love keeps lifting me).
Lifting me (lifting me). Higher and higher (higher).
Instrumental
||: D | G/D | Em/D | D :||
Alright. oooh, oh.
Verse 3
I’m so glad, I’ve finally found you. Yes that one, in a million girls.
And I whip, my loving arms around you. Honey, I can stand up, and face the world.
Chorus 3
Let me tell ya your love (your love keeps lifting me). Keep on lifting (love keeps lifting me).
Higher (lifting me). Higher and higher (higher).
And I said your love (your love keeps lifting me). Keep on (love keeps lifting me).
Lifting me (lifting me). Higher and higher (higher).
Outro (same as chorus)
Alright now sock it to me (lifting, lifting, lifting me). Come on now lift me up woman (Love keeps lifting me).
Keep my love going (lifting me). Higher and higher (higher).
I said keep on lifting (lifting, lifting, lifting). Lift me up mama (lift, lift, lifting me).
Keep on lifting me (lifting me) Higher and higher.
Higher and Higher Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning Higher and Higher. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar sharp to 443Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
The bass line is integral to the song, so let’s start there. Essentially, we land on the home chord, D, using the 5th and b7 intervals to get us there.
On my Top 10 Chord Progression list, this would fall under #6: the static I.
The chord progression follows I – IV – II – I, while keeping the root of chord I consistent:
||: D | G/D | Em/D | D :||
Since no other chords are played in (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher, the excitement builds purely through dynamics.
You can only imagine how Jackie Wilson used this song to get the crowd going back in the day!
To get a bunch of TAB ideas for what to play, look further down this guitar lesson.
Here’s a chord chart—its main purpose is to remind you of the structure, as Higher and Higher‘s chords are incredibly simple!
Higher and Higher Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Would you like to download my chord chart as a PDF or in the iReal Pro format?
Higher And Higher | TAB
We begin with the bass line — nail this and everything else will fall into place.
Notice the dots above some quavers — these mean “play short”. Experiment with how short the first note should be: a and 8th note? A 16th note? Find the right bounce.
Main rhythm
The core part uses a C-shape for the first chord, then the nearest shapes for G and Em, like this:
To build excitement, move up the neck to the A-shape voicings:
Using this concept, can you translate the idea to a D chord in an E-shape?
Your love keeps lifting me rhythm
A great variation is to join the BVs as they sing “your love keeps lifting me, keeps on lifting me…” Try this:
Once comfortable, add mutes — then experiment with using just one per bar. Aim for precision and control:
When this feels natural, push further and add even more:
More mutes = more intensity, but remember — the main groove still hits harder. Practise switching between the approaches.
Before moving on, also make sure you can play this starting in C-shape and E-shape positions.
Integrating horn parts
In this final example, we start with the main part, drop in horn lines, move to a more relaxed rhythm, then bring the horns back in:
When you’ve mastered all the TAB ideas, play along with Jackie and the Funk Brothers using just the chord chart and my backing tracks.
Mr. Excitement takes you higher
In 1967, “Mr Excitement” Jackie Wilson released (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher as a single from his album Higher and Higher, on the Brunswick label.
The band behind him was none other than Motown’s Funk Brothers, moonlighting outside Berry Gordy’s watchful eye — provided the cash was right! The result was an instant hit, climbing to #1 in the U.S. While it didn’t dominate charts globally in the same way, it has endured as a soul classic — appearing in adverts and becoming a favourite for Motown-inspired wedding bands everywhere.
Perhaps it’s the uplifting lyrics that make it such a perfect feel-good tune, or maybe it’s the wonderfully simple chord progression that players can learn in seconds. With progressions like this, the band can relax, ride the groove, lean into dynamics, and connect with the crowd — never a bad plan.
Rolling Stone later placed (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher at #246 on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list — a fitting nod to one of soul’s true timeless gems.
Higher And Higher Chords: Continue Learning
Step-by-step Guitar Courses
Master guitar by studying real tunes. Build your skills with video lessons, eBooks and practice routines that connect theory with the music you love!
Explore SpyTunes step-by-step Guitar Courses.
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
