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."
Gavin's Woodpile
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Safe within the harmony of kin
Visions begin to crowd my eyes
Like a meteor shower in the autumn skies
And the soil beneath me seems to moan
With a sound like the wind through a hollow bone
And my mind fills with figures like Lappish runes of power
And log slams on rough-hewn log
I remember a bleak-eyed prisoner
In the Stoney Mountain life-suspension home
You drink and fight and damage someone
And they throw you away for some years of boredom
One year done and five more to go
No job waiting so no parole
And over and over they tell you that you're nothing
And I toss another log on Gavin's woodpile
And wonder at the lamp-warm window's welcome smile
I remember crackling embers
Colored windows shining through the rain
Like the colored slicks on The English River two
Death in the marrow and death in the liver
And some government gambler with his mouth full of steak
Saying, "If you can't eat the fish, fish in some other lake
To watch a people die, it is no new thing"
And the stack of wood grows higher and higher
And a helpless rage seems to set my brain on fire
And everywhere the free space fills
Like a punctured diving suit and I'm
Paralyzed in the face of it all
Cursed with the curse of these modern times
Distant mountains, blue and liquid
Luminous like a thickening of sky
Flash in my mind like a stairway to life
A train whistle cuts through the scene like a knife
Three hawks wheel in a dazzling sky
A slow motion jet makes them look like a lie
And I'm left to conclude there's no human answer near
But there's a narrow path to a life to come
That explodes into sight with the power of the sun
A mist rises as the sun goes down
And the light that's left forms a kind of crown
The earth is bread, the sun is wine
It's a sign of a hope that's ours for all time
The song Gavin's Woodpile by Bruce Cockburn presents a moment of introspection in which the singer contemplates life's heavy burdens and the fleeting nature of human existence. The woodpile serves as a sanctuary, a place to clear the mind, and find solace within a community of shared experience. The opening lines convey a sense of tranquility, as the singer works out in Gavin's woodpile, a safe haven where kinship is felt between those who share the labor. However, as the singer begins to reflect deeper on their surroundings, visions of mortality and power begin to invade their thoughts. The singer describes feeling the soil beneath them moan, a sound reminiscent of a hollow bone or an ancient rune that speaks of something greater than oneself.
The second stanza brings forth a memory of a prisoner, trapped within the oppressive system of a life-suspension home. The singer contemplates the damaging effects of institutionalized punishment and the cycle of hopelessness that it creates. The singer tosses another log on the pile, a physical act of releasing pent up frustration and anger at the injustice faced by others. In the final stanza, the singer contemplates the vastness of the human experience, the beauty of nature, and the inevitability of death. Despite this, the singer finds hope in the narrow path of life to come, a metaphorical journey that explodes into sight with the power of the sun.
Line by Line Meaning
Working out on Gavin's woodpile
Exercising on the pile of logs belonging to Gavin
Safe within the harmony of kin
Feeling protected and comfortable among loved ones
Visions begin to crowd my eyes
Starting to hallucinate or imagine things
Like a meteor shower in the autumn skies
Flowing or appearing quickly, like stars in the sky during fall
And the soil beneath me seems to moan
Hearing a low groaning sound from the ground
With a sound like the wind through a hollow bone
Sounding like the wind rushing through something hollow, like a bone
And my mind fills with figures like Lappish runes of power
Having thoughts of powerful symbols (runes) used by the Lappish people
And log slams on rough-hewn log
Hearing thumping noises as logs fall on top of each other
And a voice from somewhere scolds a barking dog
Hearing a voice reprimand a loud dog
I remember a bleak-eyed prisoner
Recalling a hopeless inmate
In the Stoney Mountain life-suspension home
In a rehabilitation facility that feels like a prison
You drink and fight and damage someone
Getting inebriated, fighting, and causing harm to others
And they throw you away for some years of boredom
Getting imprisoned for an extended period with nothing to do
One year done and five more to go
Having completed one year and having five more until release
No job waiting so no parole
Being denied parole due to a lack of employment opportunities post-release
And over and over they tell you that you're nothing
Hearing repeatedly that you are worthless in the system
And I toss another log on Gavin's woodpile
Adding another log to Gavin's pile
And wonder at the lamp-warm window's welcome smile
Finding comfort in the warm glow of a window's light
I remember crackling embers
Recollecting burning embers making noise
Colored windows shining through the rain
Seeing brightly colored windows reflecting in the rain
Like the colored slicks on The English River two
Similar to the colorful sheen on the water of the English River
Death in the marrow and death in the liver
Experiencing pain and death within the body's marrow and liver
And some government gambler with his mouth full of steak
A corrupt politician enjoying a lavish meal
Saying, "If you can't eat the fish, fish in some other lake
Recommending alternative options if one can't consume a certain product
To watch a people die, it is no new thing"
Observing a tragedy is not a new experience
And the stack of wood grows higher and higher
The pile of logs continuously increasing in height
And a helpless rage seems to set my brain on fire
Feeling powerless and angry
And everywhere the free space fills
The open areas becoming occupied
Like a punctured diving suit and I'm
Like a diving suit that has been damaged and can't keep out water
Paralyzed in the face of it all
Feeling unable to react or respond to the situation
Cursed with the curse of these modern times
Feeling overwhelmed by the negative aspects of modern society
Distant mountains, blue and liquid
Seeing far-off mountains that appear fluid or mystical
Luminous like a thickening of sky
Having a bright, dense appearance like the sky
Flash in my mind like a stairway to life
Having sudden insight or inspiration like a path to a better life
A train whistle cuts through the scene like a knife
The sound of a train horn disrupting the peaceful atmosphere
Three hawks wheel in a dazzling sky
Watching hawks fly in a bright and breathtaking sky
A slow motion jet makes them look like a lie
An airplane's slow movement makes it appear unreal or fake
And I'm left to conclude there's no human answer near
Coming to the realization that there are no immediate human solutions
But there's a narrow path to a life to come
Believing in a narrow or specific path towards a better future
That explodes into sight with the power of the sun
Seeing the potential of this path with the dazzling effect of the sun's power
A mist rises as the sun goes down
A misty fog appearing as the sun sets
And the light that's left forms a kind of crown
The remaining sunlight creating a crowned-like shape
The earth is bread, the sun is wine
Viewing the earth as nourishment and the sun as a source of energy
It's a sign of a hope that's ours for all time
Seeing this as a sign of eternal hope for humanity
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bruce Cockburn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Sanderson
A very under-rated guitarist. Had he chosen a different direction he could possibly be recognized as one of the great guitar gods. This is also one of my favourite Cockburn songs. And regarding Bob Dylan - when he got his Nobel prize for literature, I thought at the time that BC should be as eligible for that prize.
Nicole T.
One.of my very favorites!
Elevator Here
Truly the world's folkie Dylan-be-damned. Cockburn is true to himself. Always has been.
Janice Zink
"Dylan-be-damned"? You blaspheme! I truly believe that Bruce would take issue with that statement.
DJ Reid
So true !!
Burt472
Fantastic lyrics
DJ Reid
More powerful as time goes on.
Bob C F Chan
It must have been tough on BC as a devout Christian to write about the injustice to our indigenous people in the hands of organized religion.
Once you go down the rabbit hole, the ugliness of man can destroy you. I don’t know where this saying comes from but I encountered it in an anime. THE EVIL OF MANKIND IS LIKE AN ONION, THE FURTHER YOU KEEP PEELING BACK THE TRUTH, THE MORE YOU WILL CRY
Burt472
@Bob C F Chan Thanks for sharing....A greeting from Italy
Nicole T.
So so good.