Up to the Mountain ( MLK Song ) " is a contemporary folk song written by Patty Griffin . The song touches upon emotions surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. 's famous 1968 " I 've Been to the Mountaintop " speech , given the day before his assassination in Memphis , Tennessee . Originally recorded by Solomon Burke in 2006 and Griffin herself in 2007 , it has found greater prominence in performances and recordings since then by Kelly Clarkson and Jeff Beck , Susan Boyle , Crystal Bowersox , and Kree Harrison
his assassination
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)