Lyric Analysis -
Valley Road/The Show Goes On

Do you have your own take on this song? Maybe you have something of your own to add. E-mail the site under the "Home" section of the menu above - why not share your thoughts for all to see?

Thematically, “Valley Road” and “The Show Goes On” probably fall into the same category as songs such as “Country Doctor” and “White Wheeled Limousine”, which appear on subsequent albums. In “Valley Road”, we get the classic Hornsby theme of black humour, centering on human indiscretions in a small town or rural setting.

“The Show Goes On” is rather more difficult to pin down.

At first glance, it might appear that the author is talking about a death. However, the constant theme of “Everybody watching all along” seems to suggest a small-time community gossiping quietly about the unfortunate nature of the incident and “victim” characters (“The sad eyed sisters”) who are under the glare of the small community spotlight. This chimes in with the 2nd verse of “Valley Road”:

“Out in the hall they were talking in a whisper... everybody knew what they were talking about.”

The real craft of these songs is that whilst the broad themes of hypocracy, distrust, gossip and back-stabbing are fairly apparent, the author does not divulge the exact circumstances, location or identity of those involved. On one hand, this is infuriating for the listener. I’ve been listening to “The Show Goes On” since 1989 and cannot get my head round the precise meanings in the song - which even seems to fade into a love song towards the end!

I have fared little better with “The Valley Road”. However, this is the big strength of both songs. By leaving some details open to question, Bruce’s songs become applicable to society and human nature in general, in whatever part of the world. Thus, Hornsby demonstrates a particular lyrical quality, the musical equivalent of leading short story writers, such as Guy de Maupassant or Kate Roberts.

Oh, yes - I’d forgotten about the music! “Valley Road” is fairly typical of the early Bruce Hornsby & the Range sound, with the steady 4/4 beat, “bonehead” drum sound and nice piano solo in the middle. However, “The Show Goes on” is probably one of the most skilfully crafted arrangements on any of Hornsby’s albums, including one of the nicest piano solos in the middle, and the shortest yet sweetest electric guitar solo you’ll ever hear, coming in towards the end of the song.

Carwyn Fowler

Use of the word "plantation" identifies the setting of the small-town, rural south. It seems to me that the woman in the song has become pregnant by the man. She is probably the daughter of "the rich old man," undoubtably one of the area's leading citizens who owns "the old plantation." The man is probably one of the workers on the plantation who was "good enough to hire."

He has caught the eye of the daughter and begins an affair with her. Since "he goes where she wants me to go," she has probably initiated the relationship. Their relationship consists of sneaking off "deep in the woods" while "no one was looking" for some intimacy. The line "He showed her what they do down the long valley road" suggests the type of sexual relations that the southern upper-class would ascribe to the lower-class.

Now she is pregnant and the family is worried about the scandal that will result. The first option is a shotgun wedding. However, his status as a laborer, in the family's eyes, makes him not "good enough to marry." So no matter what he is left alone at the end. The option left is to send "her away not too much later" before the pregnancy becomes visible. She probably has "gone to her sister's" and will live there until she gives birth. At that point she will probably put the baby up for adoption and return home. Outward scandal is avoided but gossip and speculation still reign and everyone will still know what's going on. The only result of such an episode is that "nobody wins."

Adam Minakowski