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Bruce Cockburn — Wondering Where the Lions Are
Album: Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws
Avg rating:
7.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 2624









Released: 1979
Length: 3:34
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Sun's up, uuh huh, looks okay
The world survives into another day
And I'm thinking about eternity
Some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me

I had another dream about lions at the door
They weren't half as frightening as they were before
But I'm thinking about eternity
Some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me

Walls, windows, trees, waves coming though
You be in me and I'll be in you
Together in eternity
Some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me

Up among the firs where it smells so sweet
Or down in the valley where the river used to be
I got my mind on eternity
Some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me

And I'm wondering where the lions are...
I'm wondering where the lions are...

Huge orange flying boat rises off a lake
Thousand-year-old petroglyphs doing a double take,
Pointing a finger at eternity
I'm sitting in the middle of this ecstasy

Young men marching, helmets shining in the sun
Polished and precise like the brain behind the gun
(should be) They got me thinking about eternity
But some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me

And I'm wondering where the lions are...
I'm wondering where the lions are...

Freighters on the nod on the surface of the bay
One of these days we're going to sail away
Going to sail into eternity
Some kind of ecstasy got a hold on me

And I'm wondering where the lions are...
I'm wondering where the lions are...
Comments (223)add comment
I had and used the chance to sing the refrain of the song with the audience and of course with Bruce in the Gutmanns Nuremberg. A great evening some years ago.
childlike and sweet....   not for me but I'm sure there are those who really dig it.
I know where the lions went.The're in Brisbane. They are called The Brisbane Lions.They were in Fitzroy, a suburb of Melbourne, but they moved years ago.
Tiger King will tell you. Àpali!
Released the year I graduated high school. I have savoured over the years and become more and more appreciative of Cockburn’s craft and artistry. Thank you.
Ah, the ears perked right up immediately...
More Bruce Cockburn please, but yes more of High Winds, White Sky. 
Saw him last night at a 600 seat (more or less) club. He's still got it. Guitar, dulcimer, voice. But it's the one liners he comes up with that still blow me away. "You gotta kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight" stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it all those decades ago. Then last night. A new one for my ears. "Some people never see the light, 'till it shines through bullet holes". Still sounds about right for this day and age. Carry on Bruce.
One of my all-time favorite songs. Transcendent. Mr. Cockburn was channeling something when he wrote this!
 jayhamiljr wrote:


I'm not sure it's a contest. I'd rather have both!


Ouch.
"Wandering where the lions are" fits.
 garyalex wrote:

Well, I can tell you where the Lions aren't - any Super Bowl.  Unless they bought tickets.


Ouch. 
Here's to hoping their new head coach, Dan Campbell, can get them headed into a more winning direction.
Who but Bruce: "You be in me and I'll be in you, together in eternity".

10

Love the aboriginal drum style, the cymbal on the upbeat.
 notfadeaway wrote:

Nice guitar work on this!  Cockburn is a great guitarist 



I don't think I really appreciated what a great guitarist he was until I saw him perform a solo concert. Then I realized that all those sounds were just him playing live. I was truly impressed.
Well, I can tell you where the Lions aren't - any Super Bowl.  Unless they bought tickets.
 OhCanada67 wrote:
All good except one... "purpose"   :)

mattenuttall
 wrote:

I think this is one of his stronger songs, just for the dream-mood uplift it delivers. But, I strongly agree that this guy has song writing and guitar playing that the world has failed to fully appreciate. Maybe it's his titles? "How I Spent My Fall Vacation" is my favourite Bruce Cockburn song, but I don't think that title is doing him any favours. (Canadian spellings on purpouse!)
 
