Rumours of Glory: A Memoir

by Bruce Cockburn

Award-winning songwriter and pioneering guitarist Bruce Cockburn has been shaped by politics, protest, romance and spiritual discovery. He has toured the globe, visiting far-flung places such as Guatemala, Mali, Mozambique, Afghanistan and Nepal, performing and speaking out on important issues, from native rights and land mines to the environment and Third World debt. His journeys have been reflected in his music and evolving folk, jazz, blues, rock and world beat. Drawing from his experiences, he continues to create memorable songs about his ever-expanding universe of wonders.

As an artist with thirty-one albums, Cockburn has won numerous awards and the devotion of legions of fans across Canada and around the world. Yet the man himself has remained a mystery. In this memoir, Cockburn invites us into his private world and takes us on a lively cultural and musical tour through the late twentieth century, sharing his Christian convictions, his personal relationships and the social and political activism that has defined him and has both invigorated and incited his fans.

Genres: Biography, Music, Memoir, Nonfiction, Canada, Autobiography, Biography Memoir

551 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 29, 2011

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Cockburn tell us right up front in his 2014 memoir not to expect rock star excess in the pages to come. I think we knew that, just as we figured we could count on a beautifully written account of his life from the Canadian musician who is one of the planet's greatest writers of lyrics. We sure as hell get that.

Rumours of Glory is compelling, thought-provoking and very good — nearly great — and while there are no cocaine parties or dangling of babies from hotel balconies, it's quite an interesting life; we do get Cockburn being threatened with castration and robbed by police in Mozambique, a dangerous tour in an extremely volatile late-'70s Italy, and dicey situations in far-flung countries as Cockburn puts himself in harm's way for the greater good and, eventually, for his art. Cockburn's art is his life, and this book is an expansion of the songs from this man who has, as he says, " ... an organic and almost biological urge to produce art from the life around me."

Cockburn's memoir naturally reflects his songwriting in its subject matter. In his more than 50-year recording career, Cockburn's songs ("If I Had a Rocket Launcher" and "Wondering Where the Lions Are" probably his best-known) have followed spiritual quests, glorified the Earth's beauty or bemoaned its rape, served as gritty and poetic travelogues of Third World and other countries, shined a light on global/political issues. In the book, he points out injustice, takes shots at the planet's cruel and brutal, and reflects on his "Christian" period and how his spiritual beliefs evolved a bit over the years. The memoir really picks up in the 1980s — again, as did his music — as our man travels to war zones and other trouble spots around the globe, bearing witness to events dire and lovely in Nicaragua and Chile and Honduras, in Mexico with Guatemalan refugees (inspiring "Rocket Launcher") and in East Germany and Nepal.

Interspersed in the 530-page book are lyrics — often complete — to more than 90 of his songs. Might seem like overkill, but the lyrics illuminate his life beautifully, and reading them like poetry in the context of what's happening in his life at the time works to give us a full picture of Cockburn's life and talents. As Cockburn wrote in the song "Maybe the Poet": "Pay attention to the poet; you need him and you know it. ... Shoot him up with lead, you won't call back what's been said."

Cockburn's personal and global politics are all over this memoir. This is the man who wrote a song about U.S. President Ronald Reagan called "People See Through You." In the book, Cockburn calls Reagan "an international gunslinger wearing a bandolier of crack vials, taking territory and scalps, trading in chemical and biological weapons."

Love of music, love of people; Cockburn chronicles his personal life, too. He is frank in touching on a few failed romantic relationships — failed in the sense that they ended, but Cockburn really doesn't seem to regret much of anything — and his emotional distance and reticence that he took a long time in growing out of ("I carried my alienation wherever I went."). He chronicles his performing and recording, his political stances and spiritual quests. The latter is laid on a bit thick late in the book as the author starts to drift a little away from music.

Cockburn reflects on being one of the first artists slapped with a parental advisory on an album cover because of his use of "flying fuck" on his anti-International Monetary Fund song "Call it Democracy," which leads off possibly his most overt stab at mainstream success, the album World of Wonders. Who else would open with a song about the IMF on even a tentative grab for the brass ring?

My problems with the book amount to mere quibbles. Cockburn describes an encounter in Stockholm in which he's walking on a bridge on a lonely night and has a very creepy and dangerous encounter with a man in a car. The scene would be related many years later in song, but Cockburn doesn't tell us how he got out of the situation (in book or song) other than to say that no shots were fired (the song suggests the walker — Cockburn in real life — had a gun, though the book doesn't mention it). What? This is your memoir. Why wouldn't you give the story a conclusion? Cockburn isn't afraid to get gritty or face his faults in the book, so why be cryptic here?

