Three years after "Hot House", Hornsby released a double album, "Spirit Trail". Featuring a decidedly goofy picture of his uncle on the cover, the collection blended instrumental tracks with the story-telling, rock, jazz, and other musical forms Hornsby had delved into over his career. The album considered "very Southern" themes with "songs about race, religion, judgment and tolerance" and "struggles with these issues". An example is "Sneaking Up on Boo Radley", which referenced the character from Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "To Kill a Mockingbird".