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."
Christmas Song
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A dog in the distance barks
The sky speaks in patterns of starlight
The fire replies in sparks
The stream is a motionless moment
Salmon in the sea swims deep
Pregnant with force as a prayer is
Like the snow on the stark spruce limb
Coated with ice, then stripped by wind
We melt away and return again
Stronger for the tempering flame
Stronger for the Saviour's name.
The beginning of the song "Christmas Song" by Bruce Cockburn paints a vivid picture of a winter night. The faces of those gathered around a fire are illuminated by the bright flames. In the distance, a dog barks as the sky glitters with starlight. The sound of the fire crackling and popping is like a conversation between the heavens and earth. It's almost as if the stars and fire are responding to each other.
The second paragraph of the song takes a turn towards the natural world with the mention of a motionless moment in a stream. The stream is a peaceful, prayer-like moment that is juxtaposed with the energy of a salmon swimming deep in the sea. The salmon is "pregnant with force," representing the unstoppable power that is found in nature. Although the earth may seem hard and desolate, there is a hidden life force pulsing beneath the surface. Spring is asleep, waiting to burst forth when the time is right.
The final verse of the song shifts once again to a metaphor of the snow on a spruce limb. The passage of time and the challenges of life are like a tempering flame that can make us stronger. Just as the snow on the spruce limb is stripped by the wind and then returns, so too do we experience growth and rebirth. The reference to the Saviour's name invokes the idea of redemption and hope, reinforcing the message of the song's final lines.
Line by Line Meaning
Fire-bright faces in winter night
People's faces illuminated by the fire in the winter night
A dog in the distance barks
A dog barks in the distance
The sky speaks in patterns of starlight
The sky is full of star patterns
The fire replies in sparks
The fire sparks in response
The stream is a motionless moment
The stream is completely still
Salmon in the sea swims deep
Salmon swim deeply in the sea
Pregnant with force as a prayer is
The prayer is filled with powerful force
Spring in the hard earth sleeps
Spring is dormant within the hard earth
Like the snow on the stark spruce limb
Similar to the snow on a bare spruce branch
Coated with ice, then stripped by wind
Covered in ice, stripped away by the wind
We melt away and return again
We disappear and come back again
Stronger for the tempering flame
Stronger for the refining flame
Stronger for the Saviour's name.
Stronger because of the name of the Savior
Contributed by Owen G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Mandoline2007
The voice and guitar playing are amazingly good!
@nissi.k
Bruce Cockburn
Fire-bright faces in winter night
A dog in the distance barks
The sky speaks in patterns of starlight
The fire replies in sparks
The stream is a motionless moment
Salmon in the sea swims deep
Pregnant with force as a prayer is
Spring in the hard earth sleeps
Like the snow on the stark spruce limb
Coated with ice, then stripped by wind
We melt away and return again
Stronger for the tempering flame
Stronger for the Savior's name
@nissi.k
Exquisite! Thank you!
@CaapriceTube1
nice tune.
that melt away, return again bit love that!