 
Look after the king of R n R please 
All good except one... "purpose"   :)

mattenuttall
 wrote:

I think this is one of his stronger songs, just for the dream-mood uplift it delivers. But, I strongly agree that this guy has song writing and guitar playing that the world has failed to fully appreciate. Maybe it's his titles? "How I Spent My Fall Vacation" is my favourite Bruce Cockburn song, but I don't think that title is doing him any favours. (Canadian spellings on purpouse!)
 
 notfadeaway wrote:
Nice guitar work on this!  Cockburn is a great guitarist 
 

I never truly appreciated how good he was until I saw him doing a live solo concert. Then it blew me away that he could calmly make that many notes happen at once.
so nice and mellow :) 
 NelsonBlack wrote:
One of his weaker songs: I give it a "9." - Especially live, now that he's willing to play it live, 34 albums into his career.

Would love to see RP really dig into this man's oeuvre
 
I think this is one of his stronger songs, just for the dream-mood uplift it delivers. But, I strongly agree that this guy has song writing and guitar playing that the world has failed to fully appreciate. Maybe it's his titles? "How I Spent My Fall Vacation" is my favourite Bruce Cockburn song, but I don't think that title is doing him any favours. (Canadian spellings on purpouse!)
 Webfoot wrote:


Life is not fair. At least we can hear Bruce on RP!

Not my favorite though. 6
 

Following "Buckets of Rain" - I can see the thinking; that guitar sound is so similar.
One of his weaker songs: I give it a "9." - Especially live, now that he's willing to play it live, 34 albums into his career.

Would love to see RP really dig into this man's oeuvre
 nutrod42 wrote:

Please. Paul Simon in his prime (S&G days) was light years beyond Cockburn in songwriting ability. Paul Simon's recent stuff could certainly rival this for blandness, though.
 

I'm not sure it's a contest. I'd rather have both!
Wondering Where The Lions Are &  Pacing the Cage are two of his best. I've seen him in L.A., Atlanta, Berlin & Manchester, UK and any time he comes through wherever I am I will make it a point to go hear him. One of the best ones. 
1979 

My apparently much less than cool uncle surprised me that xmas by giving me this album. I had never heard of Bruce Cockburn but the album -- and this song especially -- grew on me.

I had to re-evaluate my uncle. He did have hidden depths of coolness that I came to appreciate over the years :)
Beautiful. I love it that you play Bruce so much. He always reminds me of my great times in Toronto. Met him one time. I was the waiter. He ordered something. Or his daughter did.
Musical antidote to today's outrage culture.
 onerb wrote:
Canada - Bruce and a superior public healthcare system. It hardly seems fair!
 

Life is not fair. At least we can hear Bruce on RP!

Not my favorite though. 6
I just love this one.
 TerryS wrote:
A song Paul Simon wishes he could write.

 
Please. Paul Simon in his prime (S&G days) was light years beyond Cockburn in songwriting ability. Paul Simon's recent stuff could certainly rival this for blandness, though.
Truly great song! Thanks RP!
The production on this sounds fantastic - hard to believe it's from 1979. 
Christian mystics can really belt out the tunes!
After last night's game, they're in a bad place. 
Dang, I've been in the mood for some Bruce lately.  Thanks for reading my mind :)
Just saw him perform this solo (The Narrows Center, Fall River, MA; April 2018).  He pulled this off quite nicely, even without the additional instrumentation.
Gosh I love this song. It always fills me with....cheer.
 unclehud wrote:
Detroit.  Detroit is where the Lions are.

 
Training camp in Allen Park, to be specific. 
 haresfur wrote: 
How interesting.
Detroit.  Detroit is where the Lions are.
My homeboy Bruce from Ottawa sure is a mean picker. He was always the best of us all.
Right here
 {#Cheesygrin}Far wrote:

State or Federal ?  :)

 


 jimtyrrell wrote:
I just blew a speaker!
 
State or Federal ?  :)
Hopefully the lions are hiding from American dentists with guns.
Nice to hear this song after so many years. Cockburn is a great songwriter.
 thatch wrote:

The cover art is by Norval Morriseau.

