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."
Five Fifty-One
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
traffic in my mind, traffic in my mind
knots in my muscles, too much traffic in my mind
it was five fifty-one, gray light creeping through the blind
Small source of comfort, dawn was breaking in the air
breaking in the air, breaking in the air
small source of comfort, dawn was breaking in the air
what's in need of repair
Out on the sidewalk there was diesel on the breeze
diesel on the breeze, diesel on the breeze
out on the sidewalk there was diesel on the breeze
they're always getting away with something when they
think there's no one there to see
Middle of the night cops came knocking on my door
knocking on my door, knocking at my door
middle of the night cops come knocking at my door
still don't know what my neighbor called them for
Knots in my muscles, too much traffic in my mind
traffic in my mind, traffic in my mind
knots in my muscles, too much traffic in my mind
it was five fifty-one, gray light creeping through the blind
In Bruce Cockburn's song Five Fifty-One, the lyrical content highlights the inner turmoil experienced by the singer, Kathleen. Kathleen is suffering from knots in her muscles due to stress, and she is unable to calm down as her mind is racing with too many thoughts. The song indicates that it is five fifty-one, and there is a hint that it could be in the morning. A small source of comfort is found in the fact that dawn is breaking in the air, but it seems that it is not enough to provide serene stillness in Kathleen's mind. The lyrical content suggests that Kathleen is aware of the things she values most when she thinks of what's in need of repair.
As the song proceeds, the lyrics tell of the singer who walks out on the sidewalk and can smell diesel on the breeze. As if she is made aware of something not quite right, Kathleen says they're always getting away with something when they think there's no one there to see. The last verse alludes to some sort of disturbance in Kathleen's life. It tells of the middle of the night when cops knock on her door. The lyrics suggest that the knocking is abrupt, and Kathleen does not even know what her neighbor called the cops for. The chorus repeats itself throughout the song, highlighting the inner turmoil Kathleen experiences with knots in her muscles and too much traffic in her mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Knots in my muscles, too much traffic in my mind
Experiencing physical and mental tension
traffic in my mind, traffic in my mind
Constant thoughts and worries leading to mental congestion
it was five fifty-one, gray light creeping through the blind
Describing a specific moment in time, early dawn
Small source of comfort, dawn was breaking in the air
The arrival of dawn bringing some relief and hope
breaking in the air, breaking in the air
Signifying the start of a new day
you don't take these things for granted when you think of what's in need of repair
Reflecting on the importance of appreciating the good things, especially when things need to be fixed
Out on the sidewalk there was diesel on the breeze
Describing the unpleasant smell of diesel fuel outside
diesel on the breeze, diesel on the breeze
Reinforcing the strong smell of the fuel
they're always getting away with something when they think there's no one there to see
A cynical observation on human behavior and the potential for wrongdoing when one thinks they won't get caught
Middle of the night cops came knocking on my door
Unexpected and intrusive law enforcement encounter
knocking on my door, knocking at my door
Reinforcing the disruptive and alarming nature of the situation
still don't know what my neighbor called them for
Uncertainty and confusion about why someone would call the police on the artist
Contributed by Elliot L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.