The Way It Is (song)

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“The Way It Is”
Single by Bruce Hornsby and the Range from the album The Way It Is
B-side	The Red Plains
Released	1986
Genre	Rock
Length	4:55
Label	RCA Records
Writer(s)	Bruce Hornsby
Producer	Elliot Scheiner
Bruce Hornsby and the Range singles chronology
"Every Little Kiss" (1986) "The Way It Is" (1986) "On the Western Skyline" (1986)

"The Way It Is" is a hit song by Bruce Hornsby and the Range from their 1986 album The Way It Is. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. Written by Bruce Hornsby, it made explicit reference to the American Civil Rights Movement.

Contents 1 Usage as theme music 2 Cover versions 3 Chart performance 4 References

[edit] Usage as theme music

In the UK, a version of the tune is used as the theme song to the BBC 1 daytime program City Hospital and a crudely edited 'loop' of the final instrumental section was also used as background music the BBC's sports programme Grandstand in the late 1980s, where it was played while the presenter ran down the football league tables at the end of the programme. Indeed in the UK (where the song only reached no. 15 in the charts), the song was possibly more well-known for its regular appearances on Grandstand than for its appearance in the charts. The song was also featured in Australia as the background theme of the Nine network's weekend news sports wrap up as well as during AFL Football telecasts in the 1990s. In this case, the song was used as a background theme while other weekly match results appeared on screen.

In the 1990s and 2000s, "The Way It Is" has been used as the theme music for Sean Hannity's syndicated radio talk show. Hornsby has commented on this on The Howard Stern Show and elsewhere, discussing his opposing political views to Hannity and the realities of knowing that a songwriter may not choose who uses their songs and for what ideals.

[edit] Cover versions

• In 1996, "The Way It Is" was sampled in Tupac Shakur's hit song "Changes", which was released in 1998.
• In 2007, the song was sampled in a song by Emily King called "Alright", from her album East Side Story.
• In 2008, a modified version of the piano chorus was used throughout the song "Can't Say Goodbye" by Snoop Dogg and Charlie Wilson, which appears on the album Ego Trippin'.

[edit] Chart performance

Country	Peak position
The Netherlands	1[1]
United States	1

Preceded by "The Next Time I Fall" by Peter Cetera and Amy Grant

Billboard Hot 100 number one single December 13, 1986

Succeeded by "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles

[edit] References

v • d • e Bruce Hornsby Albums The Way It Is · Scenes from the Southside · A Night on the Town · Harbor Lights · Hot House · Spirit Trail · Here Come The Noise Makers · Big Swing Face · Halcyon Days · Intersections (1985-2005) · Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby · Camp Meeting Songs "The Way It Is" · "Mandolin Rain" · "Every Little Kiss" · "Jacob's Ladder" · "The End of the Innocence" Related articles Grateful Dead · The Other Ones · Jerry Garcia · Sonny Emory · Christian McBride · Jack DeJohnette · Ricky Skaggs · Pat Metheny · Branford Marsalis · Bonnie Raitt · Steve Kimock · David Mansfield · Joe Puerta · John Molo · John Hornsby