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."
Red Brother Red Sister
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Saw your ancient bloom cut, pressed and dried
A sign said wasn't it clever what they used to do
But it never did say how they died
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
Heard a cab driver say what he'd seen
'There's a grand place to eat out on Number One
All white ladies if you know what I mean'
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
Went to a pow wow, red brother
Felt the people's love/joy flow around
It left me crying just thinking about it
How they used my Saviour's name to keep you down
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
The song "Red Brother Red Sister" by Bruce Cockburn speaks to the injustices that Indigenous people have faced and continue to face. The first verse describes a visit to a museum where the singer sees Indigenous artifacts, specifically a flower that had been pressed and dried. The sign accompanying the artifact seems to celebrate the ingenuity of the people who created it, but fails to acknowledge or explain the tragedies that followed. This is a powerful critique of the way that Indigenous people are represented in museums, which often ignore the ongoing legacy of colonization and exploitation.
The second verse takes place in Regina, and highlights the systemic racism that Indigenous people face. A cab driver makes a thinly veiled racist remark about a restaurant where only white women are present - highlighting the ways in which Indigenous people are excluded from spaces and opportunities that are available to the settler population. This line is particularly poignant in light of the ongoing fight for Indigenous land rights and the struggle for recognition of Indigenous sovereignty.
The final verse takes place at a pow wow, where the singer is moved by the joy and love that they witness. However, this joy is tinged with sadness as the singer reflects on the way that Indigenous people have been harmed by the settler's use of Christianity as a tool of oppression. This line speaks to the deeply ingrained injustices that Indigenous people have faced and continue to face, and suggests that true reconciliation will require a reckoning with the legacies of colonialism and exploitation.
Line by Line Meaning
Went to the museum, red brother
Visited a museum and saw the remains of your culture, cut, pressed, and dried.
Saw your ancient bloom cut, pressed and dried
Saw the evidence of cultural appropriation that occurred when they took parts of your culture and neutralized them.
A sign said wasn't it clever what they used to do
There was a plaque that spoke about the creativity and ingenuity of your culture's practices, but it didn't mention the harm that was done.
But it never did say how they died
The plaque didn't mention the violent history that caused the decay of your culture's ancient ways.
Went to Regina, red sister
Visited Regina and saw how your people were living in a society that oppresses native people.
Heard a cab driver say what he'd seen
Heard a cab driver perpetuate stereotypes of native women as only being good for sexual purposes.
'There's a grand place to eat out on Number One
The cab driver recommended a restaurant where only white women were waitresses.
All white ladies if you know what I mean'
The cab driver implied that these women were exotic and sexually available because they were white.
Went to a pow wow, red brother
Attended a pow wow ceremony and felt the joy and love that is still present within your people's culture.
Felt the people's love/joy flow around
Sensed a real and tangible energy of love and acceptance amongst your people within the ceremony's festivities.
It left me crying just thinking about it
The experience was so moving that I cried because I could feel the pain of what your people had to go through to keep your culture alive.
How they used my Saviour's name to keep you down
Realised that even the name of the religion used to force your people to assimilate was not your own, but that of another culture with their own agenda.
Contributed by Kayla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
joruna2
Heartrendingly beautiful...
Dl515
This song brought tears to my eyes when I first heard it.
Kim Jones
love this
soul alt
Simply brilliant!
Jeffrey R.
"Went to a pow wow, red brother
Felt the people's love/joy flow around
It left me crying just thinking about it
How they used my saviour's name to keep you down"
Bruce is as good as anyone at stirring the heart. What a gentle man.
The Nothing Tree, Songs About Nothing
So relevant in our day and time. The Native peoples are not gone. They are still here.
Seth Feldman
So genius
Catherine Tàmmaro
Oh, I've been looking for this for a long time on You Tube. Thank you for posting.
Eatinbritches
Instant feels.
fred williams
beautiful love this song!