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 Coming Rains
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And road dust dyeing black skin bronze and the road rolling like a rough sea
It's quiet now, just crickets and a dog fight somewhere in the far away
In my heart I hold your photograph
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
Hot breeze ran its fingers through the long grass of a thatched roof eave
They stuck me in the only chair they had while they cooked cassava
They asked for one well three lanterns and 200 litres of fuel and
I said, "Who, me?"
And the time for planting's coming soon
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
In the town neon flickers in the ruins
Seven crows swoop past the luscious moon
If I had wings like those there'd be no waiting
I'd come panting to your door and slide like smoke into your room
All day the mountains rose behind a veil of smoke from burning fields
And road dust dyeing black skin bronze and the road rolling like a rough sea
It's quiet now, just crickets and a dog fight somewhere in the far away
In my heart I hold your photograph
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
And the time for planting's coming soon
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
The Coming Rains by Bruce Cockburn describes a wistful longing for a person or place, evoked by the arrival of the rainy season. The song opens with vivid imagery of mountains obscured by smoke, fields burning, and the dusty road resembling a rough sea. The singer's surroundings are quiet, save for the sound of crickets and a distant dog fight. The verse ends with a poignant statement – "in my heart I hold your photograph, and the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains."
The second verse takes us deeper into the singer's experience, as he describes being seated in a chair while his hosts cook cassava. He recalls being asked for three lanterns and 200 liters of fuel, and sarcastically responding "who, me?" The passage of time is marked by the mention of the upcoming planting season. The singer again invokes the "thought of you" as an intensifying force, this time comparing it to a hot breeze moving through the long grass.
The final verse brings us to a ruined town, where neon flickers and seven crows swoop past a luscious moon. The singer shares a yearning for wings that would allow him to fly to his desired destination without delay, but for now he remains stuck in the present moment, heart full of memories and the promise of new beginnings.
Overall, The Coming Rains is a richly descriptive and emotionally resonant song, using nature imagery to transcend time and distance and evoke a profound sense of longing.
Line by Line Meaning
All day the mountains rose behind a veil of smoke from burning fields
Throughout the day, I could see mountains in the distance, shrouded by a smoky veil caused by burning fields.
And road dust dyeing black skin bronze and the road rolling like a rough sea
The dust from the road colored my black skin to a bronze hue and made the road feel like turbulent waves of a rough sea.
It's quiet now, just crickets and a dog fight somewhere in the far away
Currently, there's a peaceful quietness with the only sounds being the chirping of crickets and the distant barking of dogs fighting.
In my heart I hold your photograph
I carry a picture of you close to my heart.
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
Just like how the sensation of impending rain is palpable, thoughts of you flood my mind.
Hot breeze ran its fingers through the long grass of a thatched roof eave
A warm breeze drifted through the long grass on the roof's eaves, almost as if it was brushing its fingers through them.
They stuck me in the only chair they had while they cooked cassava
As they cooked cassava, they sat me in the only available chair they had.
And a luckless hen
Additionally, there was a hen that seemed to be experiencing bad luck.
They asked for one well three lanterns and 200 litres of fuel and
The people present asked me for a well, three lanterns, and 200 liters of fuel.
I said, "Who, me?"
I expressed surprise and disbelief, wondering if they really meant to ask me.
And the time for planting's coming soon
It's almost the season for planting crops.
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
As the rains approach, thoughts of you become stronger and more intense.
In the town neon flickers in the ruins
In the town, there are ruins where flickering neon lights can be seen.
Seven crows swoop past the luscious moon
Seven crows fly past the beautiful, vibrant moon.
If I had wings like those there'd be no waiting
If only I possessed wings as the crows do, I wouldn't have to wait to see you.
I'd come panting to your door and slide like smoke into your room
I would arrive at your doorstep breathless, and slip into your room like smoke.
