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.
Great Divide
Bruce Hornsby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To say that we could, we could be friends
You're thinking I'm just another one telling lies
You don't want to be fooled, fooled again
And you always go your way
And I always go mine
Maybe one day we'll come together
I heard somebody calling you a bad name
But I was speechless, didn't say anything to him
Next time I swear, it'll be different
I promise not to be silent again
And you always go your way
And I always go mine
Maybe one day we'll come together
Across the great divide
And I always cross to the other side
But I go back every time
Maybe one day we'll come together
Across the great divide
I saw a bombed aisle, heard a gunshot ring
Saw two matchsticks burn, felt the bedsheets sting
Ugly words on a wall, and a robe in flames
Then I saw a little boy smile, when the clouds did move away
And you always go your way
And I always go mine
Maybe one day we'll come together
Across the great divide
The lyrics of Bruce Hornsby's "Great Divide" speaks of two individuals who have grown apart over time due to their differences in opinions and way of life. The first verse talks about one of them being skeptical about the idea of being friends again because of the lies and broken promises in the past. However, the singer expresses optimism and hope that someday they will come together again despite their differences, which is symbolized as the "great divide" in the chorus.
In the second verse, the singer talks about regretting the times they didn't stand up for each other and allowed others to harm them. The promise not to be indifferent when the situation arises is sung. The third verse describes some of the harsh realities of life that they have lived through, such as violence and bigotry. However, there is still hope as they witness a little boy finding joy in the clearing of clouds.
The overall message conveyed by the song is about the possibility of reconciliation and understanding despite the barriers that often separate people from one another. It speaks of the importance of empathy and compassion as well as the need to stand up for each other in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
You're saying I've got, got a lot, a lot of nerve
You think it's audacious of me to suggest we can still be friends.
To say that we could, we could be friends
To suggest that we can still have a place for each other in our lives.
You're thinking I'm just another one telling lies
You don't trust me, you believe I'm like everyone else who has let you down.
You don't want to be fooled, fooled again
You don't want to be made a fool of again.
And you always go your way
You have your path in life and you stick to it.
And I always go mine
I have my own path in life that I follow.
Maybe one day we'll come together
Perhaps in the future we will find a way to reconcile.
Across the great divide
Despite our differences, we might still be able to bridge the gap.
I heard somebody calling you a bad name
I overheard someone insulting you.
But I was speechless, didn't say anything to him
I didn't speak up to defend you.
Next time I swear, it'll be different
I promise to act differently in the future.
I promise not to be silent again
I vow to speak up when I witness injustice or cruelty.
And I always cross to the other side
I tend to avoid conflict and confrontation.
But I go back every time
Despite my reluctance, I always end up facing the challenge.
I saw a bombed aisle, heard a gunshot ring
I witnessed the horrors of violence and destruction up close.
Saw two matchsticks burn, felt the bedsheets sting
I experienced the after-effects of a fire or explosion, including the pain of burns.
Ugly words on a wall, and a robe in flames
I saw the results of hate speech and bigotry in action.
Then I saw a little boy smile, when the clouds did move away
Despite all the negativity and despair, I saw a glimmer of hope in the form of a child's smile.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave
Written by: BRUCE HORNSBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind