// Workers AI · dad joke modeDoes "If a Tree Falls" branch out into music?
| "If A Tree Falls" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Bruce Cockburn | ||||
| from the album Big Circumstance | ||||
| Written | April 7, 1988 | |||
| Released | 1989 | |||
| Recorded | July – August 1989 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 5:43 | |||
| Label | True North (Canada) Gold Castle Records (US) FM-Revolver Records (UK) | |||
| Songwriter | Bruce Cockburn | |||
| Producer | Jon Goldsmith | |||
| Bruce Cockburn singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"If A Tree Falls" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, from his 1989 album Big Circumstance. True North Records released the song in advance of True North Records in January 1989, where it entered the Canadian singles chart that same month. It later ascended to No. 8, becoming Cockburn's first and only top ten hit in his home country. The song also charted in the United States and Australia. "If A Tree Falls" touches upon environmental issues, particularly deforestation.
Background
[edit]Cockburn wrote "If A Tree Falls" about worldwide deforestation. He mentioned that the song was primarily centered around tropical rainforest deforestation, but also found that the song applied to the loss of trees in boreal forests and temperate forests.[1]
In his 2014 memoir, Rumours of Glory, Cockburn said that his grandfather Arthur Graham had served as the chief fire inspector for the Lower Ottawa Forest Protective Association, whose responsibilities included protecting forests in the region from fires. Graham's work was mentioned in a 1915 report by the Canadian Forest Service's Commission of Conservation.[1][2] Cockburn said in his memoir that "I wonder what Grandpa Graham would think of my tree song. Would he lament or applaud the current conditions of North American forests?"[1] The song was praised by conservationist David Suzuki, who commented that "I was blown away by it because we were involved in a big battle to stop a dam in Brazil. It was a powerful demonstration that music transcends language and culture and cuts straight to the heart."[3]
"If a Tree Falls" received airplay on album-oriented rock radio stations in North America. Doug Clifton of the KBCO radio station in Boulder, Colorado said that "If A Tree Falls" had "generated more phone response than anything Bruce has done since Stealing Fire".[4][5] In the United Kingdom, "If A Tree Falls" was released by FM-Revolver Records in March 1989, with "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" as the B-side.[6]
From 2017–18, the handwritten lyrics for "If a Tree Falls" were displayed at Studio Bell at the National Music Centre following Cockburn's induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. The lyrics were included in a notebook penned by Cockburn and loaned by McMaster University, which had received the notebook from Cockburn in 2013 for archival purposes.[7]
Critical reception
[edit]Billboard called it a "radio-ready number" and "an environmentally themed piece with a stick-in-your-head chorus."[8] Cashbox characterized the song as "a lament for the vanishing rainforest" that "the McDonald’s corporation should take to heart before it’s too late."[9]
Music video
[edit]A music video was created for the song, which was directed by Ron Berti and produced by Total Eclipse Film Group.[10] The music video includes performance footage of Cockburn on a stage in Toronto with additional visuals of Brazilian deforestation interspersed throughout.[11] RPM praised the music video, saying that it was "a real eye-opener" and that "a lot of thought went into its production. If there are any awards to be won this year in the field of 'effective mass communication', Bruce Cockburn should top the list.[12]
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[13] | 41 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM))[14] | 8 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[15] | 20 |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Cockburn, Bruce (September 2014). Rumours of Glory. Canada: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-196912-6.
- ↑ Leavitt, Clyde (November 10, 1915). Forest Protection In Canada (1913-1914). Toronto: Committee On Forests. p. 18.
- ↑ Pynn, Larry (July 8, 2017). "Comox-bound Bruce Cockburn reflects on impact of his hit Rocket Launcher". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Albums" (PDF). RPM. February 18, 1989. p. 10. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ ""If a Tree Falls" Does Anyone Play It? You Bet!" (PDF). Radio & Records. March 10, 1989. p. 75. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ "New Singles" (PDF). Music Week. March 25, 1989. p. 27. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ Volmers, Eric (December 13, 2017). "Handwritten lyrics by Bruce Cockburn, Neil Young part of new National Music Centre exhibit". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. February 18, 1989. p. 80. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ Williams, Joe (March 4, 1989). "Alternatives" (PDF). Cashbox. p. 14. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ "New Videoclips" (PDF). Billboard. February 25, 1989. p. 44. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Video Track" (PDF). Billboard. March 4, 1989. p. 62. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ Grealis, Walt (January 28, 1989). "Let's hear it for Bruce Cockburn!" (PDF). RPM. p. 4. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Bruce Cockburn – If a Tree Falls". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ "RPM 100 Singles" (PDF). RPM. April 1, 1989. p. 6. Retrieved September 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Bruce Cockburn Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2026.