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Bruce Cockburn — Closer to the Light
Album: Dart To The Heart
Avg rating:
7.4

Your rating:
Total ratings: 663









Released: 1994
Length: 4:01
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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
Suddenly you're out of here

Gone from mystery into mystery
Gone from daylight into night
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 cry
Still I begged to get you back again

Gone from mystery into mystery
Gone from daylight into night
Another step deeper into darkness
Closer to the light
Comments (60)add comment
This song always, always makes me cry. I do so love it. 
Is there trouble in Paradise today? The run of sad songs -- songs of loss & separation -- have been proliferating for the past few hours. Hope everything's ok, or that it'll get better soon. 
 tucorides wrote:

That's our (Canada's) Bruce... sometimes just these gentle ones that mean so much. I'd say this is a pretty Deep Cut as well ...  not sure I've heard this song anywhere else except when I play this CD on the kitchen stereo.



I thought this was Gordon Lightfoot 
 tucorides wrote:

That's our (Canada's) Bruce... sometimes just these gentle ones that mean so much. I'd say this is a pretty Deep Cut as well ...  not sure I've heard this song anywhere else except when I play this CD on the kitchen stereo.


First time I've heard this cut, and it's a straight 8 for me, he does the "gentle" tunes really well.  LLRP!!
 sharkey wrote:


What is a tab sheet?



https://www.8notes.com/guitar_...
wow - pure magic - brilliant
That's our (Canada's) Bruce... sometimes just these gentle ones that mean so much. I'd say this is a pretty Deep Cut as well ...  not sure I've heard this song anywhere else except when I play this CD on the kitchen stereo.
 talabao wrote:

lovely song, I just discover Bruce Cockburn with pleasure.

would anyone have the tab sheet  of this one? thx




What is a tab sheet?
Bruce wrote this as a tribute to Mark Heard - an obscure but amazing musician and song writer.
I miss you all so much.
 Cynaera wrote:
I really love this song. It always make me (and others, I've noticed from the comments) remember lost loved ones.  Beautiful, poignant lyrics. {#Sunny}
  

 
pianocomposer wrote:

Goodbye Grandpa Sandy. Goodbye Jim Dove. Miss you, Glen. You too, Bruce. 
 
Goodbye to Cynaera as well. Glad she got to hear this first.
 pinem wrote:
Amazing contrast with some listeners. Cockburn is one of the best kept secrets in music, and much better than Lightfoot IMO.
 
Agreed

lovely song, I just discover Bruce Cockburn with pleasure.

would anyone have the tab sheet  of this one? thx


 peter_james_bond wrote:

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
Suddenly you're out of here

 (CHORUS:)
Gone from mystery into mystery
Gone from daylight into night
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 cry
Still I begged to get you back again
  Never heard this before. Found the lyrics while the song was still playing, and then cried like a baby. Shit! Just too much death has crossed my path over the last few years. Thanks Bruce, and Peter James Bond. I needed that.


This song always breaks my heart ...


 Cynaera wrote:
I really love this song. It always make me (and others, I've noticed from the comments) remember lost loved ones.  Beautiful, poignant lyrics. {#Sunny}
 
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
Suddenly you're out of here

 (CHORUS:)
Gone from mystery into mystery
Gone from daylight into night
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 cry
Still I begged to get you back again

 Cynaera wrote:
I really love this song. It always make me (and others, I've noticed from the comments) remember lost loved ones.  Beautiful, poignant lyrics. {#Sunny}
 
Goodbye Grandpa Sandy. Goodbye Jim Dove. Miss you, Glen. You too, Bruce. 
I miss you so much, Victoria Jo.


 6-Jags wrote:
And today it brings up thoughts of the people of japan who have lost so many loved ones.
 
