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."
More Not More
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's just I hate the day to have to end
Never enough time to spend
I haven't done enough for this to be the end
There must be more, more
More songs more warmth
More love more life
Not more money not more games
There, you, coming through the crowd
Blue light silhouettes your head
I want to shout your name out loud
But I shout inside instead
There must be more, more
More current more spark
More touch deep in the heart
Not more thoughtless cruelty
Not more being this lonely
Don't I hear them talking?
Don't I know what they say?
I'm a fool for thinking
Things could be better than they were today
There must be more, more
More growth more truth
More chains more loose
Not more pain not more walls
Not more living human voodoo dolls
In Bruce Cockburn's song "More Not More," he expresses his desire for more of the things that truly matter in life, like love, life, warmth, and deep connections, rather than things like fear, fame, and material possessions. He begins the song by acknowledging that while he doesn't want to cling to his friendships and relationships, he doesn't want them to end either. He hasn't done enough to let them go just yet. This adds to the underlying theme of wanting more.
Cockburn then goes on to paint a picture of a person he sees in the crowd. This person stands out to him, and he wants to shout their name out loud, but instead he shouts inside instead. This suggests that he's holding back his feelings and desires, perhaps out of fear of rejection or judgment. He continues to express his desire for more of the important things in life like "current," "spark," "touch deep in the heart," and "growth" and "truth." He also acknowledges the pain and suffering in the world, like "thoughtless cruelty" and "painful walls," but he doesn't want more of that. Instead, he wants to break free from it and experience more of what makes life worth living.
The overall message in Cockburn's song is a call for more of the things that truly matter in life, like love, connection, and growth. He recognizes the pain and suffering in the world, but he doesn't want to perpetuate it by seeking fame, fortune, or material possessions. Instead, he wants to break free, connect with others, and experience more of the beauty that life has to offer.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't mean to cling to you my friends
I do not intend to hold onto you too dearly, my companions.
It's just I hate the day to have to end
It’s merely because I abhor the conclusion of a day.
Never enough time to spend
There’s always a scarcity of time to make the most of.
I haven't done enough for this to be the end
I think I have not accomplished much to call it the end.
There must be more, more
There is an existence of additional things that are indispensable.
More songs more warmth
More melodies and affectionate connections with each other.
More love more life
More fondness and vitality.
Not more fear not more fame
Less fright and less publicity.
Not more money not more games
No need for additional wealth or more games.
There, you, coming through the crowd
You are pushing through the throngs over there.
Blue light silhouettes your head
The blue luminosity frames your head’s outline.
I want to shout your name out loud
I crave to scream out your name.
But I shout inside instead
However, I am instead screaming inwardly.
More current more spark
More life force and enthusiasm.
More touch deep in the heart
More profound emotional connect with each other.
Not more thoughtless cruelty
Less insensitive barbarism.
Not more being this lonely
No more loneliness.
Don't I hear them talking?
Am I not able to hear them conversing?
Don't I know what they say?
Don’t I know what they are speaking?
I'm a fool for thinking
For considering, I’m indeed foolish.
Things could be better than they were today
Circumstances could definitely have been better today.
More growth more truth
More progress and more veracity.
More chains more loose
Extended limits and less bondages.
Not more pain not more walls
No requirement of additional suffering nor more barriers.
Not more living human voodoo dolls
No more existence of human puppets under someone else’s control.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bruce Cockburn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PatRat67
This is one of my favorite Cockburn songs, thank you for posting.
Thomas Walker
Some thing's mean more than Capital gains..This song conveys greater meaning to some issue's or topics at the heart and soul of each human..
CaapriceTube
so good.
George Leonard
Thank You!!