"Jacob's Ladder" is a 1986 song written by

Bruce Hornsby Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. His music draws from folk rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Southern rock, country rock, jam band, rock, heartland rock, and blues rock musical traditions ...

and his brother John Hornsby and recorded by Huey Lewis and the News. It became a number-one hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1987, the band's third.

Composition and recording

Set in

Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...

, the song marries the Biblical image of

Jacob's Ladder Jacob's Ladder ( he, סֻלָּם יַעֲקֹב ) is a ladder leading to heaven that was featured in a dream the biblical Patriarch Jacob had during his flight from his brother Esau in the Book of Genesis (chapter 28). The significance of th ...

to someone who rejects

proselytizing Proselytism () is the policy of attempting to convert people's religious or political beliefs. Proselytism is illegal in some countries. Some draw distinctions between ''evangelism'' or '' Da‘wah'' and proselytism regarding proselytism as invol ...

evangelists and is instead struggling to get through life one day at a time:

Step by step, one by one, higher and higher Step by step, rung by rung, climbing Jacob's ladder.

The song was given by Hornsby to his friend Lewis and it appeared on the group's September 1986 album ''

Fore! ''Fore!'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News, released on August 20, 1986. The album was a commercial success, peaking at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 and went on to score five top-ten ''Billboa ...

''. The song was originally meant for an album for Hornsby that Lewis was producing. Hornsby did not like the version his band played but suggested that Lewis play it that way for his upcoming album. It was the third single released from the album, and topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for a week in March 1987. '' Billboard'' said that it's "insightful" and "wrestles with spiritual issues." '' Cash Box'' praised the "soaring chorus" and "powerful arrangement." A music video was filmed of the band performing the song in a live concert shot at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena on December 31, 1986. Bruce Hornsby later recorded his own rendition of the song for his 1988 album, ''

Scenes from the Southside ''Scenes from the Southside'' is the second album by Bruce Hornsby and the Range. The single " The Valley Road" was Hornsby's third (and last) Top 10 U.S. hit, peaking at number five on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and also his first number one on ...

''. It became part of his concert repertoire as well; a live bluegrass-influenced version (very different from the version on ''Scenes from the Southside'') appears on the 2006 album '' Intersections (1985–2005)'', which Hornsby performed with his brother

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

Charts

References

{{authority control 1986 songs 1987 singles Huey Lewis and the News songs Bruce Hornsby songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Chrysalis Records singles Songs written by Bruce Hornsby Songs written by John Hornsby Songs critical of religion

Composition and recording

Charts

See also

References