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."
Shepherds
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There is light
And figures dancing in the sky
Clothed in more colours than the world can contain
And all the silences of the night
Leap in song
Like that of a river cascading
Gloria! Gloria in the highest!
A child's cry sounds from far away
It's almost day
And in the brown-air town away below
Three travelers reap a star harvest
and then go on their way again
Gloria! Gloria in the highest!
Gloria! Gloria in the highest!
The song "Shepherds" by Bruce Cockburn tells the story of the shepherds who were visited by angels on the night of Jesus’ birth. The song starts with the shepherds waking up suddenly in the middle of the night and seeing a bright light in the sky. The figures they see are angels, whose clothes are more colourful than the world can contain. The quietness of the night is interrupted by angelic song, which flows like a cascading river from the mountain down to the plains. The song speaks of the glory, the “Gloria,” of the highest, referring to heavenly praise.
The shepherds hear a child’s cry in the distance, and they know that dawn is approaching. Down in the brown-air town, the three travelers who had followed the star have found the place where the child had been born. They collect stars as they go on their way again, rejoicing in the glory of the highest! The song captures the memorable night of Jesus’ birth, where “Silent Night” turned into a night filled with light, glory, and angels praising and giving glory to God.
Overall, “Shepherds” is a song that highlights the magnificence of Jesus' birth and the awe-inspiring events that took place that night. The song allows the listener to imagine themselves as one of the shepherds, standing under the stars and looking up at the angels dancing in the sky, and taking in the tremendous moment of Jesus' birth.
Line by Line Meaning
They wake up suddenly in the night
The shepherds awaken abruptly from their sleep during the night
There is light
A bright light appears, illuminating the sky
And figures dancing in the sky
The shepherds see lively, moving shapes in the sky
Clothed in more colours than the world can contain
The moving forms are adorned with colors that the world cannot fully hold
And all the silences of the night
The quietness of the night
Leap in song
Becomes a joyful song
Like that of a river cascading
The song is like a waterfall's cascade
from the wild mountain to the slow human plain
Similar to water flowing from a wild mountain to the quiet and peaceful plain of humanity
Gloria! Gloria in the highest!
Exclamation of 'Gloria' in the highest level of joy and jubilation
A child's cry sounds from far away
A distant cry of a child can be heard
It's almost day
Daybreak is almost upon them
And in the brown-air town away below
In a distant town with dusty air below
Three travelers reap a star harvest
Three travelers gather a plethora of stars
and then go on their way again
The travelers continue their journey
Gloria! Gloria in the highest!
Exclamation of 'Gloria' in the highest level of joy and jubilation
Gloria! Gloria in the highest!
Exclamation of 'Gloria' in the highest level of joy and jubilation
Contributed by Mackenzie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.