If I Had a Rocket Launcher

Bruce Cockburn

About If I Had a Rocket Launcher

"If I Had a Rocket Launcher" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter 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. Although Cockburn had occasionally touched on political themes in his earlier songs, "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" was his first explicitly political song to be released as a single, and earned him a new reputation as an outspoken musical activist. In the song, Cockburn despairs of waiting for a political solution to the crisis, and expresses the desire to take matters into his own hands. Each verse ends with a line stating what Cockburn would do if he had a rocket launcher: in the first verse, "I'd make somebody pay". In the second, "I would retaliate". In the third, "I would not hesitate". The fourth and final verse ends with the song's most famous and controversial lyric: "If I had a rocket launcher, some son-of-a-bitch would die". more »

Year:: 2002
: 4:59
: 72 Views
Playlists:: #1

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Bruce Cockburn

Bruce Douglas Cockburn OC ( /ˈkoʊbərn/ KOH-bərn; born May 27, 1945) 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. more »

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Folk, World, & Country

11 facts about this song

Song Background "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" is a song by Canadian musician Bruce Cockburn, from his album "Stealing Fire" released in 1984.
Album Inspiration The song was inspired by Cockburn's visit to Guatemalan refugee camps in Mexico following the Guatemalan Civil War. The song expresses his outrage and pain over the suffering he witnessed there.
Controversial Viewpoint The song was controversial at the time of its release due to its seeming advocacy of violence. Cockburn clarified that it expressed his personal anger rather than a call to arms.
Track Success Despite its controversial nature, the song quickly became one of Cockburn's most popular songs and helped "Stealing Fire" become his most popular album.
Memorable Sampling The sound of an actual rocket launcher being fired can be heard at the end of the track, further emphasizing the serious content of the song.
Award Achievement "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" and "Stealing Fire" earned Cockburn a Canadian Music Hall of Fame award in 2001.
Chart Performance The song peaked at Number 88 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and climbed to Number 9 on the Canadian charts.
Public Performance Bruce Cockburn performed "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" at the first-ever benefit concert for Amnesty International in 1986.
Cover Versions Several other artists have covered the song, including hardcore punk band Millions of Dead Cops (MDC) on their 1989 album "Metal Devil Cokes."
Pop Culture Reference Cockburn's song is referenced in the computer game Deus Ex, during a conversation with the character Alex Jacobson.
Legacy "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" is now considered a classic folk-rock protest song, and its poignant message continues to resonate with listeners today.

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