Also, Cockburn doesn't address the pronunciation of his name at all. Forgive me for going all junior high here, but there must have been a time or three when Cockburn (pronounced "Coburn") got some grief or jokes for the way his name was spelled. Not to mention that some people might not know how to pronounce it. Just thought that was odd.

Mostly, though, this is a fascinating, well-written account.

Cockburn's music, which encompasses folk, jazz, rock and world beats, is fantastic, though not without a couple of slumps. Now he's given us one of the better memoirs/autobiographies by a musician.

One of Cockburn's most well-known lyrics, from "Lovers in a Dangerous Time," grittily expresses how Cockburn has lived his life. "Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight; got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight." Cockburn does plenty of kicking here, with eloquent description of his attempts, and there's beautiful daylight bleeding all over the place.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are some artists whose artistry inspires others along their journey through life. But there are a few very special artists whose impact is more personal and transformational, and who become fellow travelers on the journey. Bruce Cockburn is one such artist for me. His music has inspired me creatively and spiritually. But his spirit and wisdom, passion and compassion has impacted me in ways that have formed my mind and heart and transformed my life. So i was greatly anticipating reading his account of his life's journey in 'Rumours of Glory', and my anticipation was well-rewarded. Like his music, Cockburn's prose is articulate, evocative, thoughtful and honest, with powerful personal experiences interspersed with lyrics from songs covering the arc of his career. I always had the sense that Cockburn was a 'kindred spirit', primarily through his music that so often seemed to go from my ears straight into my bloodstream, the marrow in my bones, the recesses of my mind and the depths of my heart and soul. But that sense has grown exponentially having now experienced more of his personal journey, parts of which mirror my own inner journey. (It is also an interesting primer - for me at least- in socio-political situations from around the world from the late 1970's up to the present.) A fascinating read from a singular artist of the Spirit. HIGHLY recommended.

[Mike Horton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't recommend this book. Only a portion of it would I consider a memoir. Even less would I consider interesting to me. His life story is not very detailed at all. The visits he makes to countries destroyed by war are greatly detailed. Page after page of the sights that he sees and the experiences he has in these cities. Most importantly he goes on for even more pages of detailing the hows and the whys of the difficulties that these countries are having. Details that have absolutely NOTHING to do with him. An example: He visited Baghdad after the war. He writes about how many land mines are left in the country. He writes about how much money the US gave to Iraq after the war to repair the damage. He writes about what caused the war. etc. etc. He also spends a lot of time talking about God and different religions and relationships with God, in general terms, not specifically his relationship with God. I'm guessing that if all of this extra information was edited out of the book, it would be no more than 200 pages. I tried to love this book but I just couldn't. the two stars are for the information about Bruce Cockburn that I did get out of it.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything a fan loves about Bruce Cockburn is here in depth and eloquently related in the various voices we have come to know and love through his music. His clever insights and humor, his unique imagery and phrasing, his rich sense of irony and at times bitter sarcasm, his gentle and tender expressions of love, and his dark, sometimes startling glimpses of horror and pain from his world travels to troubled countries in the 80s and 90s all appear through the 500 pages of his memoirs.
I have read many of the music memoirs and bios that have been published in the past few years, and this certainly registers as the best-written and most thoughtful of them all. Bruce's occasional paragraphs of philosophy are beautifully expressed, and no rock n roll writer has incorporated his own lyrics and the context in which they were composed better than Cockburn does here. A Cockburn fan who reads this book will never listen to those wonderful songs with the same ears. I, for one, am very grateful that he took the time to write it and I took the time to read it.

[Jim Brosseau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a number of music memoirs in recent years, most don't survive the first few chapters. I read this one in only a few days. Bruce gives the stories behind the songs throughout his life, at times funny, at times making you really worry about the human race. The lyrics of his songs are interwoven where they come up, and there were several points where I listened (and a couple of times bought) the song on the spot. Well written, engaging, from an artist whose world is not all about himself...

