Favorite Canadian Musicians: Bruce Cockburn (#6)

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So yesterday it was country music. Today’s Canadian musician spotlight, in honor of Canada Day earlier this month, turns on someone that most Americans haven’t heard of, or barely remember. That’s okay. I’ve seen him live, met him, and certainly remember him!!! #6: Bruce Cockburn Remember the “Bruce Who” thing when JJ got an album by someone named “Bruce Who”? I did a “Bruce Who” countdown, and a Bruce Cockburn (pronounced CO-burn) song topped the countdown. Yeah, I kinda like this guy. Canada loves him, too, as he has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and awarded the Order of Canada. His song “Lovers in a Dangerous Time” has been covered by the likes of Barenaked Ladies and Dan Fogelberg, and other Cockburn songs have been covered by acts as diverse as Jimmy Buffett, k.d. lang, and Jerry Garcia. While Cockburn seemingly always knew he wanted to be a musician, he probably never anticipated becoming a socially conscious voice for a nation the way he has. He’s tackled the plight of Canadian indigenous people (see, America isn’t the only nation with that issue), the plight of Guatemalan refugees (his splendid song “If I Had a Rocket Launcher”), and the dangers of destroying the Amazon rainforest in his lyrics. Oh, and he had U2 quoting his songs (“Got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight” referenced in “God Part 2”). Not bad for a guy that most Americans haven’t heard of. Bruce Cockburn Born Bruce Douglas Cockburn May 27, 1947 Ottawa, Ontario Cockburn’s first song to hit (such as it is) in America: