ISSUES:
-- Political Issues: Politicians --

Issues Index


Introduction:

This page archives comments by Bruce Cockburn on Canada's political life.


  • March 1987 - Commenting on People See Through You

    People See Through You" is aimed straight at Ronald Reagan, an uncharacteristic move for Cockburn.

    "The idea came from meetings with people in the Sanctuary movement, and hearing about the FBI breaking into their churches, " he says. "They'd go in and break into files and leave the ones pertaining to Sanctuary people on the desk. It's what Reagan says the `evil empire' is doing, yet it's exactly what his own people are doing. Plus there's the almost amusing contrast between the incredible power of these covert agencies, and the use of that power to break into places any idiot could get into, and just throw paper around. That had to be a song."
    -- from "Bruce Cockburn - A Voice Singing in the Wilderness" By Steve Perry, Musician Magazine, March 1987.


  • Circa 1991 - Bruce Cockburn on Bill Clinton

    MC: What do you think of President Clinton, are things getting better?

    BC: Well. I don't think things are getting better [laughs]. I think there's a lot of the same old stuff going on and maybe a few added twists that aren't so positive. Maybe they're things that anyone in his position would be doing with the exception of specifically democratic policies like health care. In terms of how the country is being run and what kind of subtle decisions are being made, the business is bad. The government is addressing itself to communications and electronic surveillance and you're not hearing much in the news, but to me it has quite sinister implications. Though it's not being talked about in those terms, they're starting a system where they'd be able to monitor... everything. That's not really good [laughs].
    -- from "Bruce Cockburn: The Soul of a Man," by Michael Case, Umbrella Magazine, circa 1991.


  • 16 October 2000 - Commenting on politics and the song Let The Bad Air Out

    "This song was inspired by the goings on in Canadian politics, but you may find something in it as the elections are going on here for you [Presidential elections 2000]..."
    -- from the Institute for Policy Studies', 24th Annual Letelier-Moffitt Human Rights Awards, 16 October, 2000. Transcribed by Ruth White.


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    Issues 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.