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being pretty reticent for most of his life, Cockburn opens up about his personal life, his faith, the background of many of his songs, and his political stances, and how they all fit together. He is not very conventional in any of those areas, and will probably continue to be seen as too Christian by political liberals and too liberal by fundamentalists and some evangelical Christians. But this is a memoir by someone who is, finally, relatively comfortable in his own skin. If you have a problem with the way he has lived, and continues to live, his life, he would most likely say that is your problem, not his. Very well written, and only drags in a few spots.
Now that this book is done, maybe he will go back to making the kind of music that earned him so many fans over his lengthy career. If you are one of those fans, this will be of special interest to you.

[Gregory Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is an old saying “Never meet your heroes; you will always be disappointed.” There is some truth to that, and it plays a part of Cockburn’s memoir. I have read a lot of biographies and memoirs of my musical heroes – Clapton, Allman, etc. and they are all interesting in what they reveal about the men behind the instruments. For Cockburn, music and songwriting are equally important to his political views – sometimes subservient to them.

I have long loved Cockburn’s music. The first time I hear him was the Stealing Fire album freshman year in college. My then roommate’s brother, illegitimately staying in our room, played it and I was enraptured. Cockburn’s guitar playing, and angry lyrics took me to a different place. Music had always been entertaining to me, but this was another level. Cockburn’s lyrics on that album and the next two inspired me in my leftist progressivism. Discovering his early work and the deep spirituality of that work, I started to get a glimpse of the complexity of his guitar playing as well as his faith.

But things change, and I have moved rightward in my politics and a different course in my faith. Cockburn has gone more leftward in his politics and has embraced a more Universalism direction in his faith. His descriptions of this journey were fascinating. While I profoundly disagree with him on many levels, he is passionate about what he believes in.

And that strength in this book is also a bit of a negative as well. While he talks at length about how he developed songs and how his interpersonal relationships affected his thinking and feeling, Cockburn spends many pages and many words on political tirades. I don’t mind, and I do enjoy reading folks I disagree with. However, the forceful nature and the lack understanding of other points of view make his political writings sound more like the character Britta in the show Community then actual thoughtful politics. He comes off sounding highly judgmental and preachy. Unfortunate, but that is who the man is.

So the bottom line is Cockburn has presented a very interesting, well-written memoir in which he sometimes comes off as a bit of a jerk – well, often times. He is an angry man in an angry world, and his music is a reflection of the inner turmoil he has struggled with in his seven decades on this planet. If you are a fan of Cockburn, you will love the book. If you are a fan of leftist politics, you will love the book.

[M Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Memoirs can be a difficult genre. One can be interested in the subject, only to find them poor chroniclers of their own lives. I found this to be true of Thomas Merton (The Seven Storey Mountain) and of Dorothy Day (The Long Loneliness) whose books I found excrutiatingly slow with little of the flash of character of either of the famous authors. Or one can be interested in the subject, only to find them not very interesting people after all...

Despite having several friends who are great fans of Bruce Cockburn's music, I never clicked into his works. I read "Rumours of Glory" with my iPad next to me, dialing up each song on YouTube as he mentioned it or printed the lyrics. To my dismay, I found that the vast majority of it sounded mediocre to me at best. Lots of earnest blank verse set to mostly unremarkable music. There are, to be fair, a few gems such as "Lord of the Starfields" and "Lovers in a Dangerous Time," the latter mostly due to its infectious riff. And Cockburn's musicianship is evident on his instrumental pieces. But mostly, meh...

Even more distressing is that Cockburn the man seems to run at about the same level as his music. An occasional glimmer of insight in a pile of anger and self-indulgence. Cockburn has portrayed himself as a feckless lover, a self-centered spiritual tourist, and one of those tiresome celebrities who make a living by touring into global hotspots and tut-tutting at the world. His righteous indignation would play better if he offered more solutions and/or examples of people who are making a positive difference. Without that leavening, he is simply a global scold and not a very interesting one.

So, to my friends who are Cockburn afficianados, my apologies... I'll stick with the Bruce from Asbury Park.

[Glen Grunau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been waiting for this book for years! I have been following Bruce’s music career closely since I attended my first concert at the Memorial Centre in Red Deer, Alberta when I was about 20 years old. There was one song at his concert that I loved – even more than Wondering Where the Lions Are (his top radio hit at the time). But I couldn't remember the name of the song. So I made repeated trips to the vinyl album section at the Bay in Red Deer and started buying up albums in hopes of coming across this song. It was probably my third or fourth album before I finally discovered the song. By that time I was hooked on Bruce and his music!

