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."
Up On The Hillside
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics
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Out in the alley hear the hungry dog whine
You and I, friend, sit waiting for a sign
See how the sunset makes the lake look like wine
Over the mountain I can hear myself called
I want to come running but my window's too small
The cliffs are so high and I might fall
What were you saying? -- oh, it's nothing at all
Buicks get bigger and five cents costs a dime
I must get going, you know, there's not much time T
he road is waiting and I'm running out of rhyme
Up on the hillside, see how the cross does shine
In Bruce Cockburn's song "Up On The Hillside," the lyrics describe a moment in time where two friends sit together and observe their surroundings. They are on a hillside, and the imagery in the song is beautifully descriptive. The first line, "Up on the hillside you can see the cross shine," is evocative of a moment of spiritual contemplation in nature. It's a moment of stillness and quiet reflection. Then, the mood shifts with the next line, "Out in the alley hear the hungry dog whine." The contrast between the peacefulness of the hillside and the world outside of it is jarring.
The singer and his friend sit together, waiting for a sign. It's unclear what they are waiting for, but it could be a sign of hope or change. The singer then talks about the sunset and how it makes the lake look like wine. This is another beautiful moment of imagery in the song. The second verse takes a turn towards the personal, as the singer talks about wanting to go over the mountain but being held back by his small window. The cliff is too high and he might fall. His friend interrupts him and the moment passes. The third verse turns towards the state of the world, with the singer talking about how the world is in convulsions, but the weather is fine. The final lines return to the peaceful hillside, observing again how the cross shines.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the contrast between stillness and chaos, peace and turmoil. It's a moment of quiet contemplation in a world that is constantly moving and changing.
Line by Line Meaning
Up on the hillside you can see the cross shine
The singer describes the sight of a shining cross at the top of a hillside.
Out in the alley hear the hungry dog whine
The singer draws attention to the sound of a hungry dog crying out in a nearby alley.
You and I, friend, sit waiting for a sign
The singer is sitting with a friend, and together they are waiting for some kind of signal or indication of what to do.
See how the sunset makes the lake look like wine
The artist observes the effect of the sunset on the lake, which causes it to appear to be a deep red like wine.
Over the mountain I can hear myself called
The artist feels called or summoned from beyond a nearby mountain range.
I want to come running but my window's too small
The singer desires to take action and respond to the call, but something is preventing them from doing so.
The cliffs are so high and I might fall
There are obstacles in the way (represented by high cliffs) that could cause the singer to fail or be harmed in pursuit of the call.
What were you saying? -- oh, it's nothing at all
The artist is distracted from their thoughts by a remark made by their friend, but it turns out to be unimportant.
Yes, the world's in convulsions and the weather is fine
The artist reflects on the contrast between the turmoil of the world and the pleasantness of the weather.
Buicks get bigger and five cents costs a dime
The artist cites examples of how things are changing, such as cars getting larger and prices going up.
I must get going, you know, there's not much time
The singer feels a sense of urgency to act and move on, indicating that time is running short.
The road is waiting and I'm running out of rhyme
The artist is compelled to set out on a journey, and they are finding it difficult to express themselves creatively.
Up on the hillside, see how the cross does shine
The singer returns to the opening line, inviting the listener to once again gaze upon the shining cross at the top of the hillside.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: BRUCE COCKBURN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind