The Way It Is

i shall concede this.

Unfortunately, Jess, the Pinefox likes "The Living Years" ...

i'd like to hear derek bailey covering "the living years." that, or carcass.

It's quite touching that Robin C remembers my affection for that 1988 track. Would still like to see RC's view on the Hornsby song (or would I?).

I'm sure we had a thread ages ago which touched on a late 80s UK hip- hop record that sampled "The Way It Is", aeons before Tupac's "Changes" lifted the same track.

Yeah, what was that? I vaguely remember thinking the same when the Tupas track came out.

'The Way It Is' mainly makes me think of the Capital Radio magazine programme of the same name, which used the song as its theme music. For some reason I associate it with Marc Cohn's 'Walking In Memphis'

I guess we're going to have to search the archives to find that earlier thread. About April this year, I reckon.

I recall being perplexed when PF mentioned before that he'd heard it on the radio: who (I wondered) would be playing *that*? The existence of a Tupac version kind of explains things. I don't suppose PF would be any more impressed by MC Buzz B than he was by Tupac.

Mr Hopkins is correct to say that I'm unlikely to like any "dance remix" version of this song.

What 'The Way It Is' gives me: poignancy (the Am-G-D-C-G-D-C / type structure; transpose as apt), and freewheeling cool (the G-F-C / type structure, ditto). Probably the latter is slightly better remembered.

Major historical context for reception of this song in 1987: BBC Grandstand, c.4:40pm on a Saturday: scores and pools results being displayed; Desmond Lynam perhaps talking over the changing screens. Yes, this is doubtless one reason I like it so much.

I'm almost starting to think it was 1986, not 1987.

The answer: pretty bad.

Still: I always found the commentary w/ "They passed a law in '64 to give those who ain't got a little more/but it only goes so far/'cause the law don't change another's mind when all it sees at the hiring time/is the line on the color bar" to be perceptive.

Standing in line marking time- Waiting for the welfare dime 'Cause they can't buy a job The man in the silk suit hurries by As he catches the poor ladies' eyes Just for fun he says "get a job"

CHORUS That's just the way it is Some things will never change That's just the way it is But don't you believe them

They say he little boy you can't go Where the others go 'Cause you don't look like they do Said hey old man how can you stand To think that way Did you really think about it Before you made the rules He said, Son

CHORUS

Well they passed a law in '64 To give those who ain't got a little more But it only goes so far Because the law don't change another's mind When all it sees at the hiring time Is the line on the color bar

CHORUS

Now, this might be a trick of my memory, but I swear I first heard Party Fears Two in exactly the same context.

Sorry, PF, but this is perhaps one of the most agonizingly pretentious pieces of garbage I've ever heard. Sounds like Don Henley doing an impression of someone with a conscience. I had a po-faced do- gooder social studies teacher in high school who tremendously earnestly used this song as the basis for a lecture on the effects of apathy. He was really down with the kids, maaaaan. He ended up developing an American Beauty-styled crush on a friend of mine, sending her flowers and talking about leaving his wife for her even though she was 15 and clearly not interested. Creepy old perv. All we could think to do was to key his car. That's just the way it is.

― fritz, Thursday, 3 January 2002 01:00 (14 years ago) Permalink

lol

Were you watching Colbert last night?

both fritz and pinefox have their own personal Major historical context for reception of this song ...

xpost

yes!

i have to say in its creamcheesy way, the conscience or a simulacrum thereof comes through, and that aint nothing.

Xpost

I have to admit I started thinking about this song for a bit after I heard them playing it, too.