Bruce Cockburn (pronounced "CO-burn") (born May 27, 1945 in Ottawa, Ontario… Read Full Bio ↴Bruce Cockburn (pronounced "CO-burn") (born May 27, 1945 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) has had a long and distinguished career, with much success in his native Canada. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll. Cockburn was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2012 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (in Canada the award was to honour "significant contributions and achievements by Canadians").

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."

Go Tell It On The Mountain
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens

There shone a holy light

Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

Shepherds feared and trembled
When low above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our savior's birth

Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent our salvation
That blessed Christmas morn

Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere
Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

Go tell it on the mountain
Over the hills and everywhere

Go tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born

Overall Meaning

Bruce Cockburn's rendition of "Go Tell it on the Mountain" is a classic Christmas song that speaks to the basic message of Christmas with a bit of a southern gospel flair. The song speaks of the birth of Jesus and encourages listeners to share the news everywhere, over the hills and in all corners. The song begins with a narrative of Shepherds in the field keeping watch over their flocks, as the countryside lay peaceful and still. Then, there was a burst of light that illuminated the skies, and a sense of otherworldly presence filled the area. As the Shepherds' safety was at stake, they were afraid and trembling with fear. Then a beautiful sound of a thousand voices singing created a beautiful harmony that was beautiful to the ear.

The song captures the essence of Christian faith traditions, including the birth of Jesus, the presence of the Shepherds, and the birth of the Savior. With Bruce Cockburn's beautiful arrangement, the song is inspiring and is perfect for the holiday season, reminding all of what is important during this special time.

Line by Line Meaning

Go tell it on the mountain
Spread the news about the birth of Jesus

Over the hills and everywhere
To all places far and wide

Go tell it on the mountain
Spread the news about the birth of Jesus

That Jesus Christ is born
The Lord and Savior has been born

While shepherds kept their watching
As the shepherds were guarding their flock

Over silent flocks by night
In the quiet of night while the flocks lay sleeping

Behold throughout the heavens
See the heavenly display

There shone a holy light
A sacred light was shining bright

Shepherds feared and trembled
The shepherds were scared and intimidated

When low above the earth
When the angels descended towards the earth

Rang out the angel chorus
The angelic choir sang joyfully