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."
Free To Be
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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