Higher Ground Lyrics Johnson Oatman Jr., 1898
4 verses and a refrain, public domain, free to print and project.
The words
Verse 1. I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining ev’ry day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”
Refrain Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
Verse 2. My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Tho’ some may dwell where these abound,
My pray’r, my aim, is higher ground.
Verse 3. I want to live above the world,
Tho’ Satan’s darts at me are hurl’d;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.
Verse 4. I want to scale the utmost height,
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, lead me on to higher ground.”
Sing the refrain after every verse.
Words copied from New Baptist Hymnal (1926). They were published in 1898, so they are in the public domain in the United States, and your church may print them, show them and sing them without a license.
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The story behind Higher Ground
Johnson Oatman Jr. wrote the words of Higher Ground and Charles H. Gabriel wrote the tune. Oatman was a Methodist Episcopal local preacher from Mount Holly, New Jersey. Gabriel recalled that they wrote it in 1892, and that it was one of the first pieces he wrote after he moved to Chicago that September to work on a songbook for the Epworth League. He said he was paid five dollars for it.
Gabriel sold the rights to J. Howard Entwisle, who published the hymn in 1898 in three collections. One was Songs of Love and Praise No. 5, edited by John R. Sweney and others. Hymnary.org gives 1898 as the date for both text and tune. The Hymnology Archive follows Gabriel's account and gives 1892 for the writing.
Sources do not say how the two men met. The Hymnology Archive suggests they may have crossed paths on the camp meeting circuit, or that Oatman may have written to Gabriel looking for tunes. It treats both as guesses. Sources also disagree on Oatman's work and dates. One calls him a retired insurance man, and Hymnary.org says he worked with his father in a store at Lumberton. Hymnals give his death as 1904, 1922 and 1948.
The hymn spread quickly among holiness groups. Homer Rodeheaver later recommended it for rededication after a sermon. Hymnary.org ties it to Philippians 3:13 to 14, and the Baptist Hymnal 1991 prints it in G major.
Johnson Oatman Jr.
1856-04-21 to 1922
Johnson Oatman Jr. was born on April 21, 1856, near Medford, New Jersey. He joined the Methodist Episcopal Church at nineteen, was licensed to preach and was later ordained by Bishop Merrill. He served as a local preacher and worked with his father in a mercantile business in Lumberton. Hymnary says he wrote more than 5,000 hymns, among them Count Your Blessings and No, Not One. Most hymnals give his death year as 1922. One gives 1904 and another gives 1926, so the sources disagree.
Charles H. Gabriel
1856 to 1932
Charles H. Gabriel was born in Wilton, Iowa, and grew up on a farm where neighbors gathered to sing. He taught himself the reed organ and began teaching singing schools at sixteen. He moved to California in 1887 and to Chicago in 1892, where he edited songbooks for publishers including Homer Rodeheaver and E. O. Excell. He wrote under several pen names and produced an estimated 7,000 pieces. His songs spread through the Billy Sunday and Homer Rodeheaver crusades. He wrote the tune MCDANIEL for Since Jesus Came into My Heart and died in Los Angeles.
- Hymnary.org, Higher Ground (I'm pressing on the upward way) , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnology Archive, Higher ground , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, HIGHER GROUND (Gabriel) , read 2026-10-16
- Hymnary.org, Baptist Hymnal 1991, 484 (key, Scripture) , read 2026-10-16
Scripture in Higher Ground
The Bible passages behind the words.
- Philippians 3:13-14
- Psalm 61:2
- Colossians 3:1-4
- Hebrews 12:1-2
Higher Ground videos
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Higher Ground • Congregational Daniel Baptist, Congregation
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Higher Ground Congregational Hymn Temple Baptist Church, Congregation
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Higher Ground - Traditional Hymns with Lyrics Joslin Grove Choral Society™ Hymns - Official, Choir
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Higher Ground (Gabriel) - A Cappella Hymn A Cappella Hymns, A cappella
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Higher Ground - piano instrumental hymn Kaleb Brasee, Piano
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Bill & Gloria Gaither - Higher Ground [Live] ft. Kim Hopper, Wesley Pritchard, Amy Lambert Gaither Music TV, Modern arrangement
Videos play from YouTube, and nothing loads from YouTube until you press play. A video may sing different verses from the ones printed on this page.
Print and project
Chords and keys
Hymnals print it in G or A♭.
Questions people ask
Who wrote Higher Ground?
Johnson Oatman wrote the words and Charles Gabriel wrote the tune. Gabriel said they wrote it in 1892, and it was published in 1898.
What is the story behind the hymn Higher Ground?
Gabriel wrote the tune soon after he moved to Chicago in 1892 and said he was paid five dollars. The Hymnology Archive says how he and Oatman met is unclear.
What Bible verse is Higher Ground based on?
Hymnary.org lists Philippians 3:13 to 14 as its main passage. It also lists Psalm 61:2 and Hebrews 12:1 to 2.
Is Higher Ground in the public domain?
The words and tune are public domain in the United States. Both were published in 1898.
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