 
Fascinating artist. Thank you.
Smiling and dancing my wife is laughing!{#Bananasplit}
Click here for the Lions.
 Cynaera wrote:

What a wonderful story, Jeff09 - thank you.  Reading it, listening to this song - you're right.  A perfect fit. {#Cheers}

 
Thank you, Cynaera.  Missing your presence here.
 TerryS wrote:
A song Paul Simon wishes he could write.

 
Or at least had the chance to steal.
 pcc wrote:
..try the jungle

 
Mounted and hanging on the wall of a dentist's waiting room
A song Paul Simon wishes he could write.
..try the jungle
 jimtyrrell wrote:
I just blew a speaker!
 
Great production on this album, and the bass is particularly punchy!
Just just a beautiful song!
 
I just blew a speaker!
 airtejas wrote:
...yes I'm thinking about eternity.

 
The universe imploded...oh, well, no matter.
 airtejas wrote:
...yes I'm thinking about eternity.

 
Yeah, I wouldn't dwell on it. 
 fredriley wrote:
This is the very definition of 'twee', making Belle & Sebastian look like Napalm Death.

 
And Fred knows twee, folks: 

Pink pastel bedroom COVERED with Hello Kitty decor 

ナむティナむト、ミスタヌ蚀語の男 
...yes I'm thinking about eternity.
They're BEHIND YOU!
This is the very definition of 'twee', making Belle & Sebastian look like Napalm Death.
I'm a huge Cockburn fan. Please digg into his catalogue for more of his great songs. Maybe "The Charity of Night"
Thanks for the excellent and diverse mix on PR
David
{#Clap}     {#Daisy}    {#Cheers}
{#Wave}.... a very worthy 9
yeah {#Sunny}

garyalex wrote:
Sounds like a sunny day.  I like it.

 


Sounds like a sunny day.  I like it.
Now that's why we love RP.  Haven't heard this for years.  I'll hear it a lot more now I've bought it!{#Motor}
Nice guitar work on this!  Cockburn is a great guitarist 
Can't stand it - PSD.
Reminds me of driving with my ex after she'd partied too hard and then insist on driving... and I'd be wondering where the lines are. 
I love they way you can make the first two lines of this song "Sun's Up, Mmmm, Mmmm" as silly as you want and it's good no matter what direction you want to sing along ;-)
This is a great song.  Light and flippy 'bout eternity and life's lions.  Crusin' in ecstasy but just casually thinking about when the pitfall may lie.  Not so quite a direct dour fatalistic China Woman approach.
 Rockit wrote:

 

Stop wondering...they are here! 

 
We are here
 Rockit wrote:

 

Stop wondering...they are here! 

 


"They stamp them when they're small."
First saw this guy in Mariposa in '67, that's 1967 just in case.......he's not done yet.
 Tennisgirl wrote:
A
 
martinc wrote:
Bruce is a national treasure. Only special place give him the air play he deserves. Tip my hat again to RP.
 

All the Canadian stations have given him—and esp. this song—  lots of airplay, probably due to the Cdn content reqmts....I've unfortuantely grown quite tired of this song as a result.
 
True this is the one song of his that does airplay but, given his repertoire, few give his music the airplay RP does. At one of the shows I was at Bruce said he was going to play this song but it's one he almost begrudges writing as the song the defines him for many folks and he was sort of bored with it. He went on to play it and halfway through broke into a neat improvised instrumental break that made me happy he played it. 
 
A
 
martinc wrote:
Bruce is a national treasure. Only special place give him the air play he deserves. Tip my hat again to RP.
 

All the Canadian stations have given him—and esp. this song—  lots of airplay, probably due to the Cdn content reqmts....I've unfortuantely grown quite tired of this song as a result.
 skyguy wrote:

Winter 1981/82 ski bumming in Aspen with "visual enhancements" this was the sound track. Always takes me back.Wore that tape out. Right behind the Woody Creek Tavern.{#Devil_pimp}
 
I can relate
Yup. Probably his biggest hit ever.  Hit #21 on the top 100 in the USA in June 1980.  He followed with an appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live.
 
sweet 
made my day
thinking about ecstacy 
The man can play a mean 12 string.

