 Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws (1979) [ larger cover art ] |
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Centred on silence
Counting on nothing
I saw you standing on the sea
And everything was
Dark except for
Sparks the wind struck from your hair
Sparks that turned to
Wings around you
Angel voices mixed with seabird cries
Fields of motion
Surging outward
Questions that contain their own replies...
You were dancing
I saw you dancing
Throwing your arms toward the sky
Fingers opening
Like flares
Stars were shooting everywhere
Lines of power
Bursting outward
Along the channels of your song
Mercury waves flashed
Under your feet
Shots of silver in the shell-pink dawn...
| SmileOnADog (Arizona) | Posted: Mar 27, 2013 - 20:20 What an awesome groundbreaking album from a true poet, in his prime. I've kind of moved on but BC was my #1 go-to listen in the early/mid 80's. "I'm a loner, with a loner's point of view." |
| mutepoint | Posted: Feb 17, 2013 - 10:11 Excellent track! Still a huge fave out of all of his work. |
| R7-12 (Abbotsford, BC) | Posted: Feb 01, 2013 - 16:43 Been listening to this for 30 + years and it's still near the top of my list of favorites. Great guitar work, melody, and lyric. |
| rtree (Crestone, Colorado) | Posted: Dec 16, 2012 - 17:44 And an old one, at that!  rtree wrote: |
| rtree (Crestone, Colorado) | Posted: Dec 16, 2012 - 17:43 YES!!!  martinc wrote:Stand up, salute and tip my hat to RP for playing Bruce's music. |
| lily34 (GTFO) | Posted: Nov 22, 2012 - 08:44 leafmold wrote: moved from a two to a one yeah, i don't like any of his stuff. |
| martinc (Ottawa Canada) | Posted: Nov 22, 2012 - 08:43 Stand up, salute and tip my hat to RP for playing Bruce's music. |
| scottc (Shores of the big river) | Posted: Nov 15, 2012 - 08:48 Geez, can't believe how great Bruce is and people talk about his name. |
| kcar | Posted: Oct 15, 2012 - 00:33 fredriley wrote: Er, any "Limey" (is that term still going? It dates back to WWII) knows exactly how "Cockburn" is pronounced. However, having "cock" in your name, however it's pronounced, would certainly lead to piss-taking at school. A "cheap shot" maybe, but kids like cheap shots and will take any excuse to rip the piss out of someone. Could be worse - imagine the school life of Ed Balls... "Limey" is an older slang word than WWII, Fred. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limey Bad names? My grandparents had a really nice neighbor named Lipton, a farmer originally from Germany. Shortly after he'd immigrated to the US, he changed his name...from Lippschitz. |
| drsteevo | Posted: Sep 13, 2012 - 11:31 leafmold wrote: moved from a two to a one FYI: No one gives a #2 about your bathroom adventures... |
| leafmold | Posted: Sep 13, 2012 - 11:08 moved from a two to a one |
| Jeff09 (Gainesville, Florida) | Posted: Aug 28, 2012 - 15:28 Beautiful... |
| R7-12 (Abbotsford, BC) | Posted: Jul 28, 2012 - 05:32 tuttle99 wrote: My Absolute Favourite Bruce Song!!!!!  It's right up there for me too! |
| tuttle99 | Posted: Jul 12, 2012 - 13:21 My Absolute Favourite Bruce Song!!!!! |
| coding_to_music (Beantown) | Posted: Jun 26, 2012 - 19:17 Everything on this is excellent |
| ce (The Netherlands) | Posted: Apr 24, 2012 - 05:17 fredriley wrote: Er, any "Limey" (is that term still going? It dates back to WWII) I don't know if that's still going, but It's a bit older than WWII: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/Limey I think the "enforced consumption of lime juice in the British navy" may be a couple of centuries older still. Blimey. |
