BRUCE COCKBURN WITH A TWIST
-- A Top Ten list of Bruce Cockburn lyric misinterpretations --

Index



Brad MacClure writes:

My big bad one [misinterpretation] is the line from "All's Quiet in the Inner City Front", "there's a dull glisten where the tables wet". I had no lyrics for that album for a while and thought it said, "there's a dog pissing where the table's wet."

Here's a a top ten list of the all time misinterpretations of Cockburn lyrics:

10. "Pine trees still glow longer when you spray" (actually, "Dying trees still grow greener when you pray," from the song, "All The Diamonds")

9. "Me and all these other types, bouncing around in the car" (actually, "Me and all these other dice bouncing around in the cup, from the song, "Tokyo")

8. "The host is Adam Ant" (actually, "The ghost of Anna Mae," from the song, "Stolen Land")

7. "Trying to put the angel in a sling" (actually, "Trying to set the angel in us free", from the song, "Waiting For a Miracle")

6. "This hair white lice" (actually, "This hair like lace," from the song, "Lovers In A Dangerous Time")

5. "Jesus, my foot likes the hurting cream" (actually, "Teases my foot like a haunting dream," from the song, "Never So Free")

4. "A laugh for the son's dad calling to the herbal virgin's gaze" (actually, "A laugh for the sun redballing through the thermal inversion haze," from the song, "Laughter")

3. "Haters of the Nile looking at the service of the jail" (actually, "Frieghters on the nod on the surface of the bay," from the song, "Wondering Where The Lions Are")

2. "Grey suited businessmen pissing against a wall" (Ooops, that one's actually true! From the song, "Tokyo")

And the number one misinterpretation of Cockburn lyrics is ... DRUM ROLL PLEASE ...

1. "Who put the bullshit pile in Peggy's pitchin' stall" (actually, "Who put that bullet hole in Peggy's kitchen wall?" from the song, "Peggy's Kitchen Wall")




Index

This page is part of The Cockburn Project, a unique website that exists to document the work of Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Bruce Cockburn. The Project archives self-commentary by Cockburn on his songs and music, and supplements this core part of the website with news, tour dates, and other current information.