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 Rose Above The Sky
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Round the next bend with a splash
Laughing at the hands I hold out
Only air within their grasp
All you can do is praise the razor
For the fineness of the slash
'Til the rose above the sky
And the light behind the sun
Takes all
Gutless arrogance and rage
Burn apart the best of tries
You carry the weight of inherited sorrow
From your first day till you die
Toward that hilltop where the road
Forever becomes one with the sky
'Til the rose above the sky
Opens
And the light behind the sun
Takes all
Ozone on the midnight wind
Got me thinking of the sea
And the mercies of the currents that brought
Me to you and you to me
And in the silence at the heart of things
Where all true meetings come to be
'Til the rose above the sky
Opens
And the light behind the sun
Takes all
The first verse of this song speaks to the fleeting nature of things we hold dear in life. The "something jeweled" is a metaphor for something precious, perhaps a relationship, a dream, or an experience, slipping away from the singer "round the next bend" and out of reach. The singer is left grasping for something that is no longer there, something that has slipped away with barely a notice of its passing. The line "All you can do is praise the razor for the fineness of the slash" is a recognition of the beauty in the impermanent nature of life, that things often end with a finality that is both sharp and beautiful.
The second verse explores the idea that even the best intentions can be destroyed by anger and arrogance, and that many people carry a weight of sadness with them throughout their lives. The line "Toward that hilltop where the road forever becomes one with the sky" speaks to the idea of transcendence, that perhaps in death or some other moment of enlightenment, we can escape the burdens of our earthly existence.
The final verse moves away from the melancholy tone of the rest of the song, focusing on the beauty and wonder of the natural world. The singer reflects on the ocean, and the idea that everything in life is connected by invisible currents, bringing people together in ways that are both beautiful and inexplicable. The final lines of the song, "And in the silence at the heart of things where all true meetings come to be," speak to the idea of finding peace in the midst of chaos and the idea of a universal connection that binds us all together.
Line by Line Meaning
Something jeweled slips away
Something precious and valuable is lost or gone
Round the next bend with a splash
It happened suddenly and unexpectedly
Laughing at the hands I hold out
Mocking and scoffing at my attempts to reach out and grasp it
Only air within their grasp
Empty-handed, having nothing to hold
All you can do is praise the razor
There's nothing left to do but admire the precision and finesse of what has caused the loss
'Til the rose above the sky
Opens
And the light behind the sun
Takes all
Until a miraculous and extraordinary event happens that can heal and alleviate all of the pain and sorrow
Gutless arrogance and rage
Cowardice and anger can destroy even the noblest of efforts
Burn apart the best of tries
Reduce even the most admirable attempts to ashes
You carry the weight of inherited sorrow
From your first day till you die
You're burdened with the legacy of pain and sadness that is passed down to you generation after generation
Toward that hilltop where the road
Forever becomes one with the sky
Heading towards a place of transcendence and oneness with the universe
'Til the rose above the sky
Opens
And the light behind the sun
Takes all
Until an exceptional and life-changing event happens that can heal and release all the pain and sorrow
Ozone on the midnight wind
A particular type of air that carries a particular smell or sensation
Got me thinking of the sea
Reminded me of the vastness and majesty of the ocean
And the mercies of the currents that brought
Me to you and you to me
Miraculously, the flow of time and events brought us together
And in the silence at the heart of things
Where all true meetings come to be
In the core of existence, at the essence of all things, where genuine encounters and connections arise
'Til the rose above the sky
Opens
And the light behind the sun
Takes all
Until an incomparable and life-changing occurrence comes to pass that can heal and dismiss all the suffering and misery
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bruce Cockburn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@matthewbeaver7809
something jewelled slips away
round the next bend with a splash
laughing at the hands i hold out
only air within their grasp
all you can do is praise the razor
for the fineness of the slash
til the rose above the sky opens
and the light behind the sun takes all
gutless arrogance and rage
burn apart the best of tries
you carry the weight of inherited sorrow
from your first day til you die
toward that hilltop where the road forever becomes one with the sky
til the rose above the sky opens
and the light behind the sun takes all
ozone on the midnight wind
got me thinking of the sea
and the mercies of the currents that brought me to you and you to me
and in the silence at the heart of things
where all true meetings come to be
i see the rose above the sky open
and the light behind the sun take all
@rosiethebear300
I have loved Bruce Cockburn for 40 years!
@Hopstoopider
Me too
@robdavidson1876
Many have!
@Progmeister-tb3sn
Bruce Cockburn is one of the most gifted singer/song writers, ever to grace the earth. I saw this brilliant performer at the Fillmore in San Francisco many years ago. He had them lay out small tables, with chairs, instead of cramming a couple thousand into a standing room only situation. I was stunned. When we were greeted on our way in, the usher told me Bruce wanted everyone to have an intimate evening, with him. God Bless you Bruce. You are truly a special man. 👍
@RocketKirchner
this IS Cockburns masterpiece. after he drags the listener thru his tragedy he ends it with hope . real hope . ''the light BEHIND the sun'' as he sings. Gods tender light for all . the araingement is perfect . woodwind parts. guitar sensitive picking .
@jimbauer6326
Had never heard this before and never heard of Bruce Cockburn either. Always fun to find new music and new musicians.
@wesleydunbar3073
Are you ever in for a treat!
@aidenfermanagh6207
Fantastic lyricist and guitarist.
@robdavidson1876
I met Bruce Cockburn October 21st 2019 had a Brief talk nice fellow ..I mentioned this song how I felt it such a beautiful song he replied thank you for saying that and was a short conversation ..got pic took with him he's I was told 74years old he even had a cane sadly he used a bit to walk meeting him was a wonderful experience because never thought I would ...I uploaded my channel a bit of him at 74...he still has the magic and a genuinely nice fella even though our time was short we both mentioned Scottish influence on his new album...which is all instrumental...I always come back to this song never tire of this one its really beautiful and the way they added instruments works well with Bruce's guitar...and of course the lyrics are very touching...one could say in a spiritual sense of course!Nice work on this by the way Bebbington girl.well done!
@Hopstoopider
New album? New album!!