| oldsaxon (Wales via Vancouver, BC.) | Posted: Apr 08, 2012 - 08:42 fredriley wrote: Er, any "Limey" (is that term still going? It dates back to WWII) knows exactly how "Cockburn" is pronounced. However, having "cock" in your name, however it's pronounced, would certainly lead to piss-taking at school. A "cheap shot" maybe, but kids like cheap shots and will take any excuse to rip the piss out of someone. Could be worse - imagine the school life of Ed Balls... A few years back he won a prestigious Canadian music award, nationally broadcast. The lovely young woman announcing his success made the fatal mispronunciation to the delight of all present, including a very gracious Bruce. I know I had a good giggle over it. She looked just mortified when the error was realised. Poor girl. |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Mar 23, 2012 - 11:54 meinthecorner wrote: It's not. And he did, I'm sure. It's pronounced 'Coburn', as in the actor's name, James Coburn. You're English, I see. I' m surprised that an English name such as Cockburn would suffer such a cheap shot from any Limey. I hope you didn't have to carry "sloggydog" all the way with you through school! Er, any "Limey" (is that term still going? It dates back to WWII) knows exactly how "Cockburn" is pronounced. However, having "cock" in your name, however it's pronounced, would certainly lead to piss-taking at school. A "cheap shot" maybe, but kids like cheap shots and will take any excuse to rip the piss out of someone. Could be worse - imagine the school life of Ed Balls... |
| Troutnskibum | Posted: Mar 07, 2012 - 16:28 meinthecorner wrote: OMG - I've thought the very same thing many times!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's called youtube |
| meinthecorner (Past the gravy, far beyond the golden fries) | Posted: Feb 05, 2012 - 00:46 jktravl wrote: I wish I could rewind RP like a DVR on direct TV so I could listen to it again. good stuff OMG - I've thought the very same thing many times!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| meinthecorner (Past the gravy, far beyond the golden fries) | Posted: Feb 05, 2012 - 00:42 Sloggydog wrote: Sure hope that is a stage name and he didn't wear it all the way through school It's not. And he did, I'm sure. It's pronounced 'Coburn', as in the actor's name, James Coburn. You're English, I see. I' m surprised that an English name such as Cockburn would suffer such a cheap shot from any Limey. I hope you didn't have to carry "sloggydog" all the way with you through school! |
| Sloggydog (UK) | Posted: Feb 04, 2012 - 23:53 Sure hope that is a stage name and he didn't wear it all the way through school |
| Randomax (Wimberley, TX) | Posted: Jan 11, 2012 - 07:49 lily34 wrote: i usually dig the guitar on his stuff, but i can't get past the vocals. i wish i could like them...but i never seem to in any of his music. Wow, I'd like to know what lyrics you DO like. IMHO he's one of the best lyricists around. Very poignant. |
| lily34 (lexvegas) | Posted: Dec 03, 2011 - 10:43 i usually dig the guitar on his stuff, but i can't get past the vocals. i wish i could like them...but i never seem to in any of his music. |
| parttime (Kona Hawaii) | Posted: Oct 01, 2011 - 16:17 So your saying your taste for music is in your mouth ? ckcotton wrote: Cheeeeezzzzeeee Ball |
| ckcotton | Posted: Sep 15, 2011 - 11:03 Cheeeeezzzzeeee Ball |
| R7-12 (BC, Canada) | Posted: Aug 30, 2011 - 17:53 One on my all-time favourites! I've seen Bruce several times since the early eighties and always enjoyed his performances immensely. My wife and I last saw him in Mission BC in 2010. We managed to get backstage and ending up chatting with Bruce for about an hour and a half. Ten minutes in we felt we were talking with an old friend - he's just a regular guy who happens to be a phenomenal guitarist, song writer, poet. During our conversation I mentioned kd lang covering One Day I Walk on her album and Bruce told the story about when they were both doing a radio program recently and sang that as a duet. kd asked him later about the verses in the song, "One day I walk in flowers, One day I walk on stones, Today I walk in hours, One day I shall be home." Apparently she didn't get it. Interesting she was unable to perceive the context. Nevertheless, I would have loved to hear them sing together. |
| jktravl (Virginia) | Posted: Aug 30, 2011 - 17:09 I wish I could rewind RP like a DVR on direct TV so I could listen to it again. good stuff |
