Bruce Cockburn (pronounced "CO-burn") (born May 27, 1945 in Ottawa, Ontario… Read Full Bio ↴Bruce Cockburn (pronounced "CO-burn") (born May 27, 1945 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) has had a long and distinguished career, with much success in his native Canada. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll. Cockburn was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2012 he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (in Canada the award was to honour "significant contributions and achievements by Canadians").

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."

When The Sun Goes Nova
Bruce Cockburn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the sun goes nova
And the world turns over
I don't want to be alone
So honey come on home

If you're in the valley
When the dam breaks, palley
You is going to feel alone

So honey come on home

If you're on the bum
And the policemen come
If you lose your grip
Or your trousers rip
I'll be waiting dear

Honey won't you come on home

Overall Meaning

In Bruce Cockburn's song When The Sun Goes Nova, the singer expresses his desire to not be alone when the end of the world comes. The song's title refers to a hypothetical event when a star explodes, called a "nova." The singer seems to be aware of the possibility that the world will end due to natural disasters or other catastrophic events, and he wants to be with his loved one when this happens. The lyrics suggest that the singer knows that the end of the world is inevitable, but he takes comfort in the presence of his partner. The chorus, which he repeats throughout the song, is a plea for his lover to come home, so he can face the end of the world with her.

The second verse alludes to situations in which one might feel lonely or vulnerable, such as being in a valley when a dam breaks or running afoul of the law. The singer tells his lover that she will feel the same way if she is alone in these circumstances, implying that they need each other to get through difficult times. The final lines reassure the lover that the singer will be there for her if she's in trouble and urge her to come home.

Overall, the song speaks to the universal human desire to find comfort and security in a partner, even in the face of world-changing events. It suggests that we need others to help us weather the storms of life, whether literal or metaphorical.

Line by Line Meaning

When the sun goes nova
When the sun explodes and expands into outer space

And the world turns over
And the Earth experiences an apocalyptic event that changes everything

I don't want to be alone
I want to have someone close to me during this catastrophic event

So honey come on home
Please come back to me and be by my side

If you're in the valley
If you're in a difficult situation

When the dam breaks, palley
When everything falls apart suddenly

You is going to feel alone
You will feel helpless and without support

So honey come on home
That's why I ask you to come back to me

If you're on the bum
If you're broke or without any resources

And the policemen come
And the authorities accuse you of something

If you lose your grip
If you can't keep your composure and fall apart