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."
Lament For The Last Days
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swiftly blades in ice do grow
On the branches star-bleached snow
Waits while time is passing
Outside the door the dancer whirls
Chiming bells and shining curls
Flying footsteps in the snow
Beside the wall the beggars call
"Man have mercy on us all"
The night-bound choir inside chants on --
A hymn to brick and pistols
You can stumble, you can fall
Or you can make the nations crawl
But when death comes in to call
He don't care about it
Oh, Satan take thy cup away
For I'll not drink your wine today
I'll reach for the chalice of light
That stands on Jesus' table
The song Lament for the Last Days by Bruce Cockburn paints a vivid picture of a world in chaos, where the only certainty is the inevitability of death. The first verse describes the setting, with a crescent moon rising slowly and swiftly growing blades of ice on the branches. The snow on the ground waits while time passes, as if frozen in a perpetual state of waiting for something to happen. The second verse introduces a dancer outside the door, ringing bells and with shining hair, whose footsteps in the snow "rhyme the rhythm of ruin". The third and final verse describes beggars calling for mercy and a night-bound choir chanting a hymn to guns and bricks.
Through these lyrics, Cockburn seems to be commenting on the brokenness of the world, where people are reduced to begging and violence is praised. The line "you can stumble, you can fall, or you can make the nations crawl" suggests that power and control are fleeting and ultimately meaningless when faced with the reality of death. The final line, "I'll reach for the chalice of light that stands on Jesus' table", offers a glimmer of hope in the midst of chaos, pointing towards a spiritual element that shines bright despite the darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
The crescent moon is rising slow
The night is creeping in slowly and darkness is setting in
Swiftly blades in ice do grow
Winter is becoming harsher and the cold is getting colder
On the branches star-bleached snow
The snow on the tree branches is white and illuminated by the stars
Waits while time is passing
The world keeps moving despite these changes and waiting for what is to come
Outside the door the dancer whirls
Life continues and people keep celebrating, even amidst turmoil
Chiming bells and shining curls
The festive sounds and sights of life keep going, even amidst the harsh winter
Flying footsteps in the snow
The steps on the snow show the rhythm of life that keeps moving forward
Rhyme the rhythm of ruin
The chaos of life, even in celebration, is still present and disturbing
Beside the wall the beggars call
The poor and needy still ask for our mercy and help
"Man have mercy on us all"
People cry out for help in times of desperation and hopelessness
The night-bound choir inside chants on --
Even the religious people keep praising their god in this difficult world they live in
A hymn to brick and pistols
The religious chant recognizes the presence of violence and danger in this world
You can stumble, you can fall
Life is full of challenges that can lead to failure and hardship
Or you can make the nations crawl
People can also cause harm and destruction to society given enough power
But when death comes in to call
Regardless of anything, death is inevitable and comes for everyone
He don't care about it
Death is indifferent to people and their struggles
Oh, Satan take thy cup away
The singer rejects the notion of temptation and sin
For I'll not drink your wine today
The singer will not give in to temptation and destructive behavior or thoughts
I'll reach for the chalice of light
Instead, the singer will focus on the positive and good things in life
That stands on Jesus' table
The singer will choose a life of good and righteousness as opposed to temptation and sin
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: BRUCE COCKBURN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CaapriceTube
I'll reach for the chalice of light
That stands on Jesus' table.
What a Beautiful line <3
Amen!
William Cross
(C) 1975 Diplomat Records LLC. A Universal Music Group. All rights reserved.
sirvidia
all about those backing vocals