| The Way It Is | |
| Cover: | BruceHornsbyAndTheRangeTheWayItIs7InchSingleCover.jpg |
| Caption: | UK & European picture sleeves |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Bruce Hornsby and the Range |
| Album: | The Way It Is |
| B-Side: | The Wild Frontier |
| Released: | July 1986 (UK)[1] September 1986 (worldwide) |
| Studio: | Studio D (Sausalito, California) |
| Genre: | |
| Length: | 4:58 |
| Label: | RCA |
| Producer: | Bruce Hornsby, Elliot Scheiner |
| Prev Title: | Every Little Kiss |
| Prev Year: | 1986 |
| Next Title: | On the Western Skyline |
| Next Year: | 1986 |
"The Way It Is" is a song by American rock group Bruce Hornsby and the Range. It was released in July 1986 as the second single from their debut album, The Way It Is. The song topped the charts in the US, Canada and the Netherlands in 1986,[4] and peaked inside the top twenty in such countries as Australia, Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Written by Bruce Hornsby, it made explicit reference to the Economic Opportunity Act, also known as the 1964 Poverty Act, as well as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Musically, the song is characterized by two long piano solos. The song has been sampled by various rappers such as E-40 for his song "Things'll Never Change", by Tupac for "Changes", by DJ Don Diablo for his song "Never Change", and Polo G for "Wishing for a Hero" in 2020.
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 1964 "to give those who ain't got a little more", and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 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's about a status quo that's so complacent in its narrow-mindedness and bigotry that it seems it'll never change. That's why the line 'Ah, but don’t you believe them' is so important." "The Way It Is" evokes people to give to the poor and to protest against racial segregation, white supremacy and economic value.[5]
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 12 |
|---|---|
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[7] | 13 |
| Spain (AFYVE)[8] | 6 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio)[9] | 13 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[10] | 1 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[11] | 1 |
| US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)[12] | 3 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] | 77 | |
|---|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] | 74 | |
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[15] | 99 | |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] | 27 | |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] | 23 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[18] | 56 | |
|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[19] | 8 |
