Change Your Mind
Cockburn Bruce Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Living in the past
Is not living at all
The old fear going fast
Everybody's scared to fall
Turn with the times
Change your mind

Sullen and profane
The ancient temple stands
Dissolving in the rain
Its gods long turned to sand
Forgotten childhood rhyme
Change your mind

Listen for the ring
Of tomorrow's bell
Be the first to sing
From beyond the wishing well




Know what's behind
But change your mind

Overall Meaning

In the song "Change Your Mind" by Cockburn Bruce, the lyrics suggest the importance of not holding onto the past and embracing change. The opening line suggests that dwelling in the past is not a real way of living. The old apprehension will not help in the present, so one must move forward. The second line mentions that people are afraid to fall, which could mean that individuals become stuck in a past mindset as they are too frightened to move on from their old ways. However, change is necessary, particularly in this modern era where everything is evolving fast. To adapt and stay current, one must alter their mentality to match their surroundings. The repetition of the line "change your mind" highlights the importance of the message.


The second verse accredits to the first, highlighting the need for change. "The ancient temple stands, dissolving in the rain, its gods long turned to sand" represents that the past can't hold much value to many people because they have moved beyond it. Although the line "forgotten childhood rhyme" could interpret that minds, which haven't adapted to the changes, reminisce on the past. The lyrics suggest it is time to make a decision to alter the mindset and look forward to newer things that tomorrow might bring. The final line "know what's behind, but change your mind" acknowledges and agrees that the past, represented in the line "what's behind," is revered but understands that change is necessary.


Line by Line Meaning

Living in the past
Living in the past means not living at all


Is not living at all
Living in the past is not living at all implies that one must not live in the past entirely.


The old fear going fast
The fear of losing old ways is waning


Everybody's scared to fall
Everybody's fears to fail in the new approach towards life.


Turn with the times
Accept the change occurred with times


Change your mind
Change your mind to embrace the newness of life


Sullen and profane
The atmosphere is gloomy and disrespectful


The ancient temple stands
The temple, though ancient, stands still


Dissolving in the rain
The temple is disintegrating due to rain and time


Its gods long turned to sand
The temple's gods have lost their glory


Forgotten childhood rhyme
Even memorable childhood rhymes lose significance with time.


Change your mind
Change your mind to accept the transformation of things from the past until now.


Listen for the ring
Listen to the future and its calling


Of tomorrow's bell
The tomorrow's bell signifies the new opportunities in the future.


Be the first to sing
Be the first to resonate with the future song


From beyond the wishing well
The song is more profound than materialistic desires.


Know what's behind
Know what's gone and lost in the past.


But change your mind
Accept the newness of life while not forgetting the loss of the past.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Bruce Cockburn

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

maga zuluzky

Esto debería tener más reproducciones.

Stephen Perkovic

thank you for uploading this