"Higher Ground" was the lead single from Stevie Wonder's 1973 album, Innervisions. His version went to the top ten in the charts in the US that year. RHCP released their cover of the song as the lead single from their 1989 album, Mother's Milk. It got regular play on alternative rock stations that year.
Higher ground is nirvana, where weve learned the lessons of life and stopped repeating mistakes that brings us down back down to the mortal plane. Thats my take on it.