I confess to having very high expectations for this book. So many songs over the years with such a significant impact on me. I was hoping for the stories behind many of these songs, so many of them with lyrics evocative and at times elusive. I was not disappointed. His memoir was full of the stories behind his music.

I was hoping that Bruce would come clean on his spiritual journey. His music drips with spirituality. He makes frequent reference to God. His preferred name for God – the Divine. But I also hoped for an inside look at Bruce’s spiritual journey from the beginning until the present. Again, I was richly rewarded. Spirituality was front and centre throughout Bruce’s life and he spoke of it often and deeply.

I had a growing suspicion over these 35 years that my spiritual journey had in some way paralleled Bruce’s spiritual journey. I’m grateful for my early faith beginnings in a more or less fundamental evangelical church. This formed me and grounded me in my Christian journey. Yet in the past 10-15 years, I have sensed a growing longing for something so much deeper, less cut and dried, less rooted in doctrinal certitude and more open to wonder and mystery. I have found myself moving (in the language of Carl Jung and Richard Rohr) from a “first half of life” certainty to a “second half of life” faith.

I noticed many signs along the way that Bruce was undergoing a similar transformation in his faith. It seemed like Bruce was becoming somewhat of a spiritual friend and companion to me. To be honest, I was looking to this book for some validation of our spiritual synchronicity. I was not disappointed. Bruce also expressed gratitude for the fundamental Christian faith that his wife Kitty introduced him to, which gave him his beginning in the faith. But he also began to sense a growing dissatisfaction with the limitations of this spirituality and a growing openness to mystery.

I have been suspicious for a long time now that Bruce had somehow been introduced to Christian mysticism along the way. This he never specifically revealed but so often implied in his lyrics. Being somewhat of a Christian contemplative mystic myself, it was most gratifying for me to read the following:

"My friend Alan Whatmough turned me on to Thomas Merton, the famous Trappist monk, writer, social justice advocate, and jazz lover who wrote more than 70 books. I discovered Teilhard de Chardin, the Jesuit priest/paleontologist whose writings defied church doctrine, and behind him I found a trail of Christian mysticism I had not known existed, a strain so powerful that it had been strategically sidelined by mainstream church leaders whose temporal power was anchored in mythic history and rule-making".

Bruce goes on to quote a number of other mystics throughout his memoir, including St. John of the Cross.

I was hoping for vulnerable openness and deep transparency from Bruce. I did not need an artist in search of fame and recognition, impressed with his own success and emphasizing such success in his memoir. I was deeply gratified by Bruce’s courage to face into his own brokenness and to reveal it with such honesty and integrity.

But there was one way in which this book surpassed my expectations. I have always known Bruce to be an activist and a prophet against injustice in the world. I was expecting this to constitute an important part of his book. But what I was not expecting was the intelligent and discerning historian that Bruce proved himself to be through his astute political analysis of so many of the injustices that he encountered in his travels – many of which formed some of his most powerful songs.

Bruce hits hard with his prophetic indictment of USA foreign-policy worldwide, so often driven by a paranoia of communism and Islamic extremism, and often grounded in exploitative economic policy that plunders Third World countries in support of US foreign investment. No doubt Bruce is somewhat biased in his perspective on our neighbours to the south. But he certainly packed a lot of evidence in his book that I found deeply disturbing.

An important part of Bruce’s unfolding spiritual journey was the obvious way that his response to injustice in the world was transformed over time as his spirituality deepened. In 1984 Bruce released his album Stealing Fire which was largely an indictment of US infiltration of Central America. His response to these injustices was often fueled by rage. His song "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" captured some of this rage. Almost 20 years later, he released his album "You’ve Never Seen Everything". His song "Postcards from Cambodia" is a reflection on the infamous killing fields. The lyrics of this song seem to represent Bruce’s movement from a raging, somewhat judgmental “first life of life” response toward a more compassionate, grieving “second half of life response”.

"This is too big for anger,
it’s too big for blame.
We stumble through history so
humanly lame
So I bow down my head
Say a prayer for us all
That we don’t fear the spirit
when it comes to call".

A few years ago I read the book “Kicking at the Darkness: Bruce Cockburn and the Christian Imagination”. Immersed in everything Bruce, I remember one night having a dream in which I finally had the opportunity to meet my favourite all-time musician. I will never, on this side of eternity, have the opportunity to tell Bruce face-to-face how much he has inspired me and encouraged me throughout my adult life. But I take some consolation from his words near the end of his memoir - directed to me and all other fans that have followed his life and his music.