Just don't give him a rocket launcher...

But he does have a cool last name....
I wonder if this is his largest selling record of all time?
This post apparently contained an image that was dragged into the post editor. Sorry, but any text contained in the post after this point has been lost.
Bruce is a national treasure. Only special place give him the air play he deserves. Tip my hat again to RP.
Pretty much timeless !


 shakylegs wrote:
A 10, just for the flashback.
 
I'm right there with you... {#Cheers}

Winter 1981/82 ski bumming in Aspen with "visual enhancements" this was the sound track. Always takes me back.Wore that tape out. Right behind the Woody Creek Tavern.{#Devil_pimp}
 Tagish_girl wrote:

Love the cover art.  Extremely cool. 
Bruce is godlike, too.

 
The cover art is by Norval Morriseau.
the lions are in the jungle, the mighty jungle, sleeping tonight.
A 10, just for the flashback.
This tune landed at the perfect moment in the day . . . gotta hold on me . . .

Love the cover art.  Extremely cool. 
Bruce is godlike, too.


A perfect song! I never tire of it.
Nice to hear this one again.
 oldviolin wrote:

Ooh ooh I know I know! *raises hand*


  Detroit?


Sweet and happy tune.  Any fans of "The Samples" out there?  Same lovable vibe.
 Jeff09 wrote:
Driving west on a rural highway in north central Florida in a late 70s summer, with the woman I probably should have married, looking for an old windmill for the city's nature center/1880s farm  This song comes on the truck's radio as we turn onto a dirt road that takes us to an abandoned farmstead with a log barn, owls, lots of weeds and still working windmill  We smile in amazement at the perfect fit of us, the place, the day, the music, the moment.      

 
What a wonderful story, Jeff09 - thank you.  Reading it, listening to this song - you're right.  A perfect fit. {#Cheers}
So was Zanesville!!! {#Foot-in-mouth}
Now there's a happy little tune!  {#Roflol}
Another great tune from the Dragon's Jaws. I would love to hear "Hills of Morning" as well - great guitar work, harmonies, and awesome band backing Bruce up.
go bruce  {#Jump} {#Jump}
Someone is getting their Cockburn on, two from the same album in one day.
 oldviolin wrote:

Ooh ooh I know I know! *raises hand*

 
Sigh. . . OK, young violin. . . let the class know where they are. . . 


Ok, this is a no-brainer; a straight 10!. Just plain beautiful. Please, play more Bruce Cockburn for us Bill...
 
In my office working on a Sunday and listening to RP - Bill is spot-on with his selections today - makes working on a Sunday a whole lot easier.

Ooh ooh I know I know! *raises hand*


This song managed to reproduce the most interminable refrain since record players went out of style.
It's a sunny, spring-like day here...this song fits perfectly. :-)
Driving west on a rural highway in north central Florida in a late 70s summer, with the woman I probably should have married, looking for an old windmill for the city's nature center/1880s farm  This song comes on the truck's radio as we turn onto a dirt road that takes us to an abandoned farmstead with a log barn, owls, lots of weeds and still working windmill  We smile in amazement at the perfect fit of us, the place, the day, the music, the moment.      

Wouldn't mind if you took this out of the rotation - somewhere between 1 & 2 in my book.
Long time ago that we have heard this song. Bruce is a great songwriter. Pls play more Bruce C.!!
I love Bruce Cockburn's music.  This song just makes me do the chair-dance... So much good music from him, and thanks to RP for playing it! {#Sunny}
The LION's are in the RP Forum!
 On_The_Beach wrote:
Nope, he wasn't there.
He would have been a big improvement over the lame lineup they had at the closing ceremonies.
Nickelback? Really?
 
Aw come on, Anne Murray is hot.

"Some kind of ecstasy's got a hold on me."
I wish I had more days like that.