| TwinEngine | Posted: Apr 30, 2011 - 16:08 Cynaera wrote:  Very well-articulated, TwinEngine. <...>Thanks Cynaera. I must say, you are everywhere! I appreciate your replies to all three of the song comments I've left in the last few months.  |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: Apr 26, 2011 - 16:56 TwinEngine wrote: As I understand Cockburn's musical and life progression, he was interested in "Christian mysticism" when this album came out in 1979. The sensibility of Cockburn in some of these songs is a place I'd like to be, and to me the feeling has much in common with the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, a "German Romantic" of the early 1800s who was also very much concerned with religious themes. On my Wikipedia user page (screw the "encyclopedia" :-) I recently put together some lyrical snippets from each song on this album with Friedrich paintings that evoke similar images. For the one person that finds this interesting, here's a link to it. This album rewards repeated listenings, but then that's true of every Cockburn album. You have to put work into his music, and many of us aren't so familiar with that (myself included). Very well-articulated, TwinEngine. I especially love the selection of images you used to accompany Cockburn's lyrics. The first album I ever bought by him was "Stealing Fire." I've never looked back since then - it's been quite a journey into the world of Bruce Cockburn's music, and well-worth every minute of it. |
| LPCity (Salt Lake City, Utah) | Posted: Apr 26, 2011 - 16:54 skyguy wrote: This always reminds me of ski bumming in Aspen 1981-82 one of the few tapes we had. We would sit outside or shack in Woody Creek in front of the fire tripping on shrooms and cranking this up. Right on the edge of a trailer park! Ahhh the 80's  There were a few of us doing the same thing in Sun Valley Idaho about the same time. Good Times! |
| TwinEngine | Posted: Mar 03, 2011 - 10:01 As I understand Cockburn's musical and life progression, he was interested in "Christian mysticism" when this album came out in 1979. The sensibility of Cockburn in some of these songs is a place I'd like to be, and to me the feeling has much in common with the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, a "German Romantic" of the early 1800s who was also very much concerned with religious themes. On my Wikipedia user page (screw the "encyclopedia" :-) I recently put together some lyrical snippets from each song on this album with Friedrich paintings that evoke similar images. For the one person that finds this interesting, here's a link to it. This album rewards repeated listenings, but then that's true of every Cockburn album. You have to put work into his music, and many of us aren't so familiar with that (myself included). |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: Jan 06, 2011 - 16:51 laroue wrote: Centred on silence Counting on nothing I saw you standing on the sea And everything was Dark except for Sparks the wind struck from your hair Sparks that turned to Wings around you Angel voices mixed with seabird cries Fields of motion Surging outward Questions that contain their own replies... You were dancing I saw you dancing Throwing your arms toward the sky Fingers opening Like flares Stars were shooting everywhere Lines of power Bursting outward Along the channels of your song Mercury waves flashed Under your feet Shots of silver in the shell-pink dawn... Oh, geez... Thank you, laroue. I love this song, but I never gave it much thought until tonight, when I'm in the middle of a very horrible emotional conflict. Trust Bruce Cockburn to provide the most beautiful images. And to chase this with "Dreamland" by Joni Mitchell... I fear the images and magic might do me in for the night... |
| Rooney (Near Paradise) | Posted: Nov 04, 2010 - 11:50 laroue wrote: Centred on silence Counting on nothing I saw you standing on the sea And everything was Dark except for Sparks the wind struck from your hair Sparks that turned to Wings around you Angel voices mixed with seabird cries Fields of motion Surging outward Questions that contain their own replies... You were dancing I saw you dancing Throwing your arms toward the sky Fingers opening Like flares Stars were shooting everywhere Lines of power Bursting outward Along the channels of your song Mercury waves flashed Under your feet Shots of silver in the shell-pink dawn... I once knew and loved a woman who was like this song.  |
