Guest post by Don Berg: Evolution of Bruce Cockburn lyrics Part 17: Dart to The Heart

Guest post by Don Berg: Evolution of Bruce Cockburn lyrics Part 17: Dart to The Heart

by Don Berg

Dart to The Heart (1994)
Since I have been

discussing the evolution of spirituality or theology within Cockburn’s work, I have not said a lot about the music or the content of many of the songs that deal with other aspects of life. The 90’s albums have a much more country feel to them and contain many songs about contentment with loving relationships. Where in his songs from the 70’s “Arrows of Light” pierced his soul, he is now pierced by a “Dart to the Heart.” Songs such as “All the Ways I Want You,” “Bone in My Ear,” and Someone I Used to Love” follow this theme. But several songs still reference relationships that point towards Heaven. “Scanning These Crowds returns to a familiar theme where, despite the fallenness of humanity, and all the fell things of which we are capable, Bruce can still catch a glimpse of the divine.

Scanning These Crowds

I was half asleep in the washroom when they came in
Eyes like moonlight on barbed wire and veins showing under the skin
The uniforms made me nervous, I got ready for the chase
But they left me scanning these crowds for some sign of your face

Something fell on Saskatchewan in 1885
Where is it now that we need it, in this century of jive?
The axe falls as if through water -- never leaves a trace
And I'm scanning these crowds for some sign of your face

The world shot down love as a spy, once upon a time ago
Now people stand around here, like crows in the snow
Like the shadow of the rope on Louis Riel, they look so clean out of place
And I'm scanning these crowds for some sign of your face

Though storms may still kiss the grasslands with primal fire
In the land of passive revolution, everything's for hire
Are they demons, are they lemmings, or just the humans in this place?
Lord, I'm scanning these crowds for some sign of your face


This familiar theme is further expanded in “Burden of the Angel/Beast.”

Burden of the Angel/Beast
From the lying mirror
  
 to the movement of stars
Everybody's looking for who they are
Those who know don't have the words to tell
And the ones with the words don't know too well

Could be the famine
Could be the feast
Could be the pusher
Could be the priest
Always ourselves we love the least
That's the burden of the angel/beast

Birds of paradise -- birds of prey
Here tomorrow, gone today
Cross my forehead, cross my palm
Don't cross me or I'll do you harm

We go crying, we come laughing
Never understand the time we're passing
Kill for money, die for love
Whatever was God thinking of?


“Southland of the Heart” takes the traditional country music themes of gloom and despair and turns on its head to a song of comfort, referencing Matthew:

Matt. 11:28-30
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Southland of the Heart

When thoughts you've tried to leave behind
Keep sniping from the dark
When the fire burns inside you but
You jump from every spark
When your heart's beset by memories
You wish you'd never made
When the sun comes up an enemy
And nothing gives you shade

In the southland of the heart
Where the saints go lazily
Lie down
Take your rest with me

When the nightmare's creeping closer
And your wheels are in the mud
When everything's ambiguous
Except the taste of blood

In the southland of the heart
There's no question of degree
Lie down
Take your rest 

with me


The song “Closer to the Light” was written for fellow singer/songwriter Mark Heard in response to his untimely death.

Closer to the Light

There you go
Swimming deeper into mystery
Here I remain
Only seeing where you used to be
Stared at the ceiling
'Til my ears filled up with tears
Never got to know you
And suddenly you're out of here

Gone from mystery into mystery
Gone from daylight into light
Another step deeper
Into darkness
Closer to the light

Walked outside
Summer moon was nearly down
Mist on the fields
Holy stillness all around
Death's no stranger
No stranger than the life I've seen
Still I cried
Still I begged to get you back again

Gone from mystery into mystery
Gone from daylight into light
Another step deeper
Into darkness
Closer to the light