Free To Be
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics


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Got no social graces
Never know my place
One thing I am sure of
You can't judge a man by his race
Birth don't come easy
Freedom doesn't come cheap
Rules and worlds get swept away
While you waste your time in sleep

Grow up you
Grow up me
Grown together
Free to be

There's music in the forest
Children laugh in the school yard
On the skid row of the spirit
Hear the ranting of the Western Guard
Why don't you cool out
Can it be so hard
To love yourself without thinking
Someone else holds a lower card

Grow up you
Grow up me
Grown together
Free to be

Wired to the switchboard
Always on the move
Things we love to cling to
But there's nothing we can prove
You can only deal with
What's before your face
And the life you're given's no use at all
If you burn it up in hate

Grow up you
Grow up me
Grown together
Free to be

Grow up you
Grow up me




Grown together
Free to be

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bruce Cockburn's song "Free To Be" talk about the complexities of life, freedom, and the importance of growing up. The opening verse, "Got no social graces/Never know my place/One thing I am sure of/You can't judge a man by his race" is an observation of human behavior where societal differences such as social standings and one's place in it doesn't matter as much as how one carries themselves. The song then delves into the importance of freedom and how it is achieved through sacrifice: "Birth don't come easy/Freedom doesn't come cheap/Rules and worlds get swept away/While you waste your time in sleep." Freedom is expensive for it is the result of those who have gone before us and have made sacrifices for it. The song concludes with the idea that everything is connected: "Grow up you/Grow up me/Grown together/Free to be." Everyone should grow up and face the world that is before them unitedly and as one.


Line by Line Meaning

Got no social graces
I do not know how to behave in society


Never know my place
I am always unsure of where I belong


One thing I am sure of
But I know for certain that


You can't judge a man by his race
a person's race should not determine their worth or character


Birth don't come easy
Being born and living our lives is not a simple process


Freedom doesn't come cheap
And the cost of being truly free is high


Rules and worlds get swept away
Over time, societal norms and structures change and disappear


While you waste your time in sleep
But if you ignore this reality and do nothing, you are wasting your time


Grow up you
You need to mature and take responsibility for your life


Grow up me
I need to do the same thing myself


Grown together
If we both do this, we can support each other and grow together


Free to be
And then we can truly be free individuals


There's music in the forest
Nature has its own melody


Children laugh in the school yard
Innocent joy exists in playgrounds


On the skid row of the spirit
But for some, their soul feels destitute


Hear the ranting of the Western Guard
And they will hear the bigoted and prejudiced


Why don't you cool out
But what if they just calmed down


Can it be so hard
And realized that it wasn't that difficult


To love yourself without thinking
To accept and love oneself without comparing or belittling others


Someone else holds a lower card
Because nobody's worth is less than someone else's


Wired to the switchboard
We stay connected but we are not truly present


Always on the move
We are always in constant motion


Things we love to cling to
But we hold on to meaningless things


But there's nothing we can prove
And ultimately they do not bring satisfaction or purpose


You can only deal with
The only thing you can control is


What's before your face
What is currently happening in front of you


And the life you're given's no use at all
If you do not focus on the present and actively make use of your time


If you burn it up in hate
And instead allow anger and resentment to consume you


Grow up you
You need to mature and take responsibility for your life


Grow up me
I need to do the same thing myself


Grown together
If we both do this, we can support each other and grow together


Free to be
And then we can truly be free individuals




Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: BRUCE COCKBURN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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