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."
High Winds White Sky
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
White sky
Wild birds do glide
Tattered smoke fades
Embers in the pipe
Move like
Life beginning
Pyramids
Glittering ring
Blood of the king
Daughter of the stars
You are
Life beginning
The wind's travelers' tales tease the tops of the trees
The ships have all sailed to the mouth of the sea
High winds
Wheel turns
The spider spins
Hands draw us in
River-scented skin
Moves in
Life beginning
Falsehood lies panting like a fish in the palm
The lyrics of Bruce Cockburn's song High Winds White Sky are a beautiful and poetic expression of the power and mystery of nature, and the interconnectedness of all things. The central imagery of the song is that of the high winds and the white sky, which evoke a sense of vastness and change. The wind, as a traveler, teases the tops of the trees and carries with it tales of distant lands. The ships have all sailed to the mouth of the sea, leaving us to contemplate the expanse of the world and our place within it.
The song continues with a series of images that contrast the transience of the wind and the eternal quality of certain natural phenomena, such as the pyramids and the glittering ring. Blood of the king and the daughter of the stars represent a kind of mystical, spiritual connection to the past and the cosmos. Through this connection, we are reminded that we are part of a larger, more enduring pattern of life and existence.
The third verse brings us closer to home, with references to the spider spinning its web and the river-scented skin. Here, the image of life beginning takes on a more personal and tangible meaning, reminding us of the many small, everyday miracles that make up our existence. Finally, the song ends with a powerful image of falsehood lying panting like a fish in the palm, suggesting that even human deception and fallacy can be understood as part of the larger natural cycle.
Line by Line Meaning
High winds
Powerful winds blow
White sky
The sky is cloudless
Wild birds do glide
Birds soar gracefully in the wind
Tattered smoke fades
Smoke from a pipe disperses in the wind
Embers in the pipe
The pipe still contains hot embers
Move like
They shift with the wind
Life beginning
Nature shows signs of renewal
Pyramids
A reference to ancient Egypt
Glittering ring
An object of great value and beauty
Blood of the king
The royal lineage of past rulers
Daughter of the stars
A celestial being or mythological figure
You are
An address to the celestial being or figure
Life beginning
Nature shows signs of renewal
The wind's travelers' tales tease the tops of the trees
The wind rustles the leaves and branches to create sounds like whispers or stories
The ships have all sailed to the mouth of the sea
All the ships have left the harbor and traveled to distant lands
Wheel turns
A metaphor for the cyclical nature of life
The spider spins
A reference to the spider's skill in creating intricate webs
Hands draw us in
Seduction or manipulation by others
River-scented skin
A person or landscape with a refreshing, natural fragrance
Moves in
Implies a sense of motion or rhythm
Life beginning
Nature shows signs of renewal
Falsehood lies panting like a fish in the palm
Lies are exposed and vulnerable
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bruce Cockburn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dragonsky799
Thank you so much for posting. This is one of my favorite albums of all time.
@nicolet.7015
Loving this discovery!! He’s so talented!
@foamlakesk
I was introduced to this around 1970 by my high school english teacher, along with the lord of the rings. She was one of the few teachers I ever liked
@douglascutler1037
A moment in time like no other.
@johnwattdotca
Bruce was driving across Canada with his wife and dog in a pickup truck back then. I was backstage with him
at Brock University.