Song #616: "The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby & The Range

Date: Dec 13, 1986
Weeks: 1

Search Link

I didn't mean to skip almost a week, but I caught a nasty cold that's had me down and out for a bit. I'm still not feeling that great, but it's easier to resume this blog when I get to come back to a piece of 80s comfort food like this. But despite my generally warm nostalgia for this song, does it really hold up?

At the song's core is an absolutely wonderful piano part. The piano part expresses a great mix of sadness and hope, which perfectly matches the tone of the lyrics, which I'll get to later. It's well-played, and in a decade known for synthesized keyboards, it's refreshing to hear a genuine piano. I mean, I think it's genuine. If it is simulated, they at least made it sound realistic, which is not what a lot of 80s keyboard sounds were aiming for.

Unfortunately, everything else in the soundtrack is terribly fake, or at least fake-feeling. The drum line is constant and unchanging, and sounds like a drum machine. The bass guitar line sounds synthesized and fake. There's a lead guitar sting that pops in that also feels processed and fake. And I barely noticed, but there's an almost-constant background synth chord running through the whole song. I suspect this song could work with just the piano, but it really needs to drop the synth-chord background and the lead-guitar stings, and replace the bass with a more authentic sound. The drum line is okay, but it needs more variety around transitions. The backing tracks just feel passionless, like they were made with a machine, which is a terrible match to such an authentic piano piece.

Hornsby's vocals are fine, if a bit overly gravelly. He doesn't try to do too much vocally, and when he does his voice sounds strained. It's not necessary to sing well to make a song like this work, because the piano is carrying the song, but the vocals are not a net positive. Also the bridge part when he whispers "That's just the way it is" is kind of silly and unneeded.

The lyrics are clever and well-written. It tells tales of the poor and victims of racism and segregation, and ends each one seemingly resigned to the notion that "That's just the way it is." But then each chorus ends with the line "But don't you believe them." The overall intent is to convince the listener not to accept "that's just the way it is" as an answer for social ills, and that things can get better. It's a good topic and well-written.

The piano really matches the lyrics well, too. While Hornby sings "That's just the way it is," the piano manages to be sad and soft. But after he finishes the chorus with "Don't you believe them," the piano gets bright, triumphant, and hopeful.

My verdict: Like it. The piano and lyrics, and especially the way they match to create a consistent and appealing mood, overcomes the lousy backing tracks.