Tried and Tested (Bruce Cockburn)

Bruce Cockburn's "Tried and Tested" from the 2003 album, "You've never seen everything." Video by Kurt Penner. Lyrics: Tried and tested Tried and tested By the cries of birds By the lies I've heard By my own loose talk By the way I walk By the claws of beasts By the laws of priests By the glutton's feast By the word police By the planet's arc By the falling dark By the state of the art By the beat of my heart By dark finance By the marketing dance By the poverty trance By the fateful glance Tried and tested Tried and tested By the pressure to rhyme By the wages of crime By the drop of a dime By the ghost of the times By the spurs of desire By "What does love require" By what I waited for By what showed up at the door Tried and tested Tried and tested By the nation wide By the tears I've cried By the lure of false pride By the need to take sides By the weight of choice By the still small voice By things I forget By what I haven't met yet Tried and tested Tried and tested Pierced by beauty's blade and skinned by wind Begged for more -- was given -- begged again I'm still here I'm still here Tried and tested Tried and tested

Added 7 Oct 2026