The Way It Is (song)
May 1986
The Way It Is is a song by Bruce Hornsby. He wrote the song with his brother John Hornsby and published it in May 1986 with his band The Range.
Background
About Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers came in the early 1980s in touch with Jeff Baxter concluded. This organized the recording of a demo with four pieces, one of which is The Way It Is Hornsby, who held his music not commercial enough, it offered initially on Windham Hill Records. A friend of his was especially convinced of the potential of The Way It Is and gave the demo Paul Atkinson from the major label RCA Records, the Hornsby took them under contract. Was released the song in May 1986 as a pre-release single of the same name 1986 album each in a 4:55 minutes long version on the B - side was with The Red Plains another song from the album. Furthermore, a maxi-single on whose B- side was still a piece of the next studio album with The Wild Frontier appeared.
Content
The song describes social problems in the U.S. of the 1980s, from a critical perspective, but also makes reference to the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the Civil Rights Act of 1964:
" That's a song about the civil rights era: " They passed a law in '64 to give Those who is not got a little more " ."
The chorus cited two common phrases with a resignierendem undertone, which are often used to justify social injustices as an allegedly necessary evil ( " That's just the way it is", "Some Things'll never change "). However, the last line of the chorus contradicts these phrases ( " Ha, but do not you believe them" ).
" Hornsby: Some things will never change ' is a statement of resignation, but the most important line in that song is the one did comes after that: " But do not you believe ' em "So I've always been about. being strong When resignation is a Possibility. Trying to pull up from did and have a positive outlook did so things can change. "
The first stanza describes the tensions between rich and poor on the basis of an event in a queue at the welfare. It discusses the conservative setting, people in need would only be on the public pocket, rather than to look for a job. The second verse addressed in conjunction with the following chorus racial segregation and that this was long justified and defended by arguing that " it was just always been that way." At the same time, the fictional narrator so but point out that progress in social issues just as well against those who insist " that it was just always " must be enforced. In the third verse should be noted that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is indeed a victory for the civil rights movement, but at the same time will also be remembered that a law alone is not sufficient to change the attitude of people.
The last chorus is slightly modified; At its end, it is pointed out that never will make a difference to social problems actually, if you just wait to solving these problems rather than participate even in these solutions ( " That's just They way it is - it is, when you're waiting " ).
Use as the theme song
In the UK, a version of the song to the theme song of the series City Hospital was roughly processed, which could also be heard at the BBC sports program Grandstand. In Australia, the song was heard as background music at the Nine Network news sports weekend wrap up.
The conservative Sean Hannity Moderator The Way It Is used as the theme music for his talk radio show in the 1990s and 2000s. After Bruce Hornsby had expressed his displeasure over Hannity's political positions and the use of his song, Hannity no longer used the song.