Across the River
This song is about pursuing hard-to-attain goals in the face of skepticism from people around you. It also says that there is nothing wrong with...
lyrics
Another Day
This is about the inanity of TV and fighting in the aisles that has occurred on some of the talk shows. There’s no important comment...
Barren Ground
In this song, we try to show another angle on how the reckless actions of people today, actions taken with no precautions for protecting the...
Carry the Water
This is a pretty straightforward song about making the effort and reaching out to someone who needs a hand. It’s a simple statement, but definitely...
China Doll
Again, note the expansive roles played by both electric guitar and drums, giving the song a more “jazz” than “pop” feel. I believe there’s an...
Country Doctor
Hornsby is a master of the dark tale, as has been shown in Valley Road and other songs. Often, he has disguised the meaning of...
Defenders of the Flag
Earlier, we saw how Bruce had tapped into political sentiment in Look Out Any Window. Similarly, Defenders of the Flag and Jacob’s Ladder reveal a...
Down the Road Tonight
When we were kids we’d hear about some joint in town or some trailer out in the country that was a gathering place for nameless...
Every Little Kiss
The premise of this song is how poorer families are broken up when the husband or father has to get a job far away in...
Fields of Gray
I think this song is beautiful. Thematically, we might link it to “I Will Walk With You” on Scenes from the Southside. Indeed, browsing through...
Fire on the Cross
In this song, we tried to create the darkness and threat of the violent, white-supremacist groups and their twisted ways of trying to justify attacks...
Fortunate Son
(Fortunate Son reviewed with Resting Place) Two extremely thoughtful songs, demonstrating Hornsby’s determination not to leave any stone untouched in his commentary of the human...
Harbor Lights
The song starts with one of those mellow piano ditties that are so characteristic of Bruce (Song C, Song D, beginning of The Show Goes...
Hot House Ball
OK, OK – after about 18 months of people mailing me with this one, I finally get round to writing this song up properly. Hot...
I Will Walk With You
Till the Dreaming’s Done and I Will Walk With You. Here are two love songs which, under normal circumstances, would be highlights for most albums. However,...
Jacob’s Ladder
Jacob’s Ladder runs along a very similar theme to the Phil Collins’ hit, “Jesus He Knows Me”, released in 1992. Basically, we have an ordinary...
King of the Hill
Immediately, the listener is plunged into an upbeat, jazzy vamp. It is a great way to kick off the record, and easily gets the listener’s...
Line in the Dust
Thinking back to Bruce’s previous albums, there has usually been some kind of “introductory gesture” in the words or music of the opening song on...
Long Tall Cool One
This song has taken a while to grow on me, but now I could listen to it all night. No real message to the song,...
Longest Night
This is a generally, mellow songs that seem to be set in fairly chilled gatherings, so I’ll not spoil it with my interpretive ramblings. “Longest Night”...
Look Out Any Window
Though I had been aware of The Way It Is for two years, it was actually Look Out Any Window and Valley Road, heard on...
Lost Soul
This is about a person who, in the song’s words, felt he “didn’t fit in anywhere.” There’s nothing more to say here that’s not said...
Mandolin Rain
Plainly, this song is about missing someone badly. And it’s about trying to pull through when so many things remind you of her – a...
Night on the Town
This is a story song that has a couple of social observations. Some boys go out drinking and shooting pool and get into a big...
On the Western Skyline
This is one of the earlier tunes in what bassist Joe Puerta called our “bucolic rock” style. I think Bruce originally wrote the music just...