Cockburn's early albums were fairly straight ahead folk music spotlighting his brilliant guitar playing. In fact, there were a good number of instrumental guitar numbers on those early recordings. A Christian element came into his music around the time of the album Salt, Sun and Time, and over time his writing has taken on a stronger and stronger political orientation.
Perhaps the most consistent element of Cockburn's music has been his willingness to change and evolve over time. In this way, he is similar to fellow Canadians Joni Mitchell and Neil Young.
He has had a couple of radio hits in the United States, including (Wondering Where the Lions Are and If I Had a Rocket Launcher).
His albums in the 80s are considered some of his strongest, including Humans, Inner City Front, Stealing Fire, and Big Circumstance. After Big Circumstance he struggled with writer's block, and his output began to slow down; but he recovered with the formidable Nothing But a Burning Light, which led the way back to a sparer, more folk-oriented form of music. His later album The Charity of Night contains one of his most thoughtful songs, Pacing the Cage.
His 2006 album Life Short Call Now was preceded by Speechless, a collection of instrumentals, many of them from earlier albums. The album highlights Cockburn's prodigious abilities as a guitarist.
Cockburn's 31st studio album,Small Source of Comfort was released in March, 2011. BruceCockburn.com called the album "an adventurous collection of songs of romance, protest and spiritual discovery. The album, primarily acoustic yet rhythmically savvy, is rich in Cockburn’s characteristic blend of folk, blues, jazz and rock."
All's Quiet On The Inner City Front
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Makes a square of light on the kitchen floor
Smokes rises from a cigarette
There's a dull glisten where the table's wet
Soft breath rises from the bed
A thousand question marks over my head
Turn on the tube but there's nothing new
"Military advisors" marching in the square
Knife-sharp trouser creases slicing air
Private armies on suburban lawns
Shoulders braced against the tidal dawn
All's quiet on the inner city front
I don't know why I should but I feel content
Bell in the fire station tower
Rings out the measure of the racing hours
I slip through the door to the roof outside
To gaze at the sign hanging in the sky
That sailor on the billboard looks so self-possessed
Doesn't have a thing to forgive or forget
All's quiet on the inner city front.
In the opening verse of "All's Quiet On The Inner City Front," Bruce Cockburn paints a vivid picture of an ordinary evening in the city, focusing on the sights and sounds from his apartment window. The blue billboard on the neighboring rooftop casts a square of light on the kitchen floor, while smoke rises from a nearby cigarette. The table is wet, giving a dull glisten, and soft breath can be heard coming from the bed. Yet amidst the mundane scene, Cockburn feels a sense of unease, as if thousands of question marks are hanging over his head.
As Cockburn turns on the television, he sees nothing new, only the same stories of panic presented in red, white, and blue. Military advisors are shown marching in the square, with their knife-sharp trouser creases slicing through the air. The idea of private armies on suburban lawns braced against the tidal dawn is a striking image, and it suggests to Cockburn a sense of imminent danger, even on the inner city front. Yet despite these ominous signs, he feels a strange contentment, the simple pleasure of a quiet evening alone.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue billboard on the roof next door
There's a blue billboard on the roof next door.
Makes a square of light on the kitchen floor
The billboard creates a square of light on the kitchen floor.
Smokes rises from a cigarette
Smoke rises from a cigarette.
There's a dull glisten where the table's wet
There's a dull reflection where the table is wet.
Soft breath rises from the bed
Soft breath rises from the bed.
A thousand question marks over my head
There are a thousand question marks floating over my head.
Turn on the tube but there's nothing new
I turn on the television but there's no new information.
The usual panic in red, white and blue
As usual, there's panic and chaos represented in red, white, and blue.
"Military advisors" marching in the square
There are "military advisors" marching in the square.
Knife-sharp trouser creases slicing air
The sharp creases in their trousers cut through the air.
Private armies on suburban lawns
There are private armies gathering on suburban lawns.
Shoulders braced against the tidal dawn
People are preparing for the rising tide of a new day.
All's quiet on the inner city front
Despite the chaos outside, it's quiet on the inner city front.
I don't know why I should but I feel content
I don't know why, but I feel content.
Bell in the fire station tower
There's a bell in the fire station tower.
Rings out the measure of the racing hours
The bell rings out to measure the hours that are quickly passing.
I slip through the door to the roof outside
I slip through a door to get to the roof outside.
To gaze at the sign hanging in the sky
I look at the sign hanging in the sky.
That sailor on the billboard looks so self-possessed
The sailor on the billboard looks confident and self-assured.
Doesn't have a thing to forgive or forget
He doesn't have anything to forgive or forget.
All's quiet on the inner city front.
Despite the chaos outside, it's still quiet on the inner city front.
Contributed by Parker V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gretchen Williams
Timeless music that for me is still fresh and meaningful ❤️
Skye1234
This is one of my favorite songs of his, the whole album is very well done. Bruce at his best
Tom
Been a fan since my mind-20s, mid-80s. Have moved a bit away from Bruce's leftism, but still appreciate his artistry and him as a believer.
Chris Dellett
awesome music very spiritual political and meaningful great job Bruce COCKBURN LISTENING TO YOUR MUSIC FOR OVER 35YEARS
J W
Just as there are novels that chronicle or represent the City of Toronto (Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye), this album does the same, musically and lyrically. At least that's the way I interpreted Inner City Front when it was released. One of the greatest Canadian albums.
emo
Bruce is, or was, as deep as the pacific ocean .
Gretchen Williams
My all time favorite BC album
Ed Green
Another canadian! Great cd!
erock2229
Very nice. I need to pick up this album.
Bill Jones
Well worth it!