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."
The Blues Got The World...
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been in jail to learn the golden rule
I've been to the workhouse, served my time in those hallowed halls
The only thing I know is the blues got the world by the balls
I've been to the tundra and the mountain too
I've been in Paris doing what the Frenchmen do
I've been in Boston where the buildings grow so tall
You can catch 'em from the preacher or from the pool shark
You can find 'em in the grammar of the socialite's remark
Or down in the washroom you can read it on the wall
Everywhere you look the blues got the world by the balls
The lyrics of Bruce Cockburn's "The Blues Got The World" paint a bleak picture of a world that is dominated and controlled by the blues. The singer describes how he has experienced life across different settings, from parliament to school to jail, yet concludes that the only constant he can be certain of is that the blues has a hold on the world. The repetition of the phrase "blues got the world by the balls" underscores this idea of the inescapable grip of the blues.
The second verse of the song broadens the scope of this observation, as the singer states that even his travels to places as varied as the tundra, mountains, Paris, and Boston have not allowed him to escape the blues. In fact, he contends that wherever one goes, the blues will always have a hold on the world. The final verse points out that the blues can be found in unexpected places, whether it is in the language of a socialite or the scrawlings on a bathroom wall.
Ultimately, the song suggests that the world is a place where it is impossible to avoid the sadness and melancholy of the blues. Although the song is somewhat bleak, the powerful lyrics and haunting melody create a sense of poignant beauty that captures the enduring appeal of blues music.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been down to parliament, I've been in school
I've experienced the realm of politics and formal education
I've been in jail to learn the golden rule
I've served time in prison, learning the hard way how to live by the right principles
I've been to the workhouse, served my time in those hallowed halls
I've spent time in a rehabilitation center, reflecting on my past mistakes
The only thing I know is the blues got the world by the balls
Despite my experiences, it seems that the blues still hold an undeniable power over the world
I've been to the tundra and the mountain too
I've traveled to harsh and isolated environments
I've been in Paris doing what the Frenchmen do
I've indulged in the culture and lifestyle of Paris, like any tourist would
I've been in Boston where the buildings grow so tall
I've visited one of America's most urbanized cities
Everywhere you go the blues got the world by the balls
It seems that no matter where you travel, the blues have a hold on people
You can catch 'em from the preacher or from the pool shark
The blues can be picked up from various sources, including unlikely ones
You can find 'em in the grammar of the socialite's remark
The blues can be found even in people's sophisticated language
Or down in the washroom you can read it on the wall
Even in crude graffiti, the blues can be expressed
Everywhere you look the blues got the world by the balls
The blues seem to be a universal force that affects everyone and everything around us
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: BRUCE COCKBURN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fritz Coates
listening to this man for 45 years now ♡ love his stuff
Michael Muirhead
Exactly. I think it was 1974 that I first listened to this whole album... over and over and over.
desiree king
I've been down to parliament, I've been in school
I've been in jail to learn the golden rule
I've been to the workhouse, served my time in those hallowed halls
The only thing I know is the blues got the world by the balls
I've been to the tundra and the mountain too
I've been in Paris doing what the Frenchmen do
I've been in Boston where the buildings grow so tall
Everywhere you go the blues got the world by the balls
You can catch 'em from the preacher or from the pool shark
You can find 'em in the grammar of the socialite's remark
Or down in the washroom you can read it on the wall
Everywhere you look the blues got the world by the balls
riseandshinetruthnow
Awesome
moonlitme
Now so more than ever.....
pete aplin
Good Post!
Rob Davidson
Hee