The Way It Is (Bruce Hornsby song)

"The Way It Is"
Song
B-side	"The Red Plains"

"The Way It Is" is a hit song by Bruce Hornsby and the Range from their 1986 album The Way It Is. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. Written by Bruce Hornsby, it made explicit reference to the American Civil Rights Movement.

In 1996, "The Way It Is" was sampled in Tupac Shakur's hit song "Changes," which was released in 1998.

In the 1990s and 2000s, "The Way It Is" has been used as the theme music for Sean Hannity's syndicated radio talk show. Hornsby has commented on this on The Howard Stern Show and elsewhere, discussing his opposing political views to Hannity and the realities of knowing that a songwriter may not choose who uses their songs and for what ideals.

In the UK, a version of the tune is used as the theme song to the BBC 1 daytime program City Hospital and a crudely edited 'loop' of the final instrumental section was also used as background music the BBC's sports programme Grandstand in the late 1980s, where it was played while the presenter ran down the football league tables at the end of the programme. Indeed in the UK (where the song only reached no. 15 in the charts), the song was possibly more well-known for its regular appearances on Grandstand than for its appearance in the charts. The song was also featured in Australia as the background theme of the Nine network's weekend news sports wrap up as well as during AFL Football telecasts in the 1990s.