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."

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy

In Bethlehem, in Jewry
This blessed babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
For which his mother Mary did nothing take in scorn
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy

From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same
How that in Bethlehem was born
The son of God by name
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy

Now to the Lord sing praises
All you within this place
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace
This holy tide of Christmas
All others doth deface
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy

Comfort and joy
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bruce Cockburn's version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen are a classic retelling of the Nativity story, with a message of hope and joy woven throughout. The song begins with a call to "rest merry," urging listeners not to despair. This is followed by a reminder of the reason for Christmas, that "Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day / To save us all from Satan's power / When we were gone astray." The "tidings of comfort and joy" refer to the message of the Gospel, which promises salvation and hope for all who believe.

The second verse describes the humble setting of the Nativity, with the newborn Jesus laid in a manger by his mother Mary. Despite the poverty and hardship of the stable, Mary "did nothing take in scorn," accepting God's plan for her son with humility and grace. This verse highlights the contrast between the earthly power and wealth that people often crave, and the true power and significance of Christ's birth.

The final verse calls on all people to come together in love and brotherhood, to celebrate the holy tide of Christmas. The use of the word "tide" recalls the original meaning of the holiday as a time of renewal and rebirth, and suggests that this celebration can bring people together in a way that transcends divisions and conflicts.

Line by Line Meaning

God rest ye merry, gentlemen
May you have peace and contentment, gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay
Do not be discouraged

Remember Christ our Savior
Recall that Christ is our rescuer

Was born on Christmas Day
Came into existence on the day celebrated as Christmas

To save us all from Satan's power
To rescue us from the hold of the devil

When we were gone astray
When we were lost or misguided

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
What excellent news which brings relief and happiness

In Bethlehem, in Jewry
In the town of Bethlehem in Judea

This blessed babe was born
This fortunate infant came into existence

And laid within a manger
And was placed in a feeding trough for animals

Upon this blessed morn
On this fortunate morning

For which his mother Mary did nothing take in scorn
For which his mother, Mary, did not disapprove

From God our Heavenly Father
A messenger of good news came from our divine Father

A blessed angel came
A messenger who supports or brings happiness appeared

And unto certain shepherds
And to some specific shepherds

Brought tidings of the same
Brought news of the same thing

How that in Bethlehem was born
That in Bethlehem there was a birth

The son of God by name
Called the son of God

Now to the Lord sing praises
Now sing praises to the Lord

All you within this place
All of you in this location

And with true love and brotherhood
And with genuine affection and the bond of community

Each other now embrace
Embrace one another now

This holy tide of Christmas
This sacred time of Christmas

All others doth deface
Outshines everything else

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy
What excellent news which brings relief and happiness

Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bruce Cockburn

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

drafishy

12y↑5

Thank you sooooooo much for uploading this album!!! I have this on CD but didn't know how to upload on YT. This time of the year, I listen to this album all the time.

bruce Cockburn

Hi
thanks for watching and commenting on my YouTube channel God bless you🤗🌞 hope you don’t stop with your love and support❤️👑✏✒✏kindly drop your email address or WhatsApp contact below for more details about my upcoming album🎊 💫Tour or Concert🎄 🎹🎙🎷🎷🎷🎤🎻🥁🎚💛🎷🎷🎷✨💯💯......