I thought of another song that really impacted me. "That's Just The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby and the Range. The piano figure, the relentless beat box, the synth bass seduced me. Then, the tale of the the haves and the have-nots, and how we tend to accept classism, racism and inequity as "just the way it is." The pleading vocal.

I remember cranking that tune up every time it came on the radio. Then, when a DJ said the song had hit #1, I sat in my car and cried. I was so moved that a song with that kind of integrity had reached the top of the Billboard chart.

Bruce Hornsby, a geeky, goofy-haired dude with incredibly long fingers and chops to burn. Amongst the hairbands and the corporate manufactured music of the day, he really stood out to me. Inspiring.

Rand Bishop
songwriter/producer/author Makin' Stuff Up - secrets of song-craft and survival in the music-biz
www.makinstuffup.net


Rand Bishop
Songwriter/producer/author