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."
Lord of the Starfields
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ancient of Days
Universe Maker
Here's a song in your praise
Wings of the storm cloud
Beginning and end
You make my heart leap
O love that fires the sun
Keep me burning.
Lord of the starfields
Sower of life,
Heaven and earth are
Full of your light
Voice of the nova
Smile of the dew
All of our yearning
Only comes home to you
O love that fires the sun
keep me burning
The song "Lord of the Starfields" by Bruce Cockburn is a hymn praising God, the creator of the universe. The first verse establishes the divine attributes of the Lord of the Starfields - he is ancient, a maker of the universe, and worthy of praise. The second verse evokes images of nature like storm clouds and wind, showing the diversity and power of God who is the beginning and end of everything. Cockburn's use of metaphor portrays the heart leaping like a banner in the wind to emphasize the emotional connection the singer feels with God. In the final verse, God is praised as the voice of the nova and smile of the dew, and all yearning is directed towards him. The song ends with a plea to the Lord of the Starfields to keep the singer burning with the love that fires the sun.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord of the starfields
You are the ruler of the universe beyond this world.
Ancient of Days
You are the ageless deity, the divine that has existed since time immemorial.
Universe Maker
You are the almighty creator of the heavens and the earth.
Here's a song in your praise
This is a song that glorifies and uplifts your holy name.
Wings of the storm cloud
You are the driving force behind the violent and powerful storms in the sky.
Beginning and end
You are the origin and the conclusion of all things.
You make my heart leap
You bring a sense of excitement and joy to my life.
Like a banner in the wind
Your presence in my life is boldly evident and cannot be ignored.
O love that fires the sun
Your love is the driving force behind the sun and everything that it touches.
Keep me burning
Please continue to ignite my passions and desire for you, so that I may remain devoted to your will.
Sower of life
You are the virtuous sower of all living things.
Heaven and earth are
You are present and active in both the spiritual and physical worlds.
Full of your light
Your light is ubiquitous and illuminates all things.
Voice of the nova
Your voice is like the fiery explosion of a supernova, powerful and impactful.
Smile of the dew
You bring a gentle and refreshing joy to our world, just like the morning dew.
All of our yearning
All of our deepest desires and longings point to you and your divine will.
Only comes home to you
Our ultimate fulfillment can only be realized by submitting ourselves to your divine love and guidance.
Contributed by Nicholas E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stephani Melleanos
Música linda citada no livro "A Cabana" 🥺
Steve Martin
Churches may still be filled if they had hymns like this...
D Gordon
Amen
ipsurvivor
Saw him and his band Autumn of 1984 at the Chestnut in Philly... Awesome concert...
Yvonne Wilson
God Bless you Brucey ! Keep on being politically vocal ! Your voice is needed now more than ever !
Canada can still be a Nation . Under God .
Good will of all mankind can and will be empowered by YAHWEH
Norm Syn
What a wonderful song,can't stop listening
bleewicket
Awesome, love it
D Gordon
Gorgeous!
hokulealinda
thank you for this ... just HD and no visuals. PERFECT !!!! XOxoxoxox
bruce Cockburn
Hi
thanks for watching and commenting on my YouTube channel God bless you🤗🌞 hope you don’t stop with your love and support❤️👑✏✒✏kindly drop your email address or WhatsApp contact below for more details about my upcoming album🎊 , 💫Tour or Concert🎄 🎹🎙🎷🎷🎷🎤🎻🥁🎚💛🎷🎷🎷✨💯.........