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."
Life's Mistress
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bars of light that cross the floor
One smoke-gray, curled, tiny feather
Skips aside
By her middle hang the keys
Made to open any door
Even the one that lets in the cold wind
She lives in a house of colour
Guarded by cats three in number
And one great dog of gentle manner
In among the trees
Silence
Carries
No apprehension here
In the warm sun
By the window sill
I can just sit still
And watch her go by...
Queen of field and forest pathway
Understands the speech of stones
She weaves peace upon her loom
Life's mistress
The opening lines of the song, "She is passing in a warm breeze, bars of light that cross the floor," paint a vivid image of a woman moving through a space illuminated by shafts of sunlight. The second line, "one smoke-gray, curled, tiny feather skips aside," creates a sense of movement and delicacy, suggesting that the woman is light on her feet and graceful in her motion. The keys hanging from her middle symbolize her ability to open any door, even those that let in the cold wind from outside. This could represent her strength, resilience, and adaptability in the face of challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
She is passing in a warm breeze
Life's mistress moves with ease and grace, as if carried along on a pleasant gust of warm air.
Bars of light that cross the floor
The sun shining through the windows creates slivers of illumination that dance across the ground.
One smoke-gray, curled, tiny feather / Skips aside
A tiny grey feather flutters around in the air and playfully dances out of the way.
By her middle hang the keys / Made to open any door / Even the one that lets in the cold wind / From outside
Life's mistress carries with her the means to enter any situation, even those that may be uncomfortable or unwelcome.
She lives in a house of colour / Guarded by cats three in number / And one great dog of gentle manner / In among the trees
Life's mistress resides in a vibrant, colorful space that is protected by several furry companions who love and safeguard her.
Silence / Carries / No apprehension here
Despite the lack of sound, there is an overwhelming sense of calm and peace that fills the space.
In the warm sun / By the window sill / I can just sit still / And watch her go by...
Observing Life's mistress going about her business brings a sense of contentment and joy, which can be enjoyed from the comfort of one's own home.
Queen of field and forest pathway / Understands the speech of stones / She weaves peace upon her loom / Life's mistress
Life's mistress is a powerful entity who is in tune with the environment and has the power to craft a peaceful, harmonious existence.
Contributed by Elijah N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.