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."
Riu Riu Chiu
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera
El lobo rabioso
La quiso morder
Mas Dios poderoso
Quizole hazer que
No pudiesse pecar
Ni aun original
Esta uirgen no tuuiera
Riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera
Este uiene a dar
A los muertos uida
Y uiene a reparar
De todas la cayla
Es la luz del dia
Aqueste mocuelo
Este es el cordero
Que San Juan dixera
Riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera
Yo ui mil garcones
Que andauan contando
Por aqui bolando
Haziendo mil sones
Diziendo a gascones
Gloria sea en el cielo
Y paz en el suelo
Pues Jesus nasciera
Riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera
Este uiene a dar
A los muertos uida
Y uiene a reparar
De todas la cayla
Es la luz del dia
Aqueste mocuelo
Este es el cordero
Que San Juan dixera
Riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera
Yo ui mil garcones
Que andauan contando
Por aqui bolando
Haziendo mil sones
Diziendo a gascones
Gloria sea en el cielo
Y paz en el suelo
Pues Jesus nasciera
Riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
Dios guarde el lobo
De nuestra cordera
"Riu Riu Chiu" is a traditional Spanish Christmas carol that dates back to the 16th century. The song is a story about a wolf who attempts to attack a lamb but is magically stopped by divine intervention, and the arrival of the Lamb of God who comes to bring new life to the dead and to save humanity. The wolf is a symbol of evil, and the lamb represents innocence and purity.
The song is written in a unique language that mixes Spanish and Basque, and the title "Riu Riu Chiu" is a representation of the sound of a nightingale or a sparrowhawk. The song has a lively melody, and the chorus is a catchy repetitive phrase that captures the listener's attention. The verses are full of religious references and metaphors, managed to tell the story in a poetic and beautiful way.
The message of the song is a call to celebrate the birth of Jesus and to remember that He came to save humanity from sin and death. The lyrics are a reminder that even in the midst of danger and difficulties, there is always hope through faith in a power greater than ourselves that can provide protection and salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
Riu, riu, chiu
The riverbank is guarded (by) riu, riu, chiu
La guarda ribera
The riverbank is guarded
Dios guarde el lobo
God protects the wolf
De nuestra cordera
From our lamb
El lobo rabioso
The raging wolf
La quiso morder
Wanted to bite (our lamb)
Mas Dios poderoso
But God almighty
La supo defender
Knew how to defend (it)
Quizole hazer que
He wanted to ensure that
No pudiesse pecar
(It) couldn't sin
Ni aun original
Not even original sin
Esta uirgen no tuuiera
This virgin (had no original sin)
Este uiene a dar
He comes to give
A los muertos uida
To the dead (he brings) life
Y uiene a reparar
And he comes to make amends
De todas la cayla
For all the faults
Es la luz del dia
He is the light of day
Aqueste mocuelo
This young man
Este es el cordero
This is the lamb
Que San Juan dixera
That Saint John spoke of
Yo ui mil garcones
I saw a thousand boys
Que andauan contando
Who were traveling, telling
Por aqui bolando
Flying around here
Haziendo mil sones
Making a thousand sounds
Diziendo a gascones
Telling the Gascons
Gloria sea en el cielo
Glory be in heaven
Y paz en el suelo
And peace on earth
Pues Jesus nasciera
Since Jesus was born
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bruce Cockburn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@togue777
Hugh Marsh at his mesmerizing best.
@Bodhisattva435
FABULOUS! My favorite Christmas album of all time.
@bridgetjeffery5664
Came here to add the same commebt!
@bridgetjeffery5664
*comment 🤷♀️
@josephyates7301
I fell in love with this mans music out at sea in the Coast Guard in 1982. The Christmas album came a few years when I had children. Snow, cold and this album , beautiful.
@DavidMarnoch
I truly love this ... A mesmerizing explosion of joy and faith.
@josephyates7301
Right on brother.
@ninoslavdjordjevic6455
SUPER...SUPER...SUPER....VERSION...BEST MELODY!
@heatherc163
Ninoslav Djordjevic and hugh marsh on violin, the best, sorry i see you posted a year ago
@garygilliam6587
Beautiful! Thank you, Bruce