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."
Stained Glass
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking outward
Show me a sequined sky
Rubies shine in my glass of wine
Dusk breezes
On oiled water
Paint a pointillist facade
Like today I'm far away
I see your face behind each time-blurred pane
Strings vibrate
Music leaps out
In a shimmering intrigue
Words unsaid whirl away like dust
From the sidewalk-sweeper's broom
Across a fold in space you touch my hand
The song “Stained Glass” is a poignant meditation on human connection and the permeable nature of personal boundaries. The small windows in the stained glass serves to depict life fragmented and compartmentalized, only glimpsed through tiny openings. The sequined sky and rubies shining in the glass of wine illustrates beauty and hope in the everyday, highlighting the value of finding joy in small moments.
The song points out how fluid our emotions and relationships can be, with the world being constantly shifting and changing. The singer expresses feelings of isolation and the difficulty of staying connected to those who are far away, yet acknowledges how we continue to be intertwined with those close to us even when we are physically apart. As the strings vibrate and music emanates, unspoken words spin like dust, and the actions of others reach out to us.
In the final line, there is a suggestion that there is a way for us to break out of the confines we built and connect with each other: “Across a fold in space you touch my hand”. The song seems to suggest that even though we may feel disconnected or apart, little moments of connection can make all the difference.
Line by Line Meaning
Small windows
Observing minute details
Looking outward
Examining the outside world
Show me a sequined sky
Sky full of stars glittering like sequins
Rubies shine in my glass of wine
A moment of happiness and joy to cherish
Dusk breezes
Cool breeze during the twilight hour
On oiled water
Water with a shiny surface
Paint a pointillist facade
A painting style depicting a facade using dots
It's ceaselessly shifting world --
The world keeps changing continuously
Like today I'm far away
Being in a distant place at present
I see your face behind each time-blurred pane
Remembering loved ones through old memories
Strings vibrate
The sound of music playing
Music leaps out
The power of music is overwhelming
In a shimmering intrigue
Creating a sense of curiosity and fascination
Words unsaid whirl away like dust
Unspoken words disappear without a trace
From the sidewalk-sweeper's broom
An insignificant detail from everyday life
Across a fold in space you touch my hand
A spiritual or emotional connection transcending physical distance
Contributed by Nathan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.