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."
Let Us Go Laughing
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Evening holds the bones of day
The sun like gold dust slips away
One by one antique stars
Herald the arrival of
Their pale protectress moon
Strummed by winds from o'er the hill
Singing tales of ancient days
Far and silent lightning
Stirs the cauldron of the sky
I turn my bow towards the shore
As we grow out of stones
On and on and on
So we'll all go to bones
On and on for many a year
But let us go laughing -- O
Let us go
And may the holy hermit's staff
On and on and on
Guide you to the shortest path
On and on for many a year
And let us go laughing -- O
Let us go
Let us go laughing -- O
Let us go
In "Let Us Go Laughing," Bruce Cockburn takes the audience on a poetic journey that includes the deeply spiritual experience of connecting with nature, where the river represents life's journey. The song invokes the fleeting nature of time with its sunset imagery signifying the end of a day, and the evening's arrival heralding the onset of night, symbolizing the inevitable arrival of one's end. He acknowledges that just as everything has a beginning, it must also have an end - a reminder of our mortality as we all journey through life.
However, the line "let us go laughing" suggests that, while we should accept our impermanence, we should not let it weigh us down. The repetition of this phrase throughout the song almost carries the weight of a mantra, urging us to take life lightly, not to take it too seriously because it will soon end, but with laughter and joy. He also talks about how the tales of the past echo through the trees, and how the thunder in the sky reminds us of the power of nature and another world beyond ourselves.
In the end, he references the "holy hermit's staff," symbolizing a spiritual guide to the end, promising that the guidance will take us to a "shortest path" signifying a free and easy passing. As the journeyman lifts his paddle to return home with a smile on his face, it is clear that the song encourages us to live life the same way - with purpose, laughter, and joy, but not forgetting that our time here is limited.
Line by Line Meaning
My canoe lies on the water
My canoe rests peacefully in the water
Evening holds the bones of day
Nightfall brings the remnants of the day
The sun like gold dust slips away
The sun sets and slips beyond the horizon like gold dust
One by one antique stars
Old stars appear in the sky, one by one
Herald the arrival of
Announce the coming of
Their pale protectress moon
The pale moon, their protector
Ragged branches vibrate
The branches quake and tremble
Strummed by winds from o'er the hill
Played by winds from beyond the hill
Singing tales of ancient days
Singing stories of days long past
Far and silent lightning
Lightning appears far away and in silence
Stirs the cauldron of the sky
Stirs up the sky like a cauldron
I turn my bow towards the shore
I turn my boat towards the shore
As we grow out of stones
As we are born from the earth
On and on and on
Continuously
So we'll all go to bones
So we will all die
On and on for many a year
For a long time
But let us go laughing -- O
But let us leave this life with joy
And may the holy hermit's staff
And may the staff of the holy hermit
Guide you to the shortest path
Lead you on the quickest journey
And let us go laughing -- O
And let us leave this life with joy
Let us go laughing -- O
Let us leave this life with joy
Let us go
Let us go
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRUCE COCKBURN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rodwylie2595
Thank U 4 sharing your gift! Your music is my crossroads foundation, sing on never ending Inspiration. 4 indeed we all walk on stone, under
the Rose above the true Northern Sky. I'll always remember U 4 this!
@twray1835
Of all of his incredible songwriting, I seem to gravitate back to this song as my favorite. A moody, almost spiritual ballad about skidding across a bay of sorrow into a fog of happiness---an image that only Bruce Cockburn could put to beautiful music.
@savantleo
every chord , every note and every word resonates and does not cease...
@FattyCorpusle
One of his finest, without a doubt
@xNomx1019
This is the definition of music ❤️
@jeanie6279
Poetry. An amazing musician,blessed among musicians.
Thanks to a dear friend from my past, Rock, for introducing me to the touching and timeless wonder of Bruce Cockburn.
@melmotherofall
"evening holds the bones of day..." that line always stuck with me
@rosekaczmarek6761
Love this song i was walking laughing with a bunch of my people outside high winds blowing i told them come fly with me so we were flapping our arm like we had wings awsome
@vianduch88
Bought this album at first release, instant fan
@futuregenerations1
pure genius....<3