"The darkness is there because it exists, and what exists is what I try to write about. I learned long ago not to be afraid of the dark, that it can sometimes be a friend. Fans who have stayed with me over time have shown an admirable capacity for putting up with my shifts and changes in direction, and the occasional long-exposure snapshots of darkened rooms infused with hypodermic light. They get it, and I’m grateful for that".

It has been my deep joy and sincere pleasure Bruce!!

Check out this 7 minute interview with Bruce on PBS special aired this past week:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandet...

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a big fan of Bruce Cockburn and his music since I was a teen in the 80s. I've been to many of his concerts through the ages and have bought all his albums. Although most of his songs are about aspects of his life, which he has mentioned and given backstory at his concerts, I was greatly looking forward to the expanded version in this book. I was not disappointed.

I enjoyed the personal experiences juxtaposed against what was happening politically in the world, and specifically in the countries he visited. It helped me make more sense of what I was listening to over the years. Bruce is as candid as one can be about his personal relationships, and some of his blockages around intimacy, which I appreciated. Although he admits to be closed off emotionally through much of his earlier relationships, I found I had more respect for him as a person in that he could freely admit this without making it the other person's fault. Although, I suppose, his former partners would have their own versions of what happened.
Anyway, I enjoyed this book very much. I might have to spend some time contemplating my own spirituality after this. Bruce has no inhibitions in discussing how his spirituality has changed (matured?) over the years and he leaves off with a spiritual message that no matter your leanings, can appreciate and ponder. Nice job, Bruce.

[Barbara Ginsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can still remember the summer day in 1979 when my best friend from high school came to my house with the album, In the Falling Dark. We played it on my old Panasonic stereo. I was immediately taken by the music and lyrics. Two years later, I shared the album with my to be husband and he joined me in a decades long enjoyment of Cockburn’s music.

There are other bios I’ve read of musicians I admire - Springsteen, Joni Mitchell - where I felt let down. Their books were well written. The life turned to lyrics was interesting. Fun to see how they grew up. Family background. But in the end predictably, “look at me, rock star!” Me, me, me.

After reading Bruce Cockburn’s autobiography, my respect for him is elevated. He’s a musical genius and humble. He’s a champion for human rights. I already knew of some of his experiences in war torn countries from interviews, stories told at concerts and general news. But this book is deep and intense. You cannot separate the music and his activist experiences as they are tightly intertwined. I enjoyed it because it was not all about himself but included truth about the despicable and deceitful politics in the world and the heart wrenching struggles of ordinary people harmed by unjust wars. Woven in are musings about human and spiritual connections. Us, us, us.

[Jonathan Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a huge fan of Bruce Cockburn, though I think "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" is one of the greatest songs ever written. I saw him in concert back the beginning of June and picked up this book on the merchandise table. I'm a sucker for a music autobiography...

It's good. Cockburn is mostly known as an activist, and a lot of the book is detailing the issues that he finds important. So, if anything else, the book is an opportunity to find out more about issues plaguing the planet today. So, in that case, it wasn't really the feel good book of the century.

He goes into a good amount of detail about the recording of various albums and the background of different songs, which I always enjoy reading about. A lot of his lyrics are a lot deeper than I initially realized. And after re-reading them, I did have the feeling of, "Oh yah, never noticed that before."

A number of the reviews were turned off by his Christianity and his views of his religion. I didn't find this so. Yes, he is a devout Christian (something I didn't realize), but I didn't find it preachy or trying to convert the reader. He gave his views and the reading (or listener) can take or leave them.

But, even for a musician I like, but I wouldn't say he's in my top ten or fifteen favorite artists, I still found it interesting and well written.

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a letdown.
Such is life, as is said.
This memoir of a favoured and honoured singer-songwriter is less about Cockburn's life and far more about preaching. I am fine with a person's belief system and political leanings but I did actually assume that this book would delve into Cockburn's life instead of only touching on it, in between his religious and political pushing.
That said, it is his book and I suspect that he is this person so he chose to write as he saw fit.
One other annoyance is that the book lacks continuity and has been been edited quite poorly with nonsensical references and unknown parties appearing out of nowhere.
Still, a mildly enjoyable read if it's for you.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't really take me five months to read this, but because I own it and it therefore had no due date, it sat for quite a while. It was a very interesting look into Cockburn's life as a person of faith and an activist, but it probably could have used a bit of editing - some of the descriptions of trips, political events, etc, got a bit longer than necessary for the story.

