Lovers in a Dangerous Time
Encyclopedia
"Lovers in a Dangerous Time" is a song by Bruce Cockburn
, originally released on his 1984 album Stealing Fire
. The song was a Top 40 hit for Cockburn, peaking at No. 25 on the Canadian charts the week of August 18, 1984.
According to Cockburn, the song was inspired by seeing teenagers expressing romantic love in a schoolyard. In the song, he contrasts the hopefulness and joy of new love with the despair of a wider Cold War
world where notions of the future often carried a sense of foreboding and doom. However, especially in light of Cockburn's next single "If I Had a Rocket Launcher
", the song has also been interpreted by listeners and critics as referring to the same Guatemala
n refugee crisis that inspired the later song, or to the then-emerging HIV/AIDS crisis. Cockburn stated in later interviews that he was pleased by both of these alternate interpretations.
U2
alluded to "Lovers" in their 1988 single "God Part II", with the lyric Heard a singer on the radio late last night/He says he's gonna kick the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight.
In 2005, "Lovers" was named the 11th greatest Canadian song of all time on the CBC Radio One
series 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version
.
on his album The Wild Places, which was released in August 1990 by Epic Records.
on the 1991 Cockburn tribute album Kick at the Darkness
. Their rendition became their first Top 40 hit on the Canadian charts, reaching No. 16 the week of February 15, 1992. It also appeared on their greatest hits compilation Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits.
Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Douglas Cockburn OC is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll.-Biography:...
, originally released on his 1984 album Stealing Fire
Stealing Fire
Stealing Fire is an album by Bruce Cockburn released in 1984. It featured the hit singles "If I Had a Rocket Launcher", an angry political commentary on refugees under fire, and "Lovers in a Dangerous Time"...
. The song was a Top 40 hit for Cockburn, peaking at No. 25 on the Canadian charts the week of August 18, 1984.
According to Cockburn, the song was inspired by seeing teenagers expressing romantic love in a schoolyard. In the song, he contrasts the hopefulness and joy of new love with the despair of a wider Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
world where notions of the future often carried a sense of foreboding and doom. However, especially in light of Cockburn's next single "If I Had a Rocket Launcher
If I Had a Rocket Launcher
"If I Had a Rocket Launcher" is a song by Bruce Cockburn, from his 1984 album Stealing Fire.The song was inspired by Cockburn's visit, sponsored by OXFAM, to Guatemalan refugee camps in Mexico following the counterinsurgency campaign of dictator Efraín Ríos Montt...
", the song has also been interpreted by listeners and critics as referring to the same Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n refugee crisis that inspired the later song, or to the then-emerging HIV/AIDS crisis. Cockburn stated in later interviews that he was pleased by both of these alternate interpretations.
U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
alluded to "Lovers" in their 1988 single "God Part II", with the lyric Heard a singer on the radio late last night/He says he's gonna kick the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight.
In 2005, "Lovers" was named the 11th greatest Canadian song of all time on the CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
series 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version
50 Tracks: The Canadian Version
50 Tracks: The Canadian Version was a Canadian radio series, which aired across Canada on CBC Radio One in 2005. The show, hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, was a competition to determine the 50 most essential songs in English language Canadian pop music history...
.
Dan Fogelberg cover
"Lovers in a Dangerous Time" was covered by Dan FogelbergDan Fogelberg
Daniel Grayling "Dan" Fogelberg was an American singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, whose music was inspired by sources as diverse as folk, pop, rock, classical, jazz, and bluegrass music...
on his album The Wild Places, which was released in August 1990 by Epic Records.
Barenaked Ladies cover
The song was subsequently covered by Barenaked LadiesBarenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
on the 1991 Cockburn tribute album Kick at the Darkness
Kick at the Darkness
Kick at the Darkness is a tribute album to Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, released in 1991. The title comes from a line in the song "Lovers in a Dangerous Time", gotta kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight....
. Their rendition became their first Top 40 hit on the Canadian charts, reaching No. 16 the week of February 15, 1992. It also appeared on their greatest hits compilation Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits.