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."

Kit Carson
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And the President said to Kit Carson:
"Take my best four horsemen please
And ride out to the four directions,
Make my great lands barren for me"

Kit Carson said to the President
"You've made your offer sweet
I'll accept this task you've set for me

My fall's not yet complete"

Kit Carson knew he had a job to do
Like other jobs he had before
He'd made the grade
He learned to trade in famine, pestilence, and war

Kit Carson was a hero to some
With his poison and his flame

But somewhere there's a restless ghost
That used to bear his name

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bruce Cockburn's song 'Kit Carson' depict a conversation between the President and Kit Carson where the former orders the latter to destroy the natural habitat of America by sending his best four horsemen in all directions. The President is essentially making the land barren, rendering it useless for natives to survive. Moreover, the President seems to be proud of his plan, but Carson is aware of the damage this will cause. Carson is a skilled professional; he has faced various difficult tasks before, including pestilence, famine, and war. He has seen the horrors of such tasks, but he accepts this one. Lastly, the song mentions that Kit Carson was considered a hero by some, but there is also a sense of remorse and the presence of a 'restless ghost' that used to have his name.

The song illustrates the dark tale of Kit Carson's influence on Native Americans. Carson was an American frontiersman who was involved in the westward expansion of the United States. During his service in the American army, he fought against many Native American tribes in the western part of the US. Carson's ruthless and brutal methods of warfare earned him a notorious reputation. He used many tactics to bring about the death and displacement of many Native Americans, including burning their crops and homes, killing large numbers of people, and forcing them to leave their ancestral lands. The song shows the regret and guilt that the former hero Kit Carson might have felt about his involvement in these brutal acts.

Line by Line Meaning

And the President said to Kit Carson:
The President requested Kit Carson's service.

"Take my best four horsemen please
The President requested Kit Carson to choose his best four horsemen.

And ride out to the four directions,
The President asked Kit Carson and his horsemen to go to every direction.

Make my great lands barren for me"
The President requested Kit Carson to make his lands barren.

Kit Carson said to the President
Kit Carson responded to the President.

"You've made your offer sweet
Kit Carson acknowledged the President's offer.

I'll accept this task you've set for me
Kit Carson agreed to the President's request.

My fall's not yet complete"
Kit Carson felt like he still had a lot to do.

Kit Carson knew he had a job to do
Kit Carson was aware of the task given.

Like other jobs he had before
Kit Carson had done similar jobs in the past.

He'd made the grade
Kit Carson had become successful in his past jobs.