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.
Funhouse
Bruce Hornsby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Picked up a guy hitching on the highway side
Rode into town together looking for a sign
Thought they saw something in the keno lights
She'd always do what she should
A nice girl of the neighborhood
Had everything that money could buy
[Incomprehensible], looking for the
Funhouse, dark as night
Strap in for the long ride
Funhouse, don't be frightened
Who knows what you'll find
Jimmy was fascinated with the made men
Went out to find any movie he could rent
Died his hair black, I bought him an olive oil suit
To run with the wolves, like Romulus in reno would
I know you play by the rules
But I know you've got a dark streak too
And go out for a closer view
Go out for a ride, looking for the
[Chorus]
Funhouse, dark as night
Strap in for the long ride
Funhouse, danger's high
Who knows, you might like it
She loved how she felt that tingle in her body
When she had her palm read in the back of the house
She loved how everybody loved her when she took it out
Would jump around, would scream and shout
Forbidden fruit sure tastes fine
Better than towing the long, straight line
Careful what you ask for you might just find
You like it when you cross the line, looking for the
[Chorus: x2]
The lyrics to Bruce Hornsby's song "Funhouse" tell the story of two individuals, Jenny and Jimmy, who decide to indulge in a wild and adventurous lifestyle. Jenny leaves her hometown and picks up a hitchhiker on her way to Las Vegas, where they both look for a sign to guide them. They end up in a dark and mysterious funhouse, where they strap in for a long and dangerous ride. Meanwhile, Jimmy is fascinated with gangsters and wants to emulate them by dying his hair black and wearing an olive oil suit. The song highlights the thrill of living dangerously and enjoying life to the fullest.
The lyrics suggest that Jenny and Jimmy are bored with their mundane lives and desire something more exciting. They both feel a sense of adventure and want to do something that is out of the ordinary. The funhouse represents this desire to let go and experience something new and exciting. The song seems to suggest that life is short, and one should take risks and have fun while they can. The lyrics are open to interpretation and can be seen as either a cautionary tale or a celebration of living life to the fullest.
Overall, "Funhouse" is a song that encourages listeners to take chances and experience life to the fullest. The lyrics are well-written and thought-provoking, and the music is catchy and upbeat.
Line by Line Meaning
Jenny drove out to Vegas for the first time
Jenny traveled to Vegas for the first time
Picked up a guy hitching on the highway side
Jenny gave a ride to a hitchhiker on the side of the highway
Rode into town together looking for a sign
Jenny and the hitchhiker rode into the town together, searching for a clue
Thought they saw something in the keno lights
Jenny and the hitchhiker believed they saw something relevant in the keno lights
She'd always do what she should
Jenny tended to follow rules
A nice girl of the neighborhood
Jenny was a good girl who lived in the community
Had everything that money could buy
Jenny had all the possessions money could purchase
[Incomprehensible], looking for the
She felt something was missing and was searching for it
Funhouse, dark as night
The funhouse was dark, even at night
Strap in for the long ride
Prepare for an extended and intense experience
Funhouse, don't be frightened
Despite its ominous reputation, there's no need to be scared of the funhouse
Who knows what you'll find
The possibilities of what you may come across in the funhouse are endless
Jimmy was fascinated with the made men
Jimmy was intrigued by the mafia
Went out to find any movie he could rent
He sought out the mafia movies he could find
Died his hair black, I bought him an olive oil suit
He darkened his hair and someone else bought him a mob-style suit
To run with the wolves, like Romulus in reno would
He wanted to be part of the groups that run things like the legendary Romulus in Nevada did
I know you play by the rules
The singer is aware Jenny usually follows the rules
But I know you've got a dark streak too
But the singer knows that Jenny also has a rebellious side
And go out for a closer view
The singer suggests she goes out for a closer look
Go out for a ride, looking for the
Looking for the same missing thing she's always searched for
She loved how she felt that tingle in her body
Jenny enjoyed the sensation she experienced within her body
When she had her palm read in the back of the house
She felt the tingling while having her palm read in the back of the house
She loved how everybody loved her when she took it out
She loved the attention she got when she expressed herself
Would jump around, would scream and shout
She would jump around and scream in excitement
Forbidden fruit sure tastes fine
Indulging in the taboo is usually enjoyable
Better than towing the long, straight line
It's better than living a monotonous life
Careful what you ask for you might just find
Be cautious of what you wish for - you might get it
You like it when you cross the line, looking for the
Jenny enjoys crossing the line and searching for what she's always been seeking
Funhouse, dark as night
The funhouse is dark, even at night
Strap in for the long ride
Prepare for an extended and intense experience
Funhouse, danger's high
Despite its mysterious reputation, there's a lot of risk involved
Who knows, you might like it
It's possible that you may end up enjoying it
[Chorus: x2]
Same as the previous chorus
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: BRUCE HORNSBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@edreynolds3745
WHAAAAATT???
This band has everything. Soul. Musical eloquence, GROOVE, improvisation, connection to each other and the audience. Acceptance/ generosity.
I've worked on the guitars of world famous folks. I've seen lots of concerts. I've never heard/seen anything like this, that I could connect to on all levels.
So darn human. So visceral. I dig it when they all "go nuts" . Jeez!! Makes me re-inspired.
WHAATT???
Ed
Austin Texas.
@nelliannevanderzee3280
I couldn’t have said it better!
@buckyplayz1919
So much fun. I’ve seen him a bunch of times on Cape Cod, Mass. unbelievable!!!!!!!!♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
@jeremiahjamsband
We love Bruce and his band!!! Thank you for being a true inspiration 🎶❣️
@johngibbs799
Bruce, please come to Honolulu. Concert venues empty most nights. Hardly anybody comes here to play live. They say it's too far to fly. Hawaii people are loyal fans.
Anyway, thanks for posting this nice performance of Fun house.
John 😇
@nathanielmkansi9986
this is brilliant music...the band is superb
@george.s.8491
Great song! Great album! Great band!
@darkstarcomic3234
Bruce hornsby, very good the live , greetings .
@helenrodriguez8892
HEY PEOPLE'S! SONY EMORY YEAH YEAH YEAH!!! SING IT DAMIT!!! OH BOY I wish was THERE...🌷💋 great you guys
@Melanie-le6mw
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