The Way It Is ( song ) - wikipedia The Way It Is ( song ) Not to be confused with That 's Just the Way It Is or That 's the Way It Is. `` The Way It Is '' Artwork for UK and European vinyl releases Single by Bruce Hornsby and the Range from the album The Way It Is B - side `` The Red Plains '' `` The Wild Frontier '' Released August 26, 1986 Recorded Studio D, Sausalito, CA 1985 Genre Soft rock Length 4 : 55 Label RCA Records Songwriter ( s ) Bruce Hornsby Producer ( s ) Bruce Hornsby, Elliot Scheiner Bruce Hornsby and the Range singles chronology `` Every Little Kiss '' ( 1986 ) `` The Way It Is '' ( 1986 ) `` On the Western Skyline '' ( 1986 ) `` Every Little Kiss '' ( 1986 ) `` The Way It Is '' ( 1986 ) `` On the Western Skyline '' ( 1986 ) Audio sample file help `` The Way It Is '' is a song recorded by Bruce Hornsby and the Range from their 1986 album The Way It Is. It topped the charts in the United States, Canada and the Netherlands in 1986, and peaked inside the top twenty in such countries as Ireland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Written by Bruce Hornsby, it made explicit reference to the Civil Rights Movement. Musically, the song is characterized by two long piano solos. Contents 1 Content 2 Cover versions and samples 3 Charts 4 References 5 External links Content The opening verse recounts a story taking place at a line for welfare that illustrate a divide between the rich and poor. The chorus presents several lines insisting that social ills are `` just the way it is '', and repeatedly suggests resigning oneself to them as a fact of life -- however, the chorus ends with the author rebuking this attitude by insisting `` but do n't you believe them. '' The second verse recounts past social issues from the voice of someone supporting racial segregation. The author responds in a narrative voice, insisting his view that if those who make laws took them into careful consideration they would be convinced that laws enforcing principles like racial segregation are morally wrong. The song reminds the listener that it was at one time argued that racial segregation was `` just the way it is '', and suggests that legislation and what the author views as progress on current social issues should be pursued without regard to those who insist `` some things will never change. '' The third verse recounts the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a victory in the civil rights movement, but insists that more is needed. In particular, the verse highlights individual prejudice and employment discrimination as an enduring form of racism. The third chorus suggests that it only feels like `` some things will never change '' when we wait for social problems to change themselves rather than taking steps ourselves to actively change them. Cover versions and samples This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2014 ) In 1992, Undercover covered the song on their first album Check Out the Groove. `` The Way It Is '' is one of two songs sampled in E-40 's `` Things 'll Never Change '' from the album Tha Hall of Game. The song was sampled in the Beata Kozidrak song `` Siedzę i myślę '' released in 1998. The song was sampled in the Tupac Shakur song `` Changes '' released in 1998. `` Same Niggas '' from Mase 's 1999 album Double Up uses lyrics from the chorus of `` The Way It Is ''. In 2001 Insane Clown Posse Covered as `` The Mom Song '' In the 2009 Community ( TV series ) episode `` Advanced Criminal Law '' ( S01E05 ), Pierce Hawthorne ( played by Chevy Chase ) lazily reworks the lyrics and completely copies the music of `` The Way It Is '' into Greendale Community College 's new school song, `` Greendale 's The Way It Goes ''. Hornsby collaborated with Ricky Skaggs on a bluegrass version of the song for their 2013 album Cluck Ol ' Hen. They performed it live on Conan October 17 of that year. In 2014, Karen Souza covered the song on her album Essentials II. In 2015, Sharon Robinson covered the song on her release EP1. Kirk Fischer features a slow - paced and jazz infected version on his album `` Friends '', released in 2017. Charts Chart ( 1986 -- 87 ) Peak position Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) Germany ( Official German Charts ) 16 Ireland ( IRMA ) 8 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 23 Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 15 South Africa 13 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 15 US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) US Billboard Hot 100 US Mainstream Rock Tracks ( Billboard ) Preceded by `` Love Will Conquer All '' by Lionel Richie Billboard Adult Contemporary number - one single December 6 -- 13, 1986 Succeeded by `` Love Is Forever '' by Billy Ocean Preceded by `` The Next Time I Fall '' by Peter Cetera and Amy Grant U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number - one single December 13, 1986 Succeeded by `` Walk Like an Egyptian '' by The Bangles Preceded by `` Stand By Me '' by Ben E. King Canadian RPM number - one single December 27, 1986 -- January 10, 1987 Succeeded by `` Everybody Have Fun Tonight '' by Wang Chung Preceded by `` Sing Our Own Song '' by UB40 Dutch Top 40 number - one single September 20, 1986 Succeeded by `` The Final Countdown '' by Europe References Jump up ^ Metzger, John ( November 2000 ). `` Against the Grain : An Interview with Bruce Hornsby ''. The Music Box. 7 ( 11 ). Retrieved May 4, 2007. ^ Jump up to : `` allmusic ( ( ( Bruce Hornsby > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles ) ) ) ''. Allmusic. Retrieved July 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Songfacts : `` The Way It Is '' by Bruce Hornsby ``. Retrieved May 4, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby `` The Way It Is '' 10 / 17 / 13 ``. Retrieved October 18, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- HORNSBY, BRUCE -- The Way It Is '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Jump up ^ `` Musicline.de -- HORNSBY, BRUCE Single - Chartverfolgung '' ( in German ). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts - All there is to know ''. irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- week 38, 1986 '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40 Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Bruce Hornsby And The Range -- The Way It Is ''. Top 40 Singles. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- Bruce Hornsby And The Range -- The Way It Is ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Jump up ^ http://rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(H).html Retrieved October 28, 2013 Jump up ^ `` Bruce Hornsby And The Range : Artist Chart History '' Official Charts Company. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Bruce Hornsby Albums The Way It Is Scenes from the Southside A Night on the Town Harbor Lights Hot House Spirit Trail Here Come The Noise Makers Big Swing Face Halcyon Days Intersections ( 1985 - 2005 ) Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby Camp Meeting Levitate Bride of the Noisemakers Rehab Reunion Songs `` Every Little Kiss '' `` The Way It Is '' `` Mandolin Rain '' `` The Valley Road '' `` Jacob 's Ladder '' `` The End of the Innocence '' `` Barren Ground '' Related articles Grateful Dead The Other Ones Jerry Garcia Sonny Emory Christian McBride Jack DeJohnette Ricky Skaggs Pat Metheny Branford Marsalis Bonnie Raitt Steve Kimock David Mansfield Joe Puerta John Molo John Hornsby Don Henley Huey Lewis Béla Fleck Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Way_It_Is_(song)&oldid=800922255 '' Categories : 1986 singles Bruce Hornsby songs Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Billboard Adult Contemporary number - one singles Dutch Top 40 number - one singles RPM Top Singles number - one singles Songs against racism and xenophobia 1980s ballads 1986 songs RCA Records singles Rock ballads Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from July 2014 Articles with hAudio microformats Articles needing additional references from July 2014 All articles needing additional references Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Germany Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Swiss Singlechart usages for UKchartstats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Italiano Русский Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 16 September 2017, at 15 : 16. 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Question: who wrote the song that just the way it is
Answer: Bruce Hornsby