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Birmingham Shadows (Live) Lyrics by Bruce Cockburn

You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance - Live

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[Verse 1]
Birmingham
Just behind the mountain
Sparse streetlamps glow in hot half-moon haze
Shadows shorten into little black pools then elongate behind
We walk, talk some, laugh some
Worked hard, now wired and hanging out
I'm curious what you might be all about
(Curious too what that dark shape in the hard shiny cruiser might do)
And you have no idea what you're giving
Out of of your own curiosity and tense energy
Tattoo on chest like the key to the puzzle of your pumping heart
Wearing your shadows all over your sleeve
Wearing the role of young upstart
[Chorus]
Birmingham shadows fall
You show a little—I let something show too
It's now or not at all
Out on the road it's always instant get-to-know-you
[Verse 2]
Under velvet trees towering like the sides of a well
Before the empty too bright office blocks
(Which we are admonished not to enter)
Policeman studies us
Finds us confusing
More amusing than threat
Moves on bemused
Pavement spirals down ahead like the fossil of a giant shell
Along the kingdom's midnight marches
I wear my shadows where they're harder to see
But they follow me everywhere
I guess that should tell me I'm travelling toward light
I guess something you sang made me remember that
I guess I'm saying thanks for that
[Chorus]
Birmingham shadows fall
You show a little—I let something show too
It's now or not at all
Out on the road it's always instant get-to-know-you
[Verse 3]
Got a head full of horrors and a heart full of night
At home in the darkness but hungry for dawn
I can only remember scenes, never the stories I live
The good things about that is it's easy to forgive
I make no assumptions about any of this
We're nomads
Follow our own songlines
Who knows what could strike before we meet again?
But if I fall down and die without saying goodbye
I give you this:
You'll have lost a friend
[Chorus]
Birmingham shadows fall
You show a little—I let something show too
It's now or not at all
Out on the road it's always instant get-to-know-you
[Outro]
Birmingham
Just behind the mountain
Sparse streetlamps glow in hot half-moon haze
Shadows shorten into little black pools then elongate behind
[Spoken]
Thanks for coming everybody
Good night
Credits
Bruce Cockburn

Bruce Cockburn

About “Birmingham Shadows (Live)” by Bruce Cockburn

Read the complete lyrics to "Birmingham Shadows (Live)" by Bruce Cockburn from the album "You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance - Live". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Live, Canada, In English.

"Birmingham Shadows (Live)" is performed by Bruce Cockburn. from the album "You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance - Live" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Birmingham Shadows (Live)", explore more songs by Bruce Cockburn using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Birmingham Shadows (Live)" is credited to Bruce Cockburn. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Birmingham Shadows (Live)" appears on "You Pay Your Money and You Take Your Chance - Live".

Visit the Bruce Cockburn artist page at /artist/bruce-cockburn for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.