[Ted Dettweiler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I'd like to go back to the point before reading this book when Bruce Cockburn was largely mystery to me.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very political and spiritual autobiography from one of Canada's premier folksingers.

[Henry Krinkle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too didactic. Using “God” to justify cheating on your significant other is pretty pathetic.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given that Bruce Cockburn’s song lyrics are full to bursting with fluency and poetry, it’s not surprising that his memoir has much to say and does it so eloquently. As a longtime admirer (thanks to being introduced to his music by my brother), I eagerly soaked up all the insight Cockburn shares regarding his journey as a musician and a person, the inspiration for his songs, and the recording of the albums. The lyrics to some 100 of his songs are included, in chronological order, following relevant sections of the text. He worked twice with the famous producer T Bone Burnett, which yielded two of Cockburn’s very best albums. In Rumours of Glory, he reveals that this collaboration was also, at times, a tough and emotionally harrowing one.

Through Cockburn’s direct observations of—and songs about—injustices around the globe, his fans have learned something about these issues over the years, but this book still turned out to be a stunning history lesson for me. There are things in it that every American should be taught in school, such as the way the Dulles brothers used the U.S. government (and particularly the CIA) to run a brutal war in Guatemala in the 1950s that benefited their own interests in the United Fruit Company—just one example of many atrocities that have been carried out in our name, with our money, etc., and that have reverberated for decades. (https://www.wbur.org/npr/234752747/me...)

The fact that Cockburn has a strong faith in God is something I didn’t actually know until many years after starting to listen to his music since he typically writes about it in ways that are open to various interpretations. He is more direct about his faith in this memoir, and instead of finding it off-putting, I found it quite interesting and beautiful. Plus he is under no illusions about organized religions. In fact, followers of religious sects might find some of their views altered by reading this book.

While Cockburn is typically a private and even shy person, here he generously opens himself up to readers about personal and professional joys and sorrows, innermost fears and hopes, and decisions both easy and fraught. Despite all the ugliness he’s witnessed in the world, he continues to find hope in human connection, and he left this reader with a feeling of inspiration. Highly recommended for Cockburn fans, or those interested in rock/folk, or global justice topics, or just a life story beautifully told.

[David Meldrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a Bruce Cockburn fan for most of adult live, and have seen him live twice. This autobiography was striking in a number of ways. Here's a few disordered reflections.

1) In terms of a commitment to peace and social justice, he really lives what he says and sings. He's consciously placed himself in some dangerous situations, and taken stands which have cost him personally - for the sake of reporting on and observing on behalf of the victims of injustice. I have much to learn from his integrity in this area.

2) He uses some pretty poor self-justifications for his mishandling of relationships with women, casting each woman as helping on a progressive journey of spiritual and personal revelation. Whilst it's obviously true that each relationship teaches us something about ourselves, he reflects little on the impact he has had on the women concerned.

3) He has worked with a huge number of genuine legends of the music business. He really should be much bigger news internationally than he is.

4) His rendering of his spirituality swings between the challenging and enlightening, and pseudo new-age guff.

5) I liked the model of dropping texts of song lyrics in their entirety into the book, in the context of the situation that gave rise to them. His are lyrics that are worth reading and rereading.

[Mike Graef · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing read. Any one of these areas would’ve made a great book. The spirituality, the world travels and political analysis, the music creation, the family life. Bruce’s music isn’t fully explained along the way. I wish there had been a little more about it. Lots of talk about the lyrics, but not much about the tunes. For instance, Bruce’s songs are very rhythmic, often with tremendous energy in the tempos. Unusually so I think. Would love to have known more about his approach to music, and his love for music in general. What thrills him about music? Some of the travelogues are a tough slog to read. But you don’t get to understand Bruce Cockburn music without understanding where he’s traveled in the world, and why he went where he did. Having heard him in concert recently in Canada, there is almost a reverence for him in his audiences. You could hear a pin drop in between songs sometimes. He is truly a gift to his fans. I’m glad I read this just to understand even why I like him a little better.

