The way it is

By David Browne.

Native Virginian Bruce Hornsby embodied the phrase "music-business journeyman" before his breakout in with The Way It Is, his debut with the Range. He'd spent time in Sheena Easton's band and appeared on a Yellowjackets record or two before the smart, thoughtful pop-rock of this album's title cut hit the radio. Drawing on the quieter end of the singer-songwriter tradition, Hornsby and crew also showed knowledge of a wide range of American music beyond rock. The piano base of this music won Hornsby fans on the order of Elton John, and did much to bring acoustic textures to late-'80s mainstream radio. It remains a left-of-center emblem of what the airwaves would go for in a surprisingly omnivorous time musically.

The way it is

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And alas, I am totally to blame for everything.

The song topped the charts in the US, Canada and the Netherlands in , [3] and peaked inside the top twenty in such countries as Australia, Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Musically, the song is characterized by two long piano solos. The opening verse recounts a story taking place at a line for welfare that illustrates a divide between the rich and poor ; the second verse recounts ongoing social issues from the voice of someone supporting racial segregation. The final verse recounts the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act in "to give those who ain't got a little more", and the Civil Rights Act of as a victory in the civil rights movement against job discrimination, but insists that more is needed. Hornsby's brother John said, "The song is mainly about compassion, about understanding racial and social types, and beliefs and practices that are different from your own.

It was released in , a time when the lyrics of the highest-charting hits tended toward the disposable and the music of those same songs skewed to the artificial. Yet here was a lament for social ills seemingly more suitable for an op-ed piece than the dance floor. Novelty because it usually only works once. Then maybe people connected with the lyrical content. It helped that Hornsby assembled a band in The Range that could make just about anything sound dynamic. Accordions, mandolins, fiddles and hammer dulcimers abounded in that first record The Way It Is. But the sound that seemed to resonate, move people the most, was the piano-playing I was doing, and that became the sound for which we were known. Those waiting in a welfare line are berated by a rich man walking by; others are denied access to something simply because of the way they look. So sadly, the song still retains a bittersweet topical quality. Read the lyrics.

The way it is

Lyrics submitted by Ara Raven , edited by phantom This song has a great message and some great piano work. I think the song is saying that if we just accept that "that's just the way it is", then nothing will ever change, but if you don't believe it, then things can change. So many things to write. First of all, Bruce loved Tupac's version so there's that. Also, while this song is an obvious criticism of the Reagan administration, I've always thought the chorus was a challenge to the listener. Maybe that's the way it is, or is it? The use of the phrase in the context of segregation to me means that it's only the way it is if we don't do something to change it.

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And we just wanted you to know about this because we want to negotiate the publishing splits with you. Every Little Kiss. Thank you for your feedback. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. Some of these items ship sooner than the others. How fortunate! Add to Cart. Frequently bought together. Europe See All. Vinyl, November 17, "Please retry". I have owned this album since its release, decades ago.

Native Virginian Bruce Hornsby embodied the phrase "music-business journeyman" before his breakout in with The Way It Is, his debut with the Range. He'd spent time in Sheena Easton's band and appeared on a Yellowjackets record or two before the smart, thoughtful pop-rock of this album's title cut hit the radio. Drawing on the quieter end of the singer-songwriter tradition, Hornsby and crew also showed knowledge of a wide range of American music beyond rock.

Cutting Crew. Roll With It. Learn more. Greatest Radio Hits Intersections — Night On the Town. He briefly joined the Grateful Dead, worked with jazz players like Branford Marsalis and Pat Metheny, ventured into electronica, and wrote music for assorted Spike Lee projects. And they asked me to help them through this tough time. I was hanging out for four days and we worked on some music together. If I wasn't such a Big Country fan, this would be my favorite album of the 80's. Drawing on the quieter end of the singer-songwriter tradition, Hornsby and crew also showed knowledge of a wide range of American music beyond rock. Spirit Trail 25th Anniversary.