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."
Strong Hand of Love
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down trickles a tear on a youthful face
Feeling in haste and wondering why
Up struggles the sun from a wounded night
Out venture our hearts from their silent shrouds
Trying to ignite but wondering how
We can laugh and we can cry
We can dance and we can sigh
And never see the strong hand of love hidden in the shadows
Young dreamers explode like popped balloons
Some kind of emotional rodeo
Learning too slow and acting too soon
Time marches away like a lost platoon
We gracefully age as we feel the weight
Of loving too late and leaving too soon
We can laugh and we can cry
And never see the strong hand of love hidden in the shadows
We can dance and we can sigh
And never see the strong hand of love hidden in the shadows
In "Strong Hand of Love," Bruce Cockburn poetically explores the human experience of love, and the ways in which we often fail to recognize its presence or power. He uses vivid imagery, contrasting the rain falling from a clear blue sky with the tears on a youthful face, to convey the unpredictability and mystery of love. The sun struggling up from a wounded night suggests the hope and renewal that can come from love, while the hearts emerging from their silent shrouds and trying to ignite but wondering how speaks to the challenges and uncertainties that can arise when we seek love.
The second verse continues this exploration, using the metaphor of young dreamers exploding like popped balloons to convey the emotional rollercoaster of falling in love. The line "learning too slow and acting too soon" captures the sense of frustration and regret that can come with hindsight, as we realize the mistakes we've made in matters of the heart. The final lines, about gracefully aging and feeling the weight of loving too late and leaving too soon, suggest the bittersweet nature of love, and the ways in which it can bring both joy and pain throughout the course of our lives.
Overall, "Strong Hand of Love" is a deeply introspective and emotional song that invites listeners to reflect on their own experiences of love, and to consider the ways in which love can be both elusive and transformative.
Line by Line Meaning
Down peppers the rain from a clear blue sky
Sudden painful moments can occur unexpectedly like rain from a clear sky.
Down trickles a tear on a youthful face
Sadness can strike anybody, regardless of their age.
Feeling in haste and wondering why
When we're busy, it is easy to forget why we're rushing around.
Up struggles the sun from a wounded night
Even on hard days, the sun still rises and brings hope for a new day.
Out venture our hearts from their silent shrouds
We can be vulnerable and open our hearts to others.
Trying to ignite but wondering how
Even when we want to love, it is not always easy to know how.
We can laugh and we can cry
We experience many emotions throughout life.
And never see the strong hand of love hidden in the shadows
Sometimes we don't realize that love is always present, even in hard times.
We can dance and we can sigh
Life is full of joyful and sorrowful moments.
And never see the strong hand of love hidden in the shadows
Sometimes love is not easily seen, but it is always present.
Young dreamers explode like popped balloons
Sometimes dreams and hopes can be dashed like a popped balloon.
Some kind of emotional rodeo
Life can feel like an emotional rollercoaster ride.
Learning too slow and acting too soon
Sometimes we don't learn from our mistakes and repeat them, or act impulsively.
Time marches away like a lost platoon
Time moves forward quickly, like a group of soldiers losing their way in battle.
We gracefully age as we feel the weight
As we grow older, we feel the burden of time and experience.
Of loving too late and leaving too soon
Sometimes we realize we've missed opportunities for love or lost loved ones too soon.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MARK HEARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kellybenson59
Mark Heard is awesome, take a listen!
Steev G
I was honored to share a Bruce concert w/ a solid Christian (X) songwriter friend, known lovingly as Mr. Tim in the children's ministry - @CalvaryFellowship - before he passed (into Jesus' direct presence).
Todd Miller
Such a good cover.
lizannski
th tribute to mark heard is great. but better is the 1970 uptakes. thank you so much
thedvguy
I've been encouraging conservatives to do this for ages. There are far more conservatives in Hollywood than people imagine. We need to band together and make family friendly, and honest films and TV programs. Thank you for doing this!!!