[Wes F · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Bruce Cockburn's music--have for many years now, and continue to follow him. He's a poet who puts well-crafted word pictures, mainly from things he's experienced first-hand, into songs. He's the Canadian Bob Dylan. He has also taken a strong stand on some pretty controversial issues--and I agree with his stand on most of them. Violence & power & greed have sunk so many civilizations--and why? Because man's heart is twisted, and sinful, bent against his Creator and fellow creatures. Cockburn's faith has come through to different degrees in his music down the years. I think it comes through better in his tunes than in this memoir. I don't agree with some of his "faith-based" conclusions & decisions in his memoir, nor with what I consider his waffling. It's a little too general, too universalistic, too thinly based on our ultimate source--the Word of God. Don't make personal experience the foundation, the rule, the ultimate source of Truth.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a difficult book for me to read. I've loved his music for so long, and I looked forward to reading about his life experiences that crafted his music and lyrics. He instead choose to fill his memoir with hundreds of pages of the geopolitics of his day, detailing page after page the evils of Reagan, Bush and other right wingers to the point that their behavior as portrayed by Cockburn was cartoonish and "EVIL". Boorish and simplistic at best, this weighs down the entire book.

On the positive side there are moments that shine, his description of the inspiration for "If I had a Rocket Launcher", was simply spot-on and memorable. He gives several pages of explanation of how he came to write "Wondering where the Lions are", that are absolutely riveting.

So, read at your own risk, a bit disappointing at times, still it shines through often enough to give it 3 stars.

[Terry Hinkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

BC is one of my favourite Canadian musicians. I have 26 of his recordings. Great guitar player/lyricist, activist and one of the bravest individuals on earth. He has been to so many conflict countries it is hard to keep track. He has had guns pointed at him, threats made to him and been criticized about his opinions. He just keeps going. A real human being. 13 Junos (as of 2014), The Order of Canada and Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
His book is very personal and has insights into his music, travels, friends, nature and life in general. Faith is foremost in his life but not religion. Scathing facts about politicians and certain countries including Canada. A very good read. Keep on Rockin' Bruce!

[James Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read especially for longtime Cockburn fans. Provides backdrop for the many songs Bruce has written and performed over his 40 year career. What is most interesting for me is his delving into his spiritual beliefs. He is not a conventional Christian by any means but follows his own life trajectory in a thoughtful and spiritually curious way. I particularly appreciate how he steps back from his journey and tries to frame it from a neutral standpoint. I also appreciated how he attempts to have artistic integrity in his song writing, avoiding cliche or sentimentality.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would be easy to knock off star ratings for this book because Bruce writes about stuff that is often more geopolitical that autobiographical, or follows some twisted logic to justify an affair ("it was God's plan" or somesuch), or because I just don't agree with him on some stuff, but a book can have an unsympathetic main character and still be a good read (.com). But bonus points to Bruce for opening up about stuff that's clearly personal and private, and it was great to learn about his writing process and where some of his songs came from.

[William (Bill) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not an easy read. Cockburn has spent his life in the middle of America's worst foreign policy mistakes. His relationship difficulties were a revelation, in light of some of my favorite love songs being written by him. This took a long time to finish since it wasn't as well written as Cockburn's songs. I also found myself playing the album as he described the process of recording and gathering the musicians. I'm glad I read this. Insights into musicians' personal lives always informs my appreciation of their craft.

[Deb Hudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a big fan of Bruce Cockburn's music, I really enjoyed this journey through his life. All the albums are discussed, and the life experiences that inspired his music. The World needs more voices like Bruce's to rally with, and to combat climate change, social injustice, indigenous rights. Rumours
of Glory gives us social and political activism at it's best with the heart of a poet writing the words.

[Ron Scrogham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Canadian musician Bruce Cockburn retells his life through his songs, relationships, travels, and activism. He gives the background and inspiration for his music. His music is so much more than his best known songs like "If I had a Rocket Launcher" and "Wondering Where the Lions Are." The book is also charming for its Canadian chauvinism--certainly an oxymoron. It is a thoughtful, honest account of a well-lived life.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s one part of Bruce’s story that disappoints me, but this feeling arises, likely, from either a sense of superiority or simply not understanding. Getting to know Bruce more through these many painful stories and passionate, poetic expressions makes me love his music all the more. I loved the experience of listening to the songs as I read their backstories. There is no doubt he will be remembered as one of the best songwriters documenting the humanitarian issues of his lifetime.

[Richard Erney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce Cockburn is a brilliant,talented artist, singer, songwriter & musician. He also considers himself to be Christian albeit not necessarily orthodox. His memoir is interesting & well written, traversing his personal & professional life through 2005. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing his own story in his own words. Every fan should read it.