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."

See You Tomorrow
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Met a mercenary once
Pushing lethal steel
Wanted me to watch his back
While he did his deal

He must have been a loser
Or he wouldn't have looked to me
But I have to say, I liked the thought

Of living that guilt-free
Watching the way the women walk
Makes me think of you
And all my sins and all my stalkers
Affect me that way too
The pain on the horizon
Can't sink me in sorrow
'Cause I know I'm going to be
Seeing you tomorrow

Ooh, see you tomorrow

See you tomorrow
See you tomorrow

Look at that big fat full moon
Hanging in the night
When I feel it calling me
The shackles seem to bite
These chains of flesh are sour and sweet
But these we must explore, oh
I know I'm going to feel complete
When I see you tomorrow

Ooh, see you tomorrow

See you tomorrow
See you tomorrow

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bruce Cockburn's "See You Tomorrow" speaks of the singer's encounter with a mercenary who requested his help in observing his back while conducting a deal. The singer described the mercenary as a "loser" for seeking out his assistance, but he liked the idea of being guilt-free if he were to assist him. The singer then digresses, speaking about how the women around him remind him of someone, likely a former lover, and that, despite the pain on the horizon, he knows he will see this person tomorrow.

The singer appears to feel unimportant, as seen in the mercenary scenario where it seems strange that the mercenary would even ask for his help. But despite this, he is thankful for the prospect of feeling guilt-free in the mercrenary's company, perhaps a reflection of his current state of mind. The mention of women and how they remind him of this person in his life displays a certain longing and reminiscence, but despite the future pain, there is still something to look forward to. The final statement, "when I see you tomorrow," is a reminder that he still has something to live for, someone to see.

Line by Line Meaning

Met a mercenary once
I once encountered a soldier of fortune

Pushing lethal steel
Carrying deadly weapons

Wanted me to watch his back
Asked me to protect him

While he did his deal
While he conducted his business

He must have been a loser
He was probably not very successful

Or he wouldn't have looked to me
If he was more successful, he wouldn't have needed my help

But I have to say, I liked the thought
However, I enjoyed the idea of being guilt-free

Of living that guilt-free
Of not feeling remorse

Watching the way the women walk
Seeing how women move

Makes me think of you
It reminds me of you

And all my sins and all my stalkers
And all my wrongdoings and obsessive admirers