Bruce Cockburn (pronounced "CO-burn") (born May 27, 1945 in Ottawa, Ontario… Read Full Bio ↴Bruce Cockburn (pronounced "CO-burn") (born May 27, 1945 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) has had a long and distinguished career, with much success in his native Canada. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll. Cockburn was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2012 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (in Canada the award was to honour "significant contributions and achievements by Canadians").

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."

Santiago Dawn
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Something moves in the still dark hours
Sunday in a shanty town
Eyelids open two by two
But not a single light goes on

Tension builds as the only sound
Is the quiet clash of metal and boots
And now and then an order barked

At the bullies in the drab green suits

Military thugs with their dogs and clubs
Spreading through the poblacion
Hunting whoever still has a voice
Sure that everyone will run

They come in strong but it's not that long
Before they know it's not so easy to leave
To keep a million homeless down takes more
Than a strong arm up your sleeve

At the crack of dawn the first door goes down
Snapped off a makeshift frame
In a matter of minutes the first rock flies
Barricades burst into flame

First mass rings through smoke and gas
Day flowers out of the night
Creatures of the dark in disarray
Fall before the morning light

Bells of rage, bells of hope
As the ten-year night wears down
Sisters and brothers are coming home
To see the Santiago dawn

Santiago sunrise
See them marching home
See them rising like grass through cement
In the Santiago dawn

I got a dream and I'm not alone
Darkness dead and gone
All the people marching home
Kissing the rush of dawn

Santiago sunrise
See them marching home

See them rising like grass through cement
In the Santiago dawn

Overall Meaning

The song "Santiago Dawn" by Bruce Cockburn tells the story of a military coup that took place in Santiago, Chile as experienced by the poor, marginalized people living in the shanty towns. The song captures the chaos, fear, and eventual triumph of the people as they fight back against their oppressors.

The song opens up by describing the dark hours of a Sunday morning in a shanty town. There is no light anywhere, but something is stirring. The tension builds as the people hear the marching sounds of military thugs with their dogs and clubs. The bullies in drab green suits start barging into homes, hunting whoever still has a voice, and they are sure that everyone will run. However, the people stand their ground, and the military soon realizes that keeping a million homeless down takes more than a strong arm up their sleeve.

At dawn, the first door goes down, and the first rock flies, and barricades burst into flames. The first mass rings through smoke and gas, and the creatures of the dark scatter in disarray, falling before the morning light. The song ends with the bells of rage and hope, as the ten-year night wears down, and sisters and brothers march home, rising like grass through cement, kissing the rush of dawn, in the Santiago dawn.

The lyrics are a powerful and poetic portrayal of an event in Chilean history that will always be remembered. The song's message of hope and triumph over oppression resonates with listeners worldwide, making it a timeless classic.

Line by Line Meaning

Something moves in the still dark hours
There is movement during the early hours of the morning, while everything else is still

Sunday in a shanty town
The events of the song take place on a Sunday in an impoverished, makeshift community

Eyelids open two by two
People are waking up one by one

But not a single light goes on
Despite people waking up, none of them turn on their lights, due to fear or caution

Tension builds as the only sound
The atmosphere becomes increasingly tense, and the only thing that can be heard is the sound of military forces moving about

Is the quiet clash of metal and boots
The sound of metal clashing against metal and boots hitting the ground is all that can be heard, indicating a looming conflict

And now and then an order barked
Occasionally, orders are given out in a forceful and aggressive manner

At the bullies in the drab green suits
The orders are directed towards the military forces, who are seen as bullies in their green uniforms

Military thugs with their dogs and clubs
The military forces are depicted as violent and cruel, using dogs and clubs to enforce their authority

Spreading through the poblacion
The military forces are moving throughout the community, instilling fear and panic

Hunting whoever still has a voice
The military forces are targeting those who speak out against them, aiming to silence any dissenting voices

Sure that everyone will run
The military forces are overconfident, believing that everyone will be too afraid to resist

They come in strong but it's not that long
Despite the military forces coming in strong, they soon realize that their domination will not be easily achieved

Before they know it's not so easy to leave
The military forces realize that they cannot simply leave the community without a fight, as their presence has been challenged

To keep a million homeless down takes more
Enforcing control over the impoverished community is not an easy task, and requires more than just brute force

Than a strong arm up your sleeve
Simply relying on physical strength is not enough to keep the community subdued

At the crack of dawn the first door goes down
As dawn breaks, the first door of a home is forcibly opened

Snapped off a makeshift frame
The door is broken due to its flimsy construction, highlighting the poverty of the community

In a matter of minutes the first rock flies
Violence quickly ensues, with the first rock being thrown in a matter of moments

Barricades burst into flame
Barricades are set on fire, heightening the sense of chaos and danger

First mass rings through smoke and gas
Despite the chaos, a religious mass takes place, with bells ringing through the smoke and gas

Day flowers out of the night
The day emerges from the night, bringing with it hope and change

Creatures of the dark in disarray
Those who operated under the cover of darkness are now struggling to find their footing in the light

Fall before the morning light
Those who relied on secrecy and violence are defeated by the mere presence of daylight

Bells of rage, bells of hope
The ringing of bells signifies both anger and hope in the face of oppression

As the ten-year night wears down
After a decade of struggle, the night of oppression is finally coming to an end

Sisters and brothers are coming home
The people of the community are reunited, with no more fear or violence standing in their way

To see the Santiago dawn
The dawn of a new era in the South American city of Santiago is finally here

I got a dream and I'm not alone
The artist has a dream of a better future, and is not alone in this desire for change

Darkness dead and gone
The darkness of fear and oppression is no longer present, having been defeated by the light of hope and courage

All the people marching home
The community is united, with all the people marching together towards a brighter future

Kissing the rush of dawn
The people welcome the arrival of the dawn, symbolizing the beginning of a new and better era

Santiago sunrise
The sunrise over Santiago represents the start of a new day, full of possibilities

See them marching home
The people are marching together towards a common goal, confident in their unity and resilience

See them rising like grass through cement
The people are pushing through the obstacles in their way, growing stronger and more determined with each step

In the Santiago dawn
The dawn of a new day in Santiago represents the beginning of a brighter future for the community

Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bruce Cockburn

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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