essions ▁and ▁move ▁into ▁politics . ▁Move ▁in ▁anything ▁that ▁any ▁other ▁race ▁has ▁to ▁have ▁to ▁surv ive . ▁That ▁was ▁a ▁protest ▁idea ▁and ▁insp iration . ▁I ▁was ▁trying ▁to ▁insp ire ▁Black ▁people ▁to ▁move ▁up ▁higher . ▁Don ' t ▁be ▁satisfied ▁with ▁the ▁medi oc re ... Before ▁the ▁freedom ▁f ights ▁started , ▁before ▁the ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁days , ▁I ▁had ▁to ▁lead ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁protest ▁meet ings . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁get ▁my ▁message ▁over , ▁there ▁were ▁things ▁that ▁were ▁almost ▁dangerous ▁to ▁say , ▁but ▁you ▁could ▁sing ▁it ." ▁ ▁" Move ▁on ▁Up " ▁was ▁originally ▁written ▁for ▁one ▁of ▁B rew ster ' s ▁religious ▁page ants ▁or ▁passion ▁plays . ▁B rew ster ' s ▁maintained ▁that ▁the ▁entire ▁piece — ly rics , ▁mel ody , ▁and ▁harm ony — c ame ▁to ▁him ▁in ▁one ▁flow , ▁and ▁shortly ▁there after ▁he ▁taught ▁the ▁song ▁to ▁his ▁principal ▁vocal ▁solo ist , ▁Queen ▁C . ▁Anderson . ▁But ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁Queen ▁of ▁G ospel , ▁Mah alia ▁Jackson , ▁who , ▁according ▁to ▁B rew ster , ▁" k new ▁what ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁it . ▁She ▁could ▁throw ▁the ▁verse ▁out ▁there ." ▁Produ cer ▁Art ▁Fre eman ▁ins isted ▁Jackson ▁record ▁" Move ▁on ▁Up ▁a ▁Little ▁High er "; ▁released ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁the ▁single ▁became ▁the ▁best - s elling ▁g ospel ▁record ▁of ▁all