Record: Non-Secure Connection (album) .. 2020
No Limits features: Bruce Hornsby (piano, 12-string-guitar. bass, vocals); Gibb Droll (guitar); J.V. Collier (bass); Chad Wright (drums).
From Bruce Hornsby on Apple Music:
“This is coming from another area of modern classical music, the [Steve] Reichian minimalist piano. I guess you could say it’s a pop song—sometimes it reminds me a little bit of The Police, and that’s good. It’s a song about the neurological aspects of the elusive, fleetingly euphoric nature of creativity. I wrote it about writing another song, about the feeling of having written another song: the title song of my last record, Absolute Zero“.
“That was the first song I wrote to a Spike cue. As I was writing it, it kept giving me chills. And I thought, ‘Oh man, there’s something really special about this piece and this feeling.’ I decided to write a song about that. Because it really is elusive. You wish you could bottle it, but you can’t. ‘I feel no limits, but I know it won’t last. I’ll kiss the moment and watch it run away so fast.’ The chorus of the song kind of says it all.”
Bruce Hornsby’s song *No Limits* is a reflection on the fleeting and euphoric nature of creativity, inspired by his own experiences while composing music. The song captures the elation of creative breakthroughs and the frustration that comes with knowing that such moments are temporary.
No Limits meaning
“No Limits” is about the highs of creative inspiration and the temporary nature of these moments. Bruce draws on his own experiences, particularly the composition of *Absolute Zero*, a song he wrote for a Spike Lee project, which gave him chills as he created it. This moment of creative epiphany, coupled with the understanding that such moments are elusive, forms the basis of the song.No limits
Opening lines: creative inspiration as flight
“Shot me out of a cannon
And I maintained altitude and speed
The power of the thrust of inspiration
Sustained my flight like a dream”
Bruce compares the onset of creative inspiration to being “shot out of a cannon”—a sudden, powerful force that propels him into a euphoric state. The imagery of maintaining “altitude and speed” reflects the sense of being carried by this force, with the creative process feeling like a dream. The metaphor of flight highlights the feeling of being untethered and limitless during moments of peak creativity.
The transient nature of creativity
“I feel no limits, I know it won’t last
I’ll kiss the moment
And watch it run away so fast”
The chorus emphasizes the theme of impermanence. While Bruce experiences moments of feeling “no limits” during creative breakthroughs, he acknowledges that these moments are fleeting. The phrase “kiss the moment” suggests an appreciation and recognition of the beauty of the experience, even as it quickly fades away. Creativity, much like inspiration, cannot be forced or sustained indefinitely.
Neurological metaphors
“Wreaks havoc on a nervous system
I can’t stop and I can’t sleep
Synapses firing, neurons wired”
Bruce uses neurological language to describe the physical and mental intensity of the creative process. The rapid firing of synapses and the feeling of being unable to stop or sleep reflect how creativity can consume the mind, creating a state of restlessness and excitement. The feeling of neurons being “wired” reflects the mental connections and ideas forming rapidly during these moments.
The ephemerality of inspiration
“Now and then, all things fall
Into place all the right moves made
A series of moves stabs in the dark
One big guess, all the right cards played”
This section reflects the idea that creativity is often about experimentation—trying new things, making guesses, and hoping for the right outcome. Bruce acknowledges that when everything “falls into place,” it feels magical, but much of the creative process involves trial and error, with moments of clarity being rare.
The pursuit of the unknown
“I imagine something never experienced
New insights from new stimuli
Try to provoke the imagination
Image of brightly-colored lines”
Bruce describes the process of reaching for something new and unexplored in his creativity. The “brightly-colored lines” could symbolise the vividness of new ideas and insights that emerge from engaging with fresh stimuli. His pursuit of the unknown is driven by the desire to provoke the imagination and create something entirely original.
The epiphany moment
“Something clicked
Clicked upstairs
Wish I knew, what happened there
Sharp synaptic, connective tease”
Here, Bruce describes the elusive “click” of a creative breakthrough—a sudden moment of clarity or epiphany. He acknowledges that even though these moments feel profound, they are difficult to understand or predict. The “sharp synaptic, connective tease” reflects the tantalising nature of these connections in the brain, which seem almost within reach but are often fleeting and difficult to grasp.
“No Limits”captures the exhilaration of the creative process while acknowledging the temporary and unpredictable nature of inspiration. Bruce uses vivid imagery, metaphors of flight, and neurological references to convey the intensity of these moments and the frustration of knowing they won’t last. The song is an ode to creativity, filled with both admiration for its beauty and an understanding of its limitations.