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."

Golden Serpent Blues
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She moves like a golden serpent all day long
Moves like a golden serpent all day long
She lights the candle when the day is gone

She likes to give me honey when I'm down
She likes to give me honey when I'm down
If I ever was a king y'know she was the crown

She carries all the lines down in her palms

She carries all the lines down in her palms
She can drive away the devil with a song

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bruce Cockburn's song "Golden Serpent Blues" depict the movements and qualities of a woman who seems to have a magical and transformative effect on the singer. The metaphor of the "golden serpent" suggests a sense of mystery and allure, as well as a dangerous side. The woman moves like this serpent "all day long," implying that her power is constant and pervasive. She is able to create a sense of comfort and intimacy by "light[ing] the candle when the day is gone," suggesting that she is nurturing and supportive.

The second verse depicts the woman's ability to offer solace when the singer is feeling low. She gives him "honey" which could be interpreted as a metaphor for sweetness, or healing medicine. The next line, "if I ever was a king y'know she was the crown," suggests that the woman has a regal quality, and the singer feels beholden to her for her support. The final verse associates the woman with divination and spiritual power. She carries "all the lines down in her palms," implying that she is able to read people's fortunes or destinies. The line "she can drive away the devil with a song" implies that she also has the ability to exorcise negative energy.

Line by Line Meaning

She moves like a golden serpent all day long
She glides through life gracefully, like a serpent of great value and importance.

She lights the candle when the day is gone
She brings light into the darkness after a long day.

She likes to give me honey when I'm down
She comforts me when I am upset with her genuine sweetness.

If I ever was a king y'know she was the crown
If I were a monarch, she would certainly hold the highest position at my side as my queen.

She carries all the lines down in her palms
She knows and understands everything that is important and carries it with her in the lines on her palms.

She can drive away the devil with a song
Her voice has the power to chase away evil spirits with just a melody.

Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: BRUCE COCKBURN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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