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."
In The Falling Dark
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The moon is nothing but a toothless grin
Floating out on the evening wind
The smell of sweat and lube oil pervades the night
And the rush of life in flight at the speed of light
A million footsteps whispering
A guitar sounds -- some voices sing
Far in the east a yellow cloud bank climbs
Stretching away to be part of tomorrow's time
Earthbound while everything expands
So many grains of sand
Slipping from hand to hand
Catching the light and falling into dark
The world fades out like an overheard remark
In the falling dark
Light pours from a million radiant lives
Off of kids and dogs and the hard-shelled husbands and wives
All that glory shining around and we're all caught taking a dive
And all the beasts of the hills around shout, "such a waste!
Don't you know that from the first to the last we're all one in the gift of grace!"
The song In The Falling Dark by Bruce Cockburn veers between a feeling of wonder and futility. The lyrics in the first half of the song describe a vivid sensory experience - the lights scattered like jewels, the moon, and the smells of sweat and oil in the night air. Amidst all of this, the song suggests a restlessness, a flight "at the speed of light". The line "Earthbound while everything expands" evokes this feeling of being stuck in one place while everything else around is moving forward. This thought is reflected in the imagery of sand slipping from hand to hand and the world fading out like an overheard remark. The lack of control over time and life is palpable.
However, the song takes a shift in the second half with an emphasis on the connections we share with all living beings. The light pouring from "a million radiant lives" brings a sense of connectedness amidst all the chaos. The idea of the gift of grace and the oneness that exists between all creatures is a reminder that the world goes on irrespective of individuals living or dying. The song celebrates the diverse lives entwined together, each shining with its own glory.
The song's lyrics can be interpreted in a myriad of ways, with some seeing it as a reflection on the ephemeral nature of life and the interconnectedness of all beings.
Line by Line Meaning
And the lights lie tumbled out like gems
The scattered city lights looked like precious jewels.
The moon is nothing but a toothless grin
The moon's glow is dim and dull.
Floating out on the evening wind
The wind carries this view away silently.
The smell of sweat and lube oil pervades the night
The night air is thick with the scent of human activity.
And the rush of life in flight at the speed of light
Human activity hums on at a frenetic pace.
A million footsteps whispering
The sound of countless people walking softly.
A guitar sounds -- some voices sing
The sound of music coming from somewhere.
Smoke on the breeze -- eyes that sting
The air is hazy and unpleasant to see through.
Far in the east a yellow cloud bank climbs
Yellow clouds of pollution can be seen in the eastern sky.
Stretching away to be part of tomorrow's time
The polluted sky is a sign of tomorrow's problems to come.
Earthbound while everything expands
Despite how much the world changes, humans remain grounded in their existence.
So many grains of sand
The world is full of many little things that are easily overlooked.
Slipping from hand to hand
Life is unpredictable and constantly changing hands.
Catching the light and falling into dark
Things shine for a moment before descending into darkness.
The world fades out like an overheard remark
The world goes on without notice, much like an unimportant conversation.
In the falling dark
As night falls, everything becomes faded and dark.
Light pours from a million radiant lives
The brightness of human life radiates outward in every direction.
Off of kids and dogs and the hard-shelled husbands and wives
From the youngest in society, to the family pets, to the most established adults, everyone contributes to this brilliance.
All that glory shining around and we're all caught taking a dive
Despite the beauty of life around us, we all inevitably fall or suffer in some way.
And all the beasts of the hills around shout, "such a waste!
The natural world perceives human suffering as unnecessary and unfortunate.
Don't you know that from the first to the last we're all one in the gift of grace!"
Despite the struggles of life, we are all one in the experience of being alive.
Contributed by Claire A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
LNC
Bruce shares the human struggle with his listeners... and it lifts us up.
sanfordsson
I'm really getting into this guy's music. This song is a gem.
John Stack
Some nights, and it is almost always night, I greet his music and lyrics like a much needed friend who offers support and reassurance and, every now and then, an "attaboy, I know what you are going through and you doing okay". Bruce, grace under pressure. That is what you exemplify and what we all need to strive for every day in this blessing we call life.
James C
Thanks for your honest and sincere love towards my work,we have you to be most thankful for . 🙏🙏🙏👊
Beverly Murphree
Well said.
Elizabeth Urbanowicz
A friend just introduced me to Bruce Cockburn last night. I am now totally in love with his music!!!!!!!!!!!!!
James C
Thanks for your honest and sincere love towards my work,we have you to be most thankful for . 🌹🌹🌹
moonlitme
i have been priviledged to have seen this man play 4 times-one time in telluride in a lull between songs a woman in the crowd called out 'you've saved my life, bruce' into the drizzling night, 20 or 30 of us cheered in agreement. it is truer today than it was in 1995. in i own probably 90% of his catalogue...this is among my 3 or 4 favorite songs of his. thank you for posting.
66LifesMistress77
This man is a genius! He paints pictures with his words, and in this era, each picture had so much positive, poignant meaning! And the music is exquisite! Please post Gavin's Woodpile! Thank you for this! Hope to see a lot more...
jnsii54
A bright passionate man and an incredible musician. More need to know of him and, more importantly, know him.