Lyrics
Clap your hands, c'mon
Oh, Lord, I'm striving
Tryin' to make it through this barren land
But as I go from day to day, I can hear my Savior say
"Trust me child, come on, I'll hold your hand," come on, darling
I'm coming up
On the rough side
Of the mountain
I must hold to God (Gotta hold on)
His powerful hand
I'm coming up (Yes, I am)
On the rough side
Of the mountain (What you doin', what you doin' there?)
I'm doin' my best to make it in
I'm comin' up, Lord (I'm comin' up, Lord), I'm comin' up, Lord
Although my burdens, sometimes, they press me down, I heard my daddy say this
But if I can only keep the faith, I'll have strength just to run this race
I'm looking, I'm looking for my starry crown, everybody join in, c'mon
I'm coming up (On the rough side)
On the rough side (Of the mountain)
Of the mountain (Oh, Lord, but)
I must hold to God (Gotta hold on)
His powerful hand (I'm comin' up, y'all)
I'm coming up (On the rough side)
On the rough side (Of the mountain)
Of the mountain (Doin' my best)
I'm doin' my best to make it in (Lemme tell my last verse, lemme say this right here), say that
This old race (This old race), it will soon be over (Oh, yes, it will)
Oh, there won't be no more race for me to run, here's what I gotta do
But I gotta stand before God's throne, all my heartaches will be gone
I'll hear my savior say, "Welcome home", one more time (Oh)
I'm coming up (Comin' up, y'all)
On the rough side
Of the mountain (Yes, I am, but)
I must hold to God (Can I hold on? Yeah)
His powerful hand (I'm comin' up, y'all)
I'm coming up (On the rough side)
On the rough side (Of the mountain)
Of the mountain (I'm doin' my best)
I'm doin' my best (Yeah) to make it in (Y'all clap your hands when I say this, well)
I'm comin' up (I'm comin' up)
Comin' up (I'm comin' up)
Comin' up (I'm comin' up)
Comin' up (I'm comin' up)
Comin' up, y'all (I'm comin' up)
Comin' up (I'm comin' up)
Get harder sometimes (I'm comin' up)
But I'm comin' up (I'm comin' up)
I have to crawl sometimes (Oh, yes)
But I'm comin' up (I'm comin' up)
Oh, yes, I am (Oh, yes, I am)
Yes, I am (Yes, I am)
What about you? (I'm comin' up)
What about you? (Yes, I am)
Are you comin' up? (Yes, I am)
Are you comin' up? (I'm comin' up)
Are you comin' up? (I'm comin' up)
Are you comin' up? (I'm comin' up)
Oh, yes, I am (Oh, yes, I am)
Comin' up (I'm comin' up)
And I'm doin' my best to make it in, yeah
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Rough Side of the Mountain presents Christian perseverance as a difficult upward climb sustained by trust in God. The barren land, pressing burdens, and demanding race give the song an honest picture of hardship rather than an easy promise of relief. Against those pressures, the recurring confession of holding to the powerful hand of God expresses dependence, endurance, and hope. The call to keep the faith also resembles biblical images of running with endurance while looking toward the promised finish.
The final verse turns from present struggle toward standing before the throne of God and hearing a welcome home. That expectation gives the repeated climb its direction: suffering is not treated as meaningless, and faithfulness is not measured by comfort. The song remains centered on doing the best one can while relying on divine strength. Its communal responses and repeated refrain reinforce a steady testimony that hardship may slow the climb, but it does not have the final word.
Related Scripture
- Hebrews 12:1 The verse calls believers to run with endurance the race set before them.
- Isaiah 41:13 God promises to hold his people by the hand and help them.
- 2 Timothy 4:7-8 Paul connects finishing the race and keeping the faith with a promised crown.