Contributed by Kylie S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
nissi k
The Coming Rains
Bruce Cockburn
All day the mountains rose behind a veil of smoke from burning fields
And road dust dyeing black skin bronze and the road rolling like a rough sea
It's quiet now, just crickets and a dog fight somewhere in the far away
In my heart I hold your photograph
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
Hot breeze ran its fingers through the long grass of a thatched roof eave
They stuck me in the only chair they had while they cooked cassava
And a luckless hen
They asked for one well three lanterns and 200 litres of fuel and
I said, "Who, me?"
And the time for planting's coming soon
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
In the town neon flickers in the ruins
Seven crows swoop past the luscious moon
If I had wings like those there'd be no waiting
I'd come panting to your door and slide like smoke into your room
All day the mountains rose behind a veil of smoke from burning fields
And road dust dyeing black skin bronze and the road rolling like a rough sea
It's quiet now, just crickets and a dog fight somewhere in the far away
In my heart I hold your photograph
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
And the time for planting's coming soon
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
Songwriters: Bruce Cockburn
Siboney Peltier
Bruce Cockburn – The Coming Rains Lyrics All day the mountains rose behind
the veil of smoke from burning fields
And road dust dyeing black skin bronze
and the road rolling like a rough sea
It's quiet now, just crickets and
a dog fight somewhere in the far away
In my heart I hold your photograph
and the thought of you comes on like the feel
of the coming rains...
Hot breeze ran its fingers through
the long grass of the thatched roof eave
They stuck me in the only chair they had
while they cooked casaba and a luckless hen
They asked for one, well three lanterns and
200 liters of fuel and I said,"Who, me?"
And the time for planting's coming soon
and the thought of you comes on like the feel
of the coming rains
In the town neon flickers in the ruins
Seven crows swoop past a luscious moon
If I had wings like those there'd be no waiting
I'd come panting to your door,
slide like smoke into your room
All day the mountains rose behind
the veil of smoke from burning fields
And road dust dyeing black skin bronze
and the road rolling like a rough sea
It's quiet now, just crickets and
a dog fight somewhere in the far away
In my heart I hold your photograph
and the thought of you comes on like the feel
of the coming rains
And the time for planting's coming soon
and the thought of you comes on like the feel
of the coming rains Songwriters: COCKBURN, BRUCEThe Coming Rains lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CARLIN AMERICA INC
Andre Forget
Charity of Night - Without question one of the most honest and well-crafted recordings ever made ... period ;)
Jim Elrod
the vibes on this collection, charity of the night, make this a very unique sound for Bruce. love his music.
Alain Bradette
One of my favourite songs of all time. I love the harmonies!!!! wow!
Cheryl Gaudet
Thanks for posting this gorgeous Cockburn gem set to such stunning images.
חוה מוגרבי
Pure beauty and genius
aliasdyln33
Yes, agreed. Not many artists's music cut straight to your heart like Professor Cockburn's does. And not to mention how well they do it!
Eric Bryant
Bruce is great but the way his band mate that seem to change over time really no how to highlight his music ,, The bass and drums phenomenal.
nissi k
The Coming Rains
Bruce Cockburn
All day the mountains rose behind a veil of smoke from burning fields
And road dust dyeing black skin bronze and the road rolling like a rough sea
It's quiet now, just crickets and a dog fight somewhere in the far away
In my heart I hold your photograph
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
Hot breeze ran its fingers through the long grass of a thatched roof eave
They stuck me in the only chair they had while they cooked cassava
And a luckless hen
They asked for one well three lanterns and 200 litres of fuel and
I said, "Who, me?"
And the time for planting's coming soon
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
In the town neon flickers in the ruins
Seven crows swoop past the luscious moon
If I had wings like those there'd be no waiting
I'd come panting to your door and slide like smoke into your room
All day the mountains rose behind a veil of smoke from burning fields
And road dust dyeing black skin bronze and the road rolling like a rough sea
It's quiet now, just crickets and a dog fight somewhere in the far away
In my heart I hold your photograph
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
And the time for planting's coming soon
And the thought of you comes on like the feel of the coming rains
Songwriters: Bruce Cockburn
B. Bailey
i adore Bruce Cockburn's writing and playing. Gorgeous video too.
GuitarJr56
just heard this for first time y'day on radio. Another beauty, Bruce - thanks of posting!