#brucecockburn — Public Fediverse posts

Bruce Cockburn: Lyrical Genius and Activist 📜

Bruce Cockburn’s lyrics have walked the line between poetic & political.
Since the '70s, the #Canadian singer-songwriter has woven environmentalism, spirituality, & human rights into intricate arrangements. With tracks like If I Had a Rocket Launcher & Lovers in a Dangerous Time, he shaped folk-rock into a vehicle for both introspection and action. 🇨🇦 #Canada #BruceCockburn #CanadianMusic #FolkRock

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Cockburn

2025 in Music

According to Soundcloud I spent most of my time listening to various shows on Afropop Worldwide, Rinse FM and Sleep’s Dopesmoker. All of which made on appearance on previous years lists. The new addition for 2025 was Jay Electronica’s “A Written Testimony” EP trilogy (?). Compared to last year, my Soundcloud list is about the same, while a quick review of my history/timeline for a few other platforms indicates I’ve still been repping lots of Bad Bunny, KEXP, LaRussell, Tiny Desk and Western AF. What is perhaps most interesting about that is that 90% of my Soundcloud time is logged from my work-station and given how/when I listen, each platform has a distinct vibe/represents a particular set of activities and their corresponding soundtrack. So John Carroll Kirby was still a top artist (Tuscany serving as a regular soundtrack for family dinners) and I listened to about the same amount of Alice Coltrane (mostly while keeping up my yoga practice) and Keith Hudson (while hanging outside/working in the yard).

Some new favorites were Eladio Carrion, Hugh Mundell, LA LOM and as already mentioned I played this track repeatedly. One new trend was a return to alt and 90s rock (Beastie Boys, Fugazi, Nirvana et al.), mostly as a result of trying to find music all three of us (my son, wife and I) can agree on. Especially, when in the car together.

In terms of concerts, Bitchin Baja’s and Prairiewolf at glob were a blast and included a bonus hang-night with a buddy visiting from West Cost. While the first night of Denver Metal & Beer Fest with my BIL was fun and the surprise for me was OKC based Chat Pile. Plus, he and I caught a couple of great sets at the 2025 Bluegrass on the Arkansas (in Salida, CO), including night one’s closer, Magoo.

While I listen primarily to digital-streaming, I did make an effort to dig into my vinyl collection more. Especially, in the second half of the year. There were a handful of records added to the collection this year, with the best being World Psychedelic Classics 4: Nobody Can Live Forever – The Existential Soul of Tim Maia and 400% Dynamite Ska, Soul, Rocksteady, Funk and Dub in Jamaica, both gifted by friends. The former has been on heavy rotation for at least last few years so I was pumped to unexpectedly get my own copy and while I wasn’t aware of the later, it is chock full of classics! In terms of my own finds, I thrifted a copy of Stealing Fire by Bruce Cockburn along with 1 or 2 LPs from Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson.

Otherwise, I still use an old dedicated MP3 music player for running and it’s library hasn’t been updated in some years. It a weird mix of early/mid aughts London bass and grime mixes, DatPiff downloads and stuff like Pink by Boris. I probably listen to this from Elijah & Skilliam (ft JME and Skepta) the most. For me it’s perfect running energy/vibes!

Finally, this Butthole Surfers mix has become a regular evening (usually to kickoff or end the weekend) listen and I unwind from many a weekday, with NTS Radio. In particular the Raja Vibrations show.

#Boris #BruceCockburn #Dopesmoker #JayElectronica #JME #JohnCarrollKirby #Music #RagaVibrations #RinseFM #Skepta

2025 in Music

According to Soundcloud I spent most of my time listening to various shows on Afropop Worldwide, Rinse FM and Sleep’s Dopesmoker. All of which made on appearance on previous years lists. The new addition for 2025 was Jay Electronica’s “A Written Testimony” EP trilogy (?). Compared to last year, my Soundcloud list is about the same, while a quick review of my history/timeline for a few other platforms indicates I’ve still been repping lots of Bad Bunny, KEXP, LaRussell, Tiny Desk and Western AF. What is perhaps most interesting about that is that 90% of my Soundcloud time is logged from my work-station and given how/when I listen, each platform has a distinct vibe/represents a particular set of activities and their corresponding soundtrack. So John Carroll Kirby was still a top artist (Tuscany serving as a regular soundtrack for family dinners) and I listened to about the same amount of Alice Coltrane (mostly while keeping up my yoga practice) and Keith Hudson (while hanging outside/working in the yard).

Some new favorites were Eladio Carrion, Hugh Mundell, LA LOM and as already mentioned I played this track repeatedly. One new trend was a return to alt and 90s rock (Beastie Boys, Fugazi, Nirvana et al.), mostly as a result of trying to find music all three of us (my son, wife and I) can agree on. Especially, when in the car together.

