Tropic Moon
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Away from the river
Away from the smoke of the burning
Fearful survivors
Subject of government directives
One sad guitar note
Echoes of the wall of the jungle
Seen from the air they're just targets with nowhere to run to
Children of rape
Raised on malnutrition
Men in camouflage
Filled with a sense of mission
And the light through the wire mesh
Plays on the president's pistol
Like the gleam of a bead of sweat in the flow of a candle
Hear the cry in the tropic night
Should be the cry of love but it's a cry of fright
Some people never see the light
Till it shines through bullet holes
Till it shines through bullet holes

The tropic moon
Bathing a beach fringed with palms
Glitters on shells
And beach tar and coke cans
And on the night-coloured boat
And on the barrels of guns
In the rage in the hearts of these men is the seed of a wind they call kingdom
Come

Hear the cry in the tropic night
Should be the cry of love but it's a cry of fright
Some people never see the light
Till it shines through bullet holes
Till it shines through bullet holes

Hear the cry in the tropic night
Should be the cry of love but it's a cry of fright
Some people never see the light




Till it shines through bullet holes
Till it shines through bullet holes

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Bruce Cockburn's "Tropic Moon" paint a vivid, haunting picture of violence and despair in a tropical jungle. The opening lines, "Away from the river / Away from the smoke of the burning / Fearful survivors / Subject of government directives," suggest that the song is about a military conflict or other kind of violence, perhaps in a country where the government is carrying out atrocities against its citizens. The reference to a "wall of jungle" emphasizes the sense of isolation and entrapment felt by those in the area.


As the song continues, Cockburn paints a picture of the people caught up in this violence: "Children of rape / Raised on malnutrition / Men in camouflage / Filled with a sense of mission." The contrast between the horror of what has happened to these people and the sense of duty felt by those perpetrating the violence is stark and chilling. The final lines of the song, "Some people never see the light / Till it shines through bullet holes / Till it shines through bullet holes," underline the brutal, senseless nature of the conflict and the fact that hope and love seem all but extinguished in this environment.


Overall, "Tropic Moon" is a powerful meditation on the devastation wrought by war and violence, particularly on innocent civilians who are caught up in it.


Line by Line Meaning

Away from the river
In a place far away from the river


Away from the smoke of the burning
Away from the pollution from the burning


Fearful survivors
People who survived in a state of constant fear


Subject of government directives
Controlled by government laws and regulations


One sad guitar note
A single melancholic guitar sound


Echoes of the wall of the jungle
Sounds of the jungle's barrier resonating


Seen from the air they're just targets with nowhere to run to
From a bird's eye view, they are simply targets with nowhere to escape


Children of rape
Offspring born from forced sexual intercourse


Raised on malnutrition
Grown up in a state of being undernourished


Men in camouflage
Males disguised in military clothing


Filled with a sense of mission
Being driven by a strong purpose


And the light through the wire mesh
Light that passes through a wire grid


Plays on the president's pistol
Reflects on the leader's gun


Like the gleam of a bead of sweat in the flow of a candle
Similar to a droplet of sweat shimmering as if it were moving in the flame of a candle


Hear the cry in the tropic night
Listen to the loud noise during the tropical night


Should be the cry of love but it's a cry of fright
It ought to be a sound of affection, but instead, it's a sound of terror


Some people never see the light
There are individuals who never experience hope


Till it shines through bullet holes
Until they witness it through the openings created by firearms


The tropic moon
The moon in the tropics


Bathing a beach fringed with palms
Covering a shoreline consisting of palm trees


Glitters on shells
Sparkles on shells


And beach tar and coke cans
And on the tar and cans of soda pop on the beach


And on the night-coloured boat
And on the dark-colored boat


And on the barrels of guns
And on the cylindrical containers of firearms


In the rage in the hearts of these men is the seed of a wind they call kingdom Come
Within the fury harbored in these men's hearts lies the root of a power they deem as the arrival of paradise


Hear the cry in the tropic night
Listen to the loud noise during the tropical night


Should be the cry of love but it's a cry of fright
It ought to be a sound of affection, but instead, it's a sound of terror


Some people never see the light
There are individuals who never experience hope


Till it shines through bullet holes
Until they witness it through the openings created by firearms


Hear the cry in the tropic night
Listen to the loud noise during the tropical night


Should be the cry of love but it's a cry of fright
It ought to be a sound of affection, but instead, it's a sound of terror


Some people never see the light
There are individuals who never experience hope


Till it shines through bullet holes
Until they witness it through the openings created by firearms




Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bruce Cockburn

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Tallen Pelegrin

Only the second best song on this album, but still easily in the top-10 of Bruce's songs. :-) You're the best Mr Cockburn.

Cat McNichol

Some people never see the light, 'til it shines through bullet holes. Thank you Bruce.

Johnston Ralston

In the rage in the hearts of these men is the seed of a wind they call kingdom
Come . Great song Bruce !

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