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."
Creation Dream
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Counting on nothing
I saw you standing on the sea
And everything was
Dark except for
Sparks the wind struck from your hair
Sparks that turned to
Wings around you
Fields of motion
Surging outward
Questions that contain their own replies...
You were dancing
I saw you dancing
Throwing your arms toward the sky
Fingers opening
Like flares
Stars were shooting everywhere
Lines of power
Bursting outward
Along the channels of your song
Mercury waves flashed
Under your feet
Shots of silver in the shell-pink dawn...
In Bruce Cockburn's song "Creation Dream", the lyrics evoke an ethereal and mystical scene. The opening line "Centred on silence, counting on nothing" sets the tone for a kind of meditative state, in which the singer observes a figure silhouetted against a dark backdrop. This figure is standing on the sea, and while everything around them is dark, the wind strikes sparks from their hair, which turn into wings around them. The sound of angelic voices can be heard mixed with the cries of seabirds in the distance. These images suggest a moment of transformation or transcendence, as if the figure were becoming something otherworldly.
The song continues with descriptions of the figure dancing, throwing their arms towards the sky, and unfurling their fingers like flares. As they dance, stars shoot everywhere and lines of power burst outward, as if the figure were the source of a powerful energy. The imagery is at once celestial and terrestrial, with references to seas and waves, shells and silver, dawn and fields of motion. All of it seems to be contained within the figure's song, with mercury waves flashing under their feet and the channels of their voice carrying bursts of power. The questions contained within the lyrics suggest a sense of wonder and awe, as if the singer is striving to understand something beyond their comprehension.
Line by Line Meaning
Centred on silence
In a state of peaceful stillness
Counting on nothing
Having no expectations or attachments
I saw you standing on the sea
Witnessed an ethereal, dream-like vision of a powerful force of nature
And everything was
At that moment in time
Dark except for
Except for the only source of light
Sparks the wind struck from your hair
Electric energy radiating from a divine being
Sparks that turned to
The energy transformed into
Wings around you
Symbolic representation of freedom and transcendence
Angel voices mixed with seabird cries
Sounds merging to create a beautiful, otherworldly harmony
Fields of motion
A sense of movement and fluidity
Surging outward
Expanding and spreading in all directions
Questions that contain their own replies...
Rhetorical questions that provide answers within themselves
You were dancing
Displaying a joyful and free expression
I saw you dancing
Observing a beautiful moment
Throwing your arms toward the sky
Reaching for a higher, spiritual plane
Fingers opening
Releasing tension and embracing freedom
Like flares
Flashing with energy and intensity
Stars were shooting everywhere
A magical and awe-inspiring moment
Lines of power
Symbolic representation of the connection between divine and earthly beings
Bursting outward
Expanding and breaking through boundaries
Along the channels of your song
The music acting as a conduit for spiritual energy
Mercury waves flashed
A visual representation of energy and motion
Under your feet
Beneath the source of power and inspiration
Shots of silver in the shell-pink dawn...
A beautiful and serene moment imbued with an otherworldly quality
Contributed by Jacob E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@flapjackid
Centred on silence
Counting on nothing
I saw you standing on the sea
And everything was
Dark except for
Sparks the wind struck from your hair
Sparks that turned to
Wings around you
Angel voices mixed with seabird cries
Fields of motion
Surging outward
Questions that contain their own replies...
You were dancing
I saw you dancing
Throwing your arms toward the sky
Fingers opening
Like flares
Stars were shooting everywhere
Lines of power
Bursting outward
Along the channels of your song
Mercury waves flashed
Under your feet
Shots of silver in the shell-pink dawn...
@petenelson411
Absolutely! One of the best albums ever, played all the way through... :-)
@anonymous-es5gi
+Pete Nelson totally agree!! Love this album!!!
@bigred1222
I agree with you as well Pete. SUCH a great album. Easily the best Cockburn album I've heard and for me it should be in the top 500 albums of all time.
@petenelson411
:-)
@caretakerfochr3834
Bruce really carved out his own genre with this album. It's flawless and every song is a gem. And after 40+ years since I first heard it I can say it is timeless. As contemporary as ever.
@robertdavidson9393
This song one of the best I've ever heard ...
@rwixy1
Truly beautiful song thanks Bruce...
@flapjackid
Centred on silence
Counting on nothing
I saw you standing on the sea
And everything was
Dark except for
Sparks the wind struck from your hair
Sparks that turned to
Wings around you
Angel voices mixed with seabird cries
Fields of motion
Surging outward
Questions that contain their own replies...
You were dancing
I saw you dancing
Throwing your arms toward the sky
Fingers opening
Like flares
Stars were shooting everywhere
Lines of power
Bursting outward
Along the channels of your song
Mercury waves flashed
Under your feet
Shots of silver in the shell-pink dawn...
@loranelizabeth9148
Dearest Bruce: you are a true gift! Thank you for All!~~
@billc5060
I second that