In terms of concerts, Bitchin Baja’s and Prairiewolf at glob were a blast and included a bonus hang-night with a buddy visiting from West Cost. While the first night of Denver Metal & Beer Fest with my BIL was fun and the surprise for me was OKC based Chat Pile. Plus, he and I caught a couple of great sets at the 2025 Bluegrass on the Arkansas (in Salida, CO), including night one’s closer, Magoo.

While I listen primarily to digital-streaming, I did make an effort to dig into my vinyl collection more. Especially, in the second half of the year. There were a handful of records added to the collection this year, with the best being World Psychedelic Classics 4: Nobody Can Live Forever – The Existential Soul of Tim Maia and 400% Dynamite Ska, Soul, Rocksteady, Funk and Dub in Jamaica, both gifted by friends. The former has been on heavy rotation for at least last few years so I was pumped to unexpectedly get my own copy and while I wasn’t aware of the later, it is chock full of classics! In terms of my own finds, I thrifted a copy of Stealing Fire by Bruce Cockburn along with 1 or 2 LPs from Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson.

Otherwise, I still use an old dedicated MP3 music player for running and it’s library hasn’t been updated in some years. It a weird mix of early/mid aughts London bass and grime mixes, DatPiff downloads and stuff like Pink by Boris. I probably listen to this from Elijah & Skilliam (ft JME and Skepta) the most. For me it’s perfect running energy/vibes!

Finally, this Butthole Surfers mix has become a regular evening (usually to kickoff or end the weekend) listen and I unwind from many a weekday, with NTS Radio. In particular the Raja Vibrations show.

#Boris #BruceCockburn #Dopesmoker #JayElectronica #JME #JohnCarrollKirby #Music #RagaVibrations #RinseFM #Skepta

2025 in Music

According to Soundcloud I spent most of my time listening to various shows on Afropop Worldwide, Rinse FM and Sleep’s Dopesmoker. All of which made on appearance on previous years lists. The new addition for 2025 was Jay Electronica’s “A Written Testimony” EP trilogy (?). Compared to last year, my Soundcloud list is about the same, while a quick review of my history/timeline for a few other platforms indicates I’ve still been repping lots of Bad Bunny, KEXP, LaRussell, Tiny Desk and Western AF. What is perhaps most interesting about that is that 90% of my Soundcloud time is logged from my work-station and given how/when I listen, each platform has a distinct vibe/represents a particular set of activities and their corresponding soundtrack. So John Carroll Kirby was still a top artist (Tuscany serving as a regular soundtrack for family dinners) and I listened to about the same amount of Alice Coltrane (mostly while keeping up my yoga practice) and Keith Hudson (while hanging outside/working in the yard).

Some new favorites were Eladio Carrion, Hugh Mundell, LA LOM and as already mentioned I played this track repeatedly. One new trend was a return to alt and 90s rock (Beastie Boys, Fugazi, Nirvana et al.), mostly as a result of trying to find music all three of us (my son, wife and I) can agree on. Especially, when in the car together.

In terms of concerts, Bitchin Baja’s and Prairiewolf at glob were a blast and included a bonus hang-night with a buddy visiting from West Cost. While the first night of Denver Metal & Beer Fest with my BIL was fun and the surprise for me was OKC based Chat Pile. Plus, he and I caught a couple of great sets at the 2025 Bluegrass on the Arkansas (in Salida, CO), including night one’s closer, Magoo.

While I listen primarily to digital-streaming, I did make an effort to dig into my vinyl collection more. Especially, in the second half of the year. There were a handful of records added to the collection this year, with the best being World Psychedelic Classics 4: Nobody Can Live Forever – The Existential Soul of Tim Maia and 400% Dynamite Ska, Soul, Rocksteady, Funk and Dub in Jamaica, both gifted by friends. The former has been on heavy rotation for at least last few years so I was pumped to unexpectedly get my own copy and while I wasn’t aware of the later, it is chock full of classics! In terms of my own finds, I thrifted a copy of Stealing Fire by Bruce Cockburn along with 1 or 2 LPs from Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson.

Otherwise, I still use an old dedicated MP3 music player for running and it’s library hasn’t been updated in some years. It a weird mix of early/mid aughts London bass and grime mixes, DatPiff downloads and stuff like Pink by Boris. I probably listen to this from Elijah & Skilliam (ft JME and Skepta) the most. For me it’s perfect running energy/vibes!

Finally, this Butthole Surfers mix has become a regular evening (usually to kickoff or end the weekend) listen and I unwind from many a weekday, with NTS Radio. In particular the Raja Vibrations show.

