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.
The End Of The Innocence
Bruce Hornsby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky
Didn't have a care in the world
With mommy and daddy standing by
When "happily ever after" fails
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales
The lawyers dwell on small details
Since daddy had to fly
Oh, but I know a place where we can go
Still untouched by man
We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by
And the tall grass waves in the wind
You can lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair fall all around me
Offer up your best defense
But this is the end
This is the end of the innocence
O' beautiful, for spacious skies
But now those skies are threatening
They're beating plowshares into swords
For this tired old man that we elected king
Armchair warriors often fail
And they've been poisoned by these fairy tales
The lawyers clean up all details
Since daddy had to lie
Oh, but I know a place where we can go
And wash away this sin
We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by
The tall grass waves in the wind
Just lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair spill all around me
Offer up your best defense
But this is the end
This is the end of the innocence
Who knows how long this will last
Now we've come so far, so fast
But somewhere back there in the dust
That same small town in each of us
I need to remember this
So baby, give me just one kiss
And let me take a long last look
Before we say good bye
Just lay your head back on the ground
And let your hair fall all around me
Offer up your best defense
But this is the end
This is the end of the innocence
In "The End of the Innocence," Bruce Hornsby sings about the loss of childhood innocence and the disillusionment that comes with growing up. He begins by reminiscing about the carefree days of his youth, when his parents were always there to protect him and everything seemed possible. But now he sees that life is full of disappointments and betrayals, and that the fairy tale ending he once believed in is a falsehood perpetuated by society.
In the second verse, Hornsby expands his critique to encompass the wider world. He sings about a country that was once revered for its beauty and freedom but has become corrupted by greed and war. The "tired old man" serving as king is a reference to the President of the United States, who at the time of the song's release (1989) was George H.W. Bush. Hornsby argues that the rhetoric of patriotism and heroism often used to justify war is nothing but a myth that obscures the true cost of conflict.
The chorus offers a reprieve from these harsh realities. Hornsby describes a hidden place where he and his lover can escape from the world and revel in the simple pleasures of nature. The repeated line "this is the end of the innocence" underscores the idea that there is no turning back from the disillusionment of adulthood, but it also suggests the possibility of finding refuge in beauty and intimacy despite the world's ugliness.
Line by Line Meaning
Remember when the days were long
Remembering the memories of the past, where days seemed long and carefree
And rolled beneath a deep blue sky
Reflecting on the deep, blue sky and the beauty that encompassed it
Didn't have a care in the world
Not having any worries or troubles
With mommy and daddy standing by
Having the support and guidance of parents during childhood
When 'happily ever after' fails
When life doesn't go according to plan or expectations, despite fairy tales suggesting otherwise
And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales
Being misled and disappointed by preconceived notions and expectations perpetuated by society, particularly through fairy tales
The lawyers dwell on small details
Lawyers focus on minute particulars and intricacies
Since daddy had to fly
Since a loved one or mentor is no longer present or has passed away
Oh, but I know a place where we can go
Having a place in mind where things seem idyllic and safe
Still untouched by man
A place where nature remains in a pure and untouched state, unaffected by human intervention
We'll sit and watch the clouds roll by
Taking a moment to appreciate the simple beauty and grace of nature
And the tall grass waves in the wind
Observing the movement of tall grass, swaying in the breeze
You can lay your head back on the ground
Relaxing and unwinding by lying down on the ground
And let your hair fall all around me
Letting go and being carefree, allowing one's hair to fall around another person as a symbol of trust and intimacy
Offer up your best defense
Putting up a front or explanation for one's actions or intentions
But this is the end
This marks a significant change or ending of a period of time or situation
O' beautiful, for spacious skies
Recognizing the beauty and vastness of the sky
But now those skies are threatening
Referring to a rise in danger or consequences
They're beating plowshares into swords
Referring to the transformation of something peaceful and harmless into something dangerous and harmful
For this tired old man that we elected king
Referring to a powerful figure who was once admired but now seems outdated or ineffective
Armchair warriors often fail
People who criticize and comment from the comfort of their own homes or positions are often unsuccessful in their endeavors
And they've been poisoned by these fairy tales
Being misled and disappointed by preconceived notions and expectations perpetuated by society, particularly through fairy tales
The lawyers clean up all details
Lawyers are responsible for sorting out the legal aspects and details
Since daddy had to lie
Since a loved one or mentor is no longer present or has passed away
Oh, but I know a place where we can go
Having a place in mind where things seem idyllic and safe
And wash away this sin
Eliminating wrongdoing or mistakes, and starting anew
Just lay your head back on the ground
Relaxing and unwinding by lying down on the ground
And let your hair spill all around me
Letting go and being carefree, allowing one's hair to fall around another person as a symbol of trust and intimacy
Who knows how long this will last
Uncertainty about the duration or future of a situation
Now we've come so far, so fast
Noticing the significant progress or changes that have occurred in a short amount of time
But somewhere back there in the dust
Reflecting on the distant past with nostalgia
That same small town in each of us
Feeling connected through shared memories and experiences from one's hometown or childhood
I need to remember this
Recognizing the importance of memories and experiences from the past
So baby, give me just one kiss
Asking for a small, intimate gesture of affection before saying goodbye
And let me take a long last look
Taking a moment to appreciate everything before it is gone
Before we say good bye
Bracing for the potential end of a significant period or relationship
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Bruce Hornsby, Don Henley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DrPerk5
Bruce has such a rare, unique, and wonderful gift.
@marvsimpson1364
Never heard Bruce’s rendition of this sublime masterpiece but his version is downright gorgeous
@jenlambert1259
God, that’s so stunningly beautiful. Your solo version brought me to tears. I just adore you. Your music moves me in ways no other artists can…you’ve touched my soul since I was a teenager in the early 80s. I guess that’s just the way it is. Thank you for so many years of musical magic.
@MyeshaParris
Great comment I feel the same way.
@houtbay9
You still look like a beautiful teenager 😘
@johnnyroadcrew3841
Its very powerful stuff .. .. ..
@iainchesterman5474
Takes you back to a better place that’s for sure ❤️
@tinamarieedwards1234
❤
@jenniferlynnwyatt7149
Sad, emotion filled song that brings to mind, leave takings, sad poems, rainy days and a cup of soothing hot tea. I love your music. Thank you, Bruce
@ImpartiallySpeaking
There are great singers and great songwriters, but there’s only one Bruce Hornsby! — A truly extraordinary artist.