In 1984 Hornsby formed Bruce Hornsby & the Range, who were signed to RCA Records in 1985. Besides Hornsby, Range members were David Mansfield (guitar, mandolin, violin), George Marinelli (guitars and backing vocals), Joe Puerta (bass guitar and backing vocals), and John Molo (drums).
During the 1990s he toured with the Grateful Dead, and released four albums, including A Night on the Town (1990) after which he split from The Range. Harbor Lights (1993) was his first solo album and signaled Hornsby was moving in a new jazz-influenced direction, whilst retaining elements of rock and pop. Later releases include Hot House (1995) and Spirit Trail (1998).
His experimental album Big Swing Face (2002) attracted much criticism as it veered away from his piano-based style. Despite these criticisms, he returned with his next studio album, shrugging off RCA and signing to Sony Music Entertainment. Halcyon Days, released in 2004, saw a return to the piano as the key instrument; this album also became the premise for his world tour the same year.
Hornsby continues to tour with his live band "The Noisemakers", in addition to solo shows and his progressive bluegrass performances with Ricky Skaggs.
In 2007 he released Camp Meeting, his first total jazz album as The Bruce Hornsby Trio, which involved jazz giants, Jack DeJohnette and Christian McBride with whom he made live appearances with throughout 2007.
In March 2007 Hornsby teamed with bluegrass player Ricky Skaggs to produce a bluegrass album, Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby, and played several tour dates together. The seeds for the album had been sown in 2000 when the pair collaborated on "Darlin' Cory", a track on the Big Mon Bill Monroe bluegrass tribute album and then proposed recording an album together. Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby, featuring the duo backed by Skaggs's band Kentucky Thunder, combined bluegrass, traditional country, "a tinge of Hornsby's jazzy piano and a splash of humor" on a spectrum of songs from the traditional to new compositions such as the opening track "The Dreaded Spoon," "a humorous tale of a youthful ice cream heist. The pair also reinvented Hornsby's hit "Mandolin Rain" as a minor key acoustic ballad and "give his cautionary tale of backwoods violence", "A Night On the Town," a treatment highlighting the "Appalachian storytelling tradition that was always at the song's heart. The album ended with a surprise cover of Rick James's funk hit "Super Freak" in a bluegrass arrangement. Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby topped Billboard's bluegrass charts for several weeks. The album showed Hornsby carving out a place for piano within traditional bluegrass, disproving the notion that the piano is not compatible with "string-oriented" bluegrass.
Concurrently with the bluegrass project, Hornsby recorded a jazz album, Camp Meeting. with Christian McBride (bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums). Alongside original compositions by Hornsby, the trio delivered "newly reharmonized versions" of tunes by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, a previously unrecorded Ornette Coleman work ("Questions and Answers") and an early Keith Jarrett composition ("Death and the Flower.") The trio made a series of appearances in the summer of 2007, including the Playboy Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival and at the Hollywood Bowl.
On January 4, 2007, former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart reunited along with Hornsby, Mike Gordon (of Phish and the Rhythm Devils) and Warren Haynes to play two sets. including Dead classics, at a post-inauguration fundraising party for Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House in the United States Congress.
Hornsby wrote songs for a Broadway Musical, titled "SCKBSTD"; one song from this project, a playful biographical tune about real-estate tycoon Donald Trump titled "The Don of Dons," made several appearances in setlists during his early-2007 solo piano performances. He also composed the score for Spike Lee's ESPN documentary, Kobe Doin' Work, about NBA star Kobe Bryant and his MVP season.
Outside of music composition and performance, Hornsby has taken an ownership interest in Williamsburg area radio station "The Tide," WTYD 92.3 FM, and he has endowed the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program at University of Miami's Frost School of Music, encouraging the study of songwriting broadly across traditional genres. Hornsby played himself in a cameo role in the Robin Williams movie World's Greatest Dad, in which Williams' character is a Bruce Hornsby fan.
He has also been honored by piano makers Steinway & Sons with their Limited Edition Signature Piano Series. Hornsby selected ten Model B Steinway Grands to be featured in this collection, each one personalized with his signature. Hornsby owns three 9-foot Model D Steinway Grands himself.
