If you listened to the radio early 2000s, or worked with a dad or uncle in the garage on a hot Saturday afternoon while music barred over a college football game, there is a pretty good chance you heard “Higher”, the hit song from rock band Creed off of their 2nd studio album, Human Clay.

Creed hate has become something that is pretty common over the years due to the bands dramatics and sometimes goofy music videos, but no one can deny Higher is an empowering, thrilling listen that will makes you feel alive. The song opens up with its iconic electric guitar riff which builds and eventually meets the sound of crashing drums. It is 5 minutes and 16 seconds of purely incredible energy, an energy that feels full of passion. “The song was quite an experience.” said  ERHS cross country and track athlete Isaac Ginete. “Some would say it took me higher.”

To this day, the exact meaning of the song is still debated, some people say it is about lucid dreaming while others suggest it is about someone who wants their reality to be. Whatever the true meaning of the song is, no one can deny the lyrics just feel powerful. The song also paints what could very well be a depiction of heaven, especially in the lines “to a place where blind men see” and “to a place with golden streets.” I personally love the hinted spiritual references in the song, it just makes the song hit so much harder.

When I listen to the song, I feel as though I can run a sub 4 minute mile, or cover 100 miles in 13 hours on the hardest ultra marathon course in the world. “It touches my soul,” spoke ERHS varsity cross country and track athlete as well as Creed super fan Daniel Brown. “It touches what most songs can’t.”

To sum it up, this song is no doubt a soul shaking anthem in the genre of rock. It is a track I feel everyone everywhere can enjoy, as it is not just a song, but a peak human experience.