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."
Southland Of The Heart
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come snapping at your heels
And there's so much coming at you
That you don't know how to feel
When they've taken all your money
And then come back for your clothes
When your hands are full of thorns
But you can't quit groping for the rose
In the southland of the heart
Where night blooms perfume the breeze
Lie down
Take your rest with me
When thoughts you've tried to leave behind
Keep sniping from the dark
When the fire burns inside you but
You jump from every spark
When your heart's beset by memories
You wish you'd never made
When the sun comes up an enemy
And nothing gives you shade
In the southland of the heart
Where the saints go lazily
Lie down
Take your rest with me
When the preacher lays his insight down
And claims to lead the blind
When those you trust just get you hooked
And trifle with your mind
When the nightmare's creeping closer
And your wheels are in the mud
When everything's ambiguous
Except the taste of blood
In the southland of the heart
There's no question of degree
Lie down
Take your rest with me
In the southland of the heart
Everyone was always free
Lie down
Take your rest with me
The song "Southland Of The Heart" by Bruce Cockburn is a song about finding peace within oneself amidst the chaos and challenges of daily life. The lyrics describe situations where things seem to be falling apart - the dogs of day-to-day problems snapping at your heels, being robbed of everything you have, memories you wish you had never made, being stuck in the mud, and feeling trapped by people you trusted. Despite all these struggles, the chorus invites the listener to "lie down" and take a rest in the "southland of the heart," where night blooms perfume the breeze and saints go lazily.
The "southland of the heart" is presented as a metaphor for a place of peace and rest within oneself. It's a place where one can escape the troubles of everyday life and find calm amidst chaos. The references to night blooms and lazy saints further emphasize this idea of a serene and restful place. The song suggests that this inner peace is always available, no matter what trials one might face.
Line by Line Meaning
When the wild-eyed dogs of day to day
When the daily struggles and obstacles are too much to bear
Come snapping at your heels
Persistently chasing and bothering you
And there's so much coming at you
Feeling overwhelmed by the quantity of problems
That you don't know how to feel
Feeling lost and unsure how to react
When they've taken all your money
When you feel financially ruined
And then come back for your clothes
Being stripped of everything you have left
When your hands are full of thorns
When you are hurting and in pain
But you can't quit groping for the rose
Still searching for something better, despite the hardships
In the southland of the heart
In a place within oneself that is tranquil and peaceful
Where night blooms perfume the breeze
A place where the air is fragrant and relaxing
Lie down
Take a moment to rest and relax
Take your rest with me
Find comfort in the present moment, and be at ease
When thoughts you've tried to leave behind
When memories or regrets from the past resurface
Keep sniping from the dark
When these thoughts persistently nag and cause distress
When the fire burns inside you but
When you feel a deep passion or desire
You jump from every spark
Feeling scared or overwhelmed by the intensity of your emotions
When your heart's beset by memories
When you are weighed down by upsetting memories
You wish you'd never made
Regretting past mistakes and wishing you could change them
When the sun comes up an enemy
Feeling like the world is against you
And nothing gives you shade
Not being able to find any relief from distress
Where the saints go lazily
Where one can find peace and relaxation
When the preacher lays his insight down
When others try to tell you what to do or how to feel
And claims to lead the blind
When others presume to speak for you or manipulate you
When those you trust just get you hooked
When others take advantage of your vulnerability and trust
And trifle with your mind
When others play games with your emotions or thoughts
When the nightmare's creeping closer
When you feel like your worst fears are coming true
And your wheels are in the mud
When you feel stuck and unable to move forward
When everything's ambiguous
When everything seems uncertain
Except the taste of blood
Feeling like you are fighting for your life, with everything at stake
There's no question of degree
Everything is equal and unified in the southland of the heart
Everyone was always free
There is a sense of liberation and freedom in the southland of the heart
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bruce Cockburn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
rose kaczmarek
This song is awsome i play it every day put me a peaceful mind becaue i think of my mom dad who is not here there in heaven with god
Lou Cat
had tickets for November in Massachusetts, hopefully next year. Stay healthy our Bruce!!!
RocketKirchner
i misjudged this record when it first came out because it had conflicting producers -- T Bone Burnett and Glyn Johns .too many cooks . but it stands up .
Lou Cat
If I see The T bone involved in anything I'm there!
Rockin Rollin n Trollin
Similar to Bob Dylan ......like the SEA is similar to a RIVER ?.