China Doll
Bruce Hornsby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a frightened child in the cold light so frail
And things were going so well, just rolling along
Now, just when you think you've got it made, it's all gone
Well, China doll, I've got something for you
Well, a few good words, a hand to help you get through
May not be much but now it's all that I can do
Put on your strong face when they're in the room
Can't show signs of weakness, an unspoken rule
Put on your best face, act like nothing's wrong
We can be so helpless, helpless and so strong
Well, China doll, I've got something for you
Well, a few good words, a hand to help you get through
May not be much, but now it's all that I can do
To ease your worried mind, do something to get through
We bend and break, so fragile, it's true
I say everything'll be alright but I don't have a clue
They say faith is a crutch, well, whatever works for you
In a world where you never know, I'll be there for you, I'll be there for you
Well, China doll, I've got something for you
Well, a few good words, a hand to help you get through
May not be much, but now it's all that I can do
Lay down your weary head
The lyrics of Bruce Hornsby's song China Doll are about a person who is going through a difficult time and is in need of comfort and support. They are lying in a bed with iron rails, feeling like a frightened child, and everything that was going well just a moment ago is now gone. The person is asked to put on a strong face when others are in the room and to act like nothing is wrong, even though they are feeling helpless. The singer then offers a few good words and a hand to help them get through, acknowledging that it may not be much, but it's all that they can do. The person is encouraged to lay down their weary head, do whatever they need to do, and be reassured that someone will be there for them.
The lyrics talk about the fragility of life and how we can be both strong and helpless at the same time. The singer acknowledges that they don't have all the answers, and they may not know the right thing to say or do, but they offer their support anyway. The line "they say faith is a crutch, well, whatever works for you" acknowledges that different people may have different coping mechanisms, and what works for one person may not work for another.
China Doll is often interpreted as a song about supporting someone with a terminal illness, or possibly a person who is going through a difficult time in their life, such as a divorce or the loss of a job. The imagery of the iron rails on the bed suggests a hospital or nursing home, and the reference to putting on a strong face could be interpreted as the person trying to cope with a serious illness and not wanting to worry their loved ones.
Line by Line Meaning
You lie over there in a bed with iron rails
You're lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by metal rails, trapped and powerless.
Like a frightened child in the cold light so frail
You look scared and vulnerable, like a helpless child, under the harsh glare of fluorescent lights.
And things were going so well, just rolling along
Life seemed to be going smoothly, with everything falling into place as planned.
Now, just when you think you've got it made, it's all gone
Suddenly, everything falls apart, leaving you feeling like all your hard work and hopes have been shattered.
Well, China doll, I've got something for you
I may not have much, but I want to offer a helping hand to comfort you.
Well, a few good words, a hand to help you get through
I'll offer you some kind words and support to help you cope with this difficult situation.
May not be much but now it's all that i can do
Even if it seems small, all I can offer is my presence and any help I can provide.
Lay down your weary head, do whatever you gotta do
Try to relax and rest, and I'll be here for you in any way you need me to be.
Put on your strong face when they're in the room
You have to look tough and strong when others are around, even if you feel scared or weak inside.
Can't show signs of weakness, an unspoken rule
There's a societal pressure to always be strong and never show vulnerability or signs of weakness.
Put on your best face, act like nothing's wrong
Try to maintain a facade of normalcy and hide any struggles or pain from those around you.
We can be so helpless, helpless and so strong
Despite feeling powerless, we still have strength within us to push through difficult times.
We bend and break, so fragile, it's true
We are only human and susceptible to breaking under the weight of life's challenges.
I say everything'll be alright but I don't have a clue
I can offer words of assurance, but in reality, I can't predict the future or control what happens.
They say faith is a crutch, well, whatever works for you
People may dismiss faith as a coping mechanism, but everyone finds their own way to get through tough times.
In a world where you never know, I'll be there for you, I'll be there for you
Despite the uncertainty of life, I will be here to offer support and comfort to you, no matter what.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: BRUCE HORNSBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
James James
Let this be an illustration of raw, intellectual talent unmatched by any pop crap today. He is an icon.
horseman942
It's impossible to put into words how talented this man is.
Peter whitehead
The best,
David Smith
That Steinway just wails. What incredible tonality.
Mark Sirois
Very sensitive and revered artist in his classically trained career.
He will remain paramount as a songwriter and dedicated professional
inside this rare window of a generation that will remain part of history
forever .
Helen Rodriguez
Yes!!! Mark Sirois I could not have said it better. I found his music in a really bad time in my life, bruce may not ever know me, but he saved my life....💖🌷
Michael Augello
Harbor Lights is such a great record, it boggles the mind. Metheny, Branford Marsalis, Phil Collins, Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Garcia as guests and Hornsby at his best, you can't get much better than that.
David Klaboe
I never tire of listening to him. He is amazing.
PARVIZ NAZAROV
Fine introduction! Beautiful harmony! very sincere composition!
Cael Brannon
Always amazed to listen to Mr. Hornsby do his thing, second to none...