#Boris #BruceCockburn #Dopesmoker #JayElectronica #JME #JohnCarrollKirby #Music #RagaVibrations #RinseFM #Skepta

Bruce Cockburn, The Trouble With Normal, 1983 on True North

Cockburn’s 13th (I think) studio album, as he transitioned from old school folkie into new wave / alternative with more electric guitar and synthesizers but carrying forward the same politics and attitude. (“The trouble with normal is that it always gets worse”).

True North was an independent Canadian label founded by Bernie Finkelstein (who gets management credit but not producer credit on this LP) but was distributed by CBS/Columbia.

My copy, via Beatnick Records in Montréal Québec, is a CBS Records Canada pressing on True North labels via Don Mills ON, and came with a dual-language lyrics sheet in English and French.

Slice of Canadiana in a cover song.
#GoinDownTheRoad #BruceCockburn #cover #SCTV #JoeFlaherty #JohnCandy #DonShebib #Canada #music

Bruce Cockburn, Waiting for a Miracle: Singles 1970-1987, 1987 on True North

Collection of singles from Canada’s Bruce Cockburn, whose career ranged widely from folk to what we might call world music to rock. Cockburn was a Berklee School of Music dropout before being a dropout from Berkelee was de rigeur.

I first found Cockburn via “If I Had A Rocket Launcher” and his association with various activist musicians in the 80s. He also worked with T-Bone Burnett on a few albums in the 80s.

True North is an independent Canadian label (founded by Bernie Finkelstein) with distribution by CBS and they still put out Bruce Cockburn’s music.

My copy—via VInyl Destination in Lowell, MA—is a Canadian pressing by CBS Records Canada from the Don Mills Ontario plant.

#1980s #1987 #BruceCockburn #CBSRecordsCanada #DonMills #LowellMA #TrueNorth #vinyl #VinylDestination #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

Bruce Cockburn: If I Had a Rocket Launcher Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Here comes the helicopter
Second time today
Everybody scatters
And hopes it goes away
How many kids they've murdered
Only God can say, hey

[Chorus]If I had a rocket launcher
If I had a rocket launcher
If I had a rocket launcher
I'd make somebody pay
[Verse 2]
I don't believe in guarded borders
And I don't believe in hate
I don't believe in generals
Or their stinking torture states
And when I talk with the survivors
Of things too sickening to relate

[Chorus]If I had a rocket launcher
If I had a rocket launcher
If I had a rocket launcher
I would retaliate

[Verse 3]
On the Rio Lacantún
One hundred thousand wait
To fall down from starvation
Or some less humane fate
Cry for Guatemala
With a corpse in every gate

[Chorus]If I had a rocket launcher
If I had a rocket launcher
If I had a rocket launcher
I would not hesitate
[Verse 4]
I wanna raise every voice
At least I've got to try
Every time I think about it
Water rises to my eyes
Situation desperate
Echoes of the victims cry

[Chorus]If I had a rocket launcher
If I had a rocket launcher
If I had a rocket launcher
Some son of a bitch would die

genius.com/Bruce-cockburn-if-i…

#Music #Lyrics #Resistance #Oldies #BruceCockburn #RocketLauncher

P164 - Building | Total Massacre

Fight Like Ida B & Marsha P | Ric Wilson :
What Did You Drag Me Into? | Flamy Grant : Bible Belt Baby
Building from the Bottom (feat. Speech, 1 Love, Configa & 4-IZE) | Arrested Development : For The FKN Love
Time to Build | Beastie Boys : To the 5 Boroughs
Build us something more | Matt Hill : Return of the Idle Drones
Strike Till We Win, Build Solar, Build Wind | Mat Ward : Why I Protest
All we want is to create voluntary combinations | Utah Phillips : Making Speech Free
Border Wall | Total Massacre : The System Works...
American Carnage | Total Massacre : The System Works...
Get Rich or Try Dying | Total Massacre :
Antifascist | Total Massacre : The System Works...
Let it Burn | Jessye DeSilva : Renovations
To Keep the World We Know | Bruce Cockburn : O Sun O Moon

#Music #PoliticalMusic

#TotalMassacre #RicWilson #FlamyGrant #ArrestedDevelopment #BeastieBoys #MattHill #MatWard #UtahPhillips #JessyeDeSilva #BruceCockburn

https://movingtrainmedia.com/polyrical-podcast/p164-building-total-massacre

One of the best songs ever written by one of the best songwriters in history.

https://youtu.be/mN2uMVYwmqc

#BruceCockburn #PacingTheCage #songwriter #lyrics #folk #GuitarGod