During his almost 60-year world-renowned musical career, Bruce Cockburn (pronounced COH-burn) has established an unforgettable presence, one that has soared from his initial work all the way to today when, at 81, he continues to tour and release music.
In a new episode of Living On Music on YouTube, host Steve Houk chatted with this renowned Canadian singer-songwriter, discussing his multi-decade career, his approach to songwriting, and his latest project. Cockburn is also touring extensively beginning in mid-October, including Oct. 27 at Warner Theater in Washington.
Cockburn’s new album, The Blood of Others, focuses on songs that deeply influenced him long before he became a songwriter himself, and how music by artists like Elvis Presley as well as other artists’ tracks like You Belong to Me shaped his musical foundation. “It’s the result of an idea that came to me a long time ago and it’s kind of built up over the years. It’s the idea of doing an album like this of songs that sort of meant something from other various points in my life. You know, that could number in the thousands and could be a multi-edition album, but in this case there’s a couple of songs that I associate with Elvis Presley because his records were the trigger for me to want to get into music, plus other tunes that mattered to me. I think we came up with a pretty good collection of songs and I think I got away with performing them okay, so I’m very happy with this actually.”
As far as his longtime touring life, Cockburn shares insights into his current tour, explaining that being on the road feels like “home” to him. He highlights the balance of performing live and the logistics of the current tour, which travels down the Eastern Seaboard with a dedicated crew, compared to his early, more challenging touring experiences. “I mean, basically touring has been a more consistent part of my life than most other elements in my life. The first time we did a bus tour was probably in 1980 when Wondering Where the Lions Are was on the radio, and the scale of things sort of expanded to the point where a bus was a practical thing, and I’ve been doing that ever since. And yes, having a bus is a luxury that allows me to relax and go through the day in a leisurely kind of way. We’ll start a load-in around noon and then I’m there till midnight, so there you go. And then we go to the next town and do it again.”
Cockburn also recounts his early years, from discovering his first guitar in an attic, to the formative time he spent studying at the Berklee College of Music and immersing himself in the local jazz and folk scenes. He also delves into the personal stories behind some of his most iconic tracks, including three that host Steve Houk loves the most, explaining how his experiences, observations of global conflicts, and personal reflections inspired these powerful lyrics. Lovers in a Dangerous Time was inspired by watching his young daughter and her friend in a schoolyard; Wondering Where the Lions Are emerged from a conversation with a relative about international security and the fragility of the world; and with If I Had a Rocket Launcher, he provides a powerful look at the context of this song, which was written after he witnessed the struggles of Guatemalan refugees in Mexico.
Listen to the whole powerful interview here at Living On Music With Steve Houk on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pukpxBk2B2M?si=NmXuau9L6dogZE_s