| MayBaby (Savannah, Georgia) | Posted: Sep 17, 2010 - 22:02 This is one of my goto songs for daydreaming. I love it! Such visual lyrics! |
| martinc (Ottawa Canada) | Posted: Sep 01, 2010 - 18:39 westslope wrote: martinc, For historical perspective, Bruce was once booed off the stage at Le Hibou. That was the local coffee shop I was referring to. I saw him at the Bottom Line in NYC. We ended up at a table by the stage. By then I was use to seeing him in much larger venues. I said to him - this is like Le Hibou. Caught his attention, I thought it was because I was from Ottawa, maybe he was worried I had brought the boo birds;-). It was another great show.. he was touring with Colin Linden in the band then |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: Sep 01, 2010 - 18:32 I don't have a memory attached to this song - I just know I love it.  |
| On_The_Beach (Vancouver BC, Bud) | Posted: Jul 15, 2010 - 23:21 One of my fave Bruce albums. Beautifully produced, too; sounds great on good headphones. |
| skyguy (CO) | Posted: Apr 11, 2010 - 13:23 This always reminds me of ski bumming in Aspen 1981-82 one of the few tapes we had. We would sit outside or shack in Woody Creek in front of the fire tripping on shrooms and cranking this up. Right on the edge of a trailer park! Ahhh the 80's |
| Yellowstone40 (Yellowstone National Park) | Posted: Jan 06, 2010 - 23:38 Played in Bozeman Montana a few years back ... One of the best shows I have ever seen ! |
| Quixmundi (on the banks of Eagle Creek - Zionsville, Indiana) | Posted: Nov 20, 2009 - 21:39 Nice early track from Bruce. His current CDs show off his maturity in guitar playing and arrangements. Like the Tragically Hip, still another Canadian musician who's not gotten the attention in the US they deserve. Why, if I had a rocket launcher... |
| Shaker (Canada) | Posted: Nov 05, 2009 - 05:42 Love Bruce! |
| westslope (BC coast) | Posted: Nov 05, 2009 - 05:40 martinc, For historical perspective, Bruce was once booed off the stage at Le Hibou. |
| countyman (09 Stanley Cup Champs and Sixburgh) | Posted: Aug 02, 2009 - 15:42 martinc wrote: Anyone who plays Bruce Cockburn appreciates music. Bruce was born here in Ottawa and lived here for much of his early days. When I was 16 I snuck into a local coffee house to watch him play. He was good then and then his musicianship flourished and his poetry evolved to try to capture the human condition. I have lost track of the number of times I have seen his show whether solo or with his bands. I am glad his is still getting "airplay" somewhere and alternative venues like RP still let others hear his stuff. Explore his discography I don't think you will be disappointed. But you know I am Canadian, eh. He played one of the last shows at a place named Rosebud here in Pittsburgh. Great show. A friend who lives here now, originally from Oshawa, turned me on to him. |
| shemp (orange, california) | Posted: Jul 17, 2009 - 19:07 Great song! Long time since I played this record. Must dust it off. |
| macadavy (Cascadia's attic, eh?) | Posted: Jul 01, 2009 - 22:00 martinc wrote: Anyone who plays Bruce Cockburn appreciates music. Bruce was born here in Ottawa and lived here for much of his early days. When I was 16 I snuck into a local coffee house to watch him play. He was good then and then his musicianship flourished and his poetry evolved to try to capture the human condition. I have lost track of the number of times I have seen his show whether solo or with his bands. I am glad his is still getting "airplay" somewhere and alternative venues like RP still let others hear his stuff. Explore his discography I don't think you will be disappointed. But you know I am Canadian, eh. No apology required, ok? (You lucky dog!) |
| jagdriver (Tunin' in from the aptly-named Grass Valley, CA) | Posted: Apr 29, 2009 - 11:29 Welly wrote: Bruce! (The Canadian one)  |
| Welly (Vangroovy) | Posted: Apr 29, 2009 - 10:05 Bruce! (The Canadian one) |
| lmic (Narrow Minded Couch Potato) | Posted: Apr 13, 2009 - 14:36 The staccato quality of the lyrics - providing amazing counterpoint to the gliding, masterful guitar! I love Bruce!!!  |
| laroue (in the mind of the novel) | Posted: Mar 28, 2009 - 21:24 I never tire of this tune...thanks :D  |