Songfacts®:

• Love and danger are two of the most intense states of being, which makes the concept of "lovers in a dangerous time" a striking image - one that is often used in books and movies. Cockburn sees the song as relating to everyone, as on some level we're all in love and all in danger. It's really about living in the moment and absorbing the experience, which can seem mundane, but can be quite powerful when you are immersed in it.
• Cockburn drew from an image of children on a schoolyard when he wrote this song, picturing a boy and girl with a case of puppy love looking ahead to their future despite the dangers ahead. "It was kind of an attempt to offer a hopeful message to them," Cockburn said in SongTalk. "You still have to live and you have to give it your best shot."
• Cockburn's songwriting is a big influence on U2 frontman Bono, who lifted a line from this track for "God Part II," a track from the Rattle and Hum album. "Heard a singer on the radio late last night says he's gonna kick the darkness till it bleeds daylight," is a reference to Cockburn and the line in this song, "Got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight."
• The Barenaked Ladies (like Cockburn, a Canadian act) recorded this song for the 1991 tribute album Kick at the Darkness. Their rendition was released as their first single, and it became their first hit, peaking at #16 on the Canadian chart the week of February 15, 1992. They later included it on the album Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits (1991-2001).
• Dan Fogelberg recorded this for his 1990 Wild Places album. This version is a little more up-tempo than the Barenaked Ladies version and Fogelberg played all of the instruments on this song. >>>

  Suggestion credit:
  Shawn - Lisbon, ME