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."
Badlands Flashback
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ma main s'entends
Prends du gravier
Un morcean blanc de coquille
Pour un instant
Un mugissement
L'antique mer
Lozanges mobiles
Des herbes flottantes
Un cri soudain
D'oiseau flamboie au firmament
Une troupe d'antilopes
Traverse l'horizon
Sabots scintillants comme du verre
Un rire sonne comme le cristal
Dans le ciel vide --
Quelqu'un danse comme une flamme
TRANSLATION: "Badlands Flashback"
The body stoops
The hand goes out
Picks up from the gravel
A fragment of white seashell
For a moment
A roaring
The ancient sea
Fills the space that just now was mine
Moving diamond-shapes
Grasses flowing
The sudden cry of a bird
Blazes all along the sky
A herd of antelope
Crosses the horizon
Hooves scintillating like glass
A laugh rings like crystal
In the empty sky --
Someone is dancing like a flame!
The song "Badlands Flashback" by Bruce Cockburn is a captivating and poetic piece that describes a flashback of memories that flood the mind of the singer. In the first verse, the singer describes his body stooping down to pick up a small piece of white seashell from the gravel which ignites a wave of memories. The second verse paints a vivid picture of moving diamond-shaped objects and flowing grasses all-embracing the singer's mind. This is followed by a sudden cry of a bird that is so piercing it illuminates across the sky.
The third verse describes a herd of antelope crossing the horizon whose hooves sparkle like glass. The last verse describes a sudden burst of laughter that rings through the empty sky, followed by someone dancing like a flame. The beauty of this song lies in the way it draws imagery through abstract descriptions, inviting the listener to imagine what's happening in the singer's mind.
Overall, "Badlands Flashback" is a call to appreciate the beauty of the present moment, despite some moments of reminiscence of the past. It is a reminder that life is fleeting and that one must cherish the little moments that make up the fabric of our existence.
Line by Line Meaning
The body stoops
My physical form is bent over, in a subservient position.
The hand goes out
My hand reaches forward, seeking something in my surroundings.
Picks up from the gravel
I select a small rock or stone from the rocky, rough terrain beneath my feet.
A fragment of white seashell
I identify a small, broken piece of smooth, white shell.
For a moment
For a brief period of time, my perception shifts.
A roaring
I hear a loud, powerful sound in the distance.
The ancient sea
The vast, timeless ocean of the past moves in to fill the void where I once stood.
Fills the space that just now was mine
The vast expanse of the sea obliterates my former existence and makes me feel small.
Moving diamond-shapes
Geometric shapes shimmer and twist in the air and catch my eye.
Grasses flowing
The wild grasses are swaying in a rhythmic motion as if responding to some invisible force.
The sudden cry of a bird
An abrupt, sharp and unexpected call from a bird pierces the air around me.
Blazes all along the sky
The sky seems alight with the aftermath of the bird's cry.
A herd of antelope
A group of fleet-footed, graceful antelopes appear in the distance.
Crosses the horizon
The antelopes move purposefully across the landscape and into the distance.
Hooves scintillating like glass
The hooves of the antelopes sparkle and shine like they are made of glass as they run.
A laugh rings like crystal
I hear a joyful, clear laugh that echoes through the emptiness around me.
In the empty sky --
This sound is heard in the vastness of space, where there is no one around to hear it.
Someone is dancing like a flame!
An entity exudes intense energy and passion like a flickering flame.
Contributed by Adeline P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Steve Hammond
Oh man…This is such a gorgeous work. Bruce's guitar work is fantastic and the piano is a perfect accompaniment. One of my favorite songs on an album that has meant so much to me.
Jeremy boehm
I just wrote a long reply to your comment but because I don't know how to use this I accidently sent the reply to some guy named Peter who asked what other music approached those beauty. If you care you can read it there!
Jeremy boehm
@Peter Bruce-Iri woops I was writing this reply to someone else. I actually never comment on videos so I didn't know how this works. I know Bruce Cockburns work well. I grew up with this album which is his best and my brother bought all the others of which there are so many. I've borrowed them all. Personally salt sun and time has some really nice moments... Night vision too... But nothing is close to dancing in a dragons jaw. I bought humans and further adventure of which sandwich this one hoping to get closest to it... Further adventures had a few good tracks like a cool instrumental but really isn't that spectacular. Humans is about divorce and disillusionment rather than faith and relationship like this album so it's very different. But "all the diamonds" and some of his earlier stuff have a similar vibe. Nothing with the great band that's in here or the same vibe right unfortunately. If you prove me wrong share it though! I'd love to know
Jeremy boehm
Yeah when the piano kicks in with the key changes it's one of the best moments on an incredible album. I grew up with it... Parents bought the records in northern Alberta where I was born. If you haven't heard it yet, the live version from Hastings lake on YouTube is really incredible and gives some insight into the song. I don't speak French so it was cool to hear Bruce discuss it. I've been learning to play it on guitar. Usually learning a song kind off ruins it because I listen to it too much, get it stuck in my head too much and it kind of drains the mystery of the piece out. If anything it's kind of given me some more appreciation. The alternate tuning makes it surprisingly easy to play and offers some unbelievable chords during that cool interlude with the piano and I think vibraphone. Glad you can appreciate it too
Peter Bruce-Iri
I don't know this artist very well. Can you identify any of his other work that approaches the beauty of this one?
iván
Halsey se inspiró en esto para BADLANDS. 🥺