One of Canada’s most celebrated songwriters is hitting the road again, despite his advanced age. Bruce Cockburn says it will highlight six decades of socially conscious music. Cockburn has won 13 Juno Awards since the 1970s, as he all but defined Canadian protest songs. Age, he says, isn’t slowing him down. “My hands have become quite arthritic, and this makes certain things more challenging than they used to be,” he said. “There’s maybe a very few songs, four or five songs that I’ve had to revise the guitar parts.” Cockburn made his debut on the coffee-house folk circuit and evolved over time with a crafty mix of blues, jazz, rock and folk music. “You know, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to survive doing it, but my feeling was if I ended up playing in bus shelters for pennies, then so be it. Lucky for me, it’s been better than that.” Like many artists, retirement isn’t an option because songwriting is not a craft that stops at 65. “Why stop?” said Cockburn. “If I wasn’t getting paid to do it, I’d be doing it anyway.” Cockburn never stopped recording. He has a new album coming out this fall, and to this day, he remains active on social issues. “My voice is available when called upon pretty much for any good cause,” he said. “As a songwriter, I can spell out my own ideas and my own reactions to things.” Cockburn has always defended liberal causes, but admits the current political climate can be hostile to his ideals. “It’s very disturbing, actually, to be seeing things go in that direction,” he said. “I don’t know how far it’ll go or what the results will be, but it’s worrisome for sure. “One of the deplorable developments that we’re witnessing is the inability to communicate with each other in a civilized manner.” At 81, however, he’s proud his songs have been covered by some prestigious artists, from Jerry Garcia to Canada’s own Barenaked Ladies. “People are paying attention to the songs. That’s the best part for me,” he said. Cockburn’s tour begins next month in the U.S., but will hit Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal in October.