Exactly.  {#Idea}
And today it brings up thoughts of the people of japan who have lost so many loved ones.
My goodness Bill... I hope you have not experienced a loss today.  These two songs in a row are on my list of the saddest (but poingant) songs of all times.   Guess right now we have a universal loss....bless the folks in Japan
Several songs this afternoon that make me think of and miss my very dearest friend, Debbie.  I long to learn there is an afterlife so I may see her again someday.
Timely today.
RIP Danny.

I really love this song. It always make me (and others, I've noticed from the comments) remember lost loved ones.  Beautiful, poignant lyrics. {#Sunny}
 rjewyo wrote:
A Gordon Lightfoot prodigy?  Very nice....{#Yes}
 
more like contemporary

A Gordon Lightfoot prodigy?  Very nice....{#Yes}
 jkoopman wrote:
makes me cry almost every time I hear it . . . in a good way
 
Me too.

Like most of you, this old favorite gives me pause to remember those who have passed. pax vobiscum.

death's no stranger....no stranger than the life I've seen..........amazing lyrics
makes me cry almost every time I hear it . . . in a good way
Right up there with Patti's Goodbye
 stewliscious wrote:
Yes Bruce, your cock burns if you put it closer to the light.
 
You must have stayed up all night thinking that one up.
good timing, goodbye David, Michael and Farrah
Amazing contrast with some listeners. Cockburn is one of the best kept secrets in music, and much better than Lightfoot IMO.
Must admit - Cockburn songs all start at 7 and only go up for me.  Oops - my bias is showing.
Yes Bruce, your cock burns if you put it closer to the light.
Gordon Lightfoot or simply English-Canadian folk-rock?
Definite G. Lightfoot vibe going on.

Nice follow-up from George Harrison's My Sweet Lord

Hadn't heard this Cockburn song.  Decent.



I have revisited this CD because of BillG, and it's really excellent. And this song just makes me
sainzfan wrote:
Sounds a lot like Gordon Lightfoot (which isn't at all bad) I like it.
...was just thinking the very same thing....
His voice sounds sooooo good on this track. Very soothing.
The guitar work is so crisp. The song just mellows me out. Very nice listen.
Reminds me of the new album by Bruce Springsteen, title track.
Bruce notches another one.
Wonderful playing and vocals. Nice comparison to the other Bruce!
Sounds a lot like Gordon Lightfoot (which isn't at all bad) I like it.
i believe this was a song dedicated to his friend and fellow musician Mark Heard...
Tops!
Why this one? For me, this is just one song of nearly 40 years worth of brilliant music-making from BC. ChardRemains wrote:
might be the first Cockburn song I've ever liked.
"You can take the wisdom of this world and give it to the ones who think it all ends here" -- BC 1980 Really fine tune, I have that album and apparently haven't played it enough recently! Now I have two songs I need to force my wife to play at my funeral, that one and "The Gift" off "Big Circumstance".
ProfessorFrink wrote:
This song is decent, but "If I Had A Rocket Launcher" is better. <"If I had a rocket launcher ... some son of a bitch would die." Who couldn't relate to that?>
That would be Bill and Rebecca who rejected my upload of the acoustic version years ago because they don't care for the lyrics
ChardRemains wrote:
might be the first Cockburn song I've ever liked.
This song is decent, but "If I Had A Rocket Launcher" is better. <"If I had a rocket launcher ... some son of a bitch would die." Who couldn't relate to that?>
might be the first Cockburn song I've ever liked.
pushkinjim wrote:
Love this song! Good album too.
me too!
Love this song! Good album too.
Xeric wrote:
Beautiful song. Gone from mystery into mystery Gone from daylight into night Another step deeper Into darkness Closer to the light I want it played at my funeral.
That's what I was thinking too... Most beautiful lyrics out of Cockburn's extensive repertoire IMHO. Another gem of his in the "melancholic" genre is "Festival of Friends" about some people he knew who lost a baby to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Beautiful song. Gone from mystery into mystery Gone from daylight into night Another step deeper Into darkness Closer to the light I want it played at my funeral.
maybe the bow will backfire..
BORING SONG.