I wrote this back in 2006. I jammed on it a few times with my band at the time, Declaration, but it never really stuck. Since I didn’t have access to a drum set at the time of recording, I used a drum machine loop, which is something new for me. To enhance the beat, I added a tambourine, a shaker and sleigh bells. I doubled the guitar part with a clean electric guitar and an acoustic guitar. I also double tracked the vocals. I patterned the sound for this after the band Pinback.
Lyrically, the song is about celebrating the fleeting moments. As a kid, I thought back to the all the different fourth of july’s I’ve experience – the parades, and picnics, and firework shows – and as much as I enjoy it, it starts to feel a little bit routine and expected and I guess I get a little restless. So this is kind of me imagining myself, in midst of everyone else celebrating, just sort of taking off and doing my own thing.
lyrics
The bright lights, the explosions in the sky
All the comfort of a picnic on a warm summer evening in July
A parade marches down the street
All the people exchanging friendly greetings, rearranging the order
Well I’m leaving, on the 4th of July,
On the 4th of July, I’m leaving
Wooden stands, all the children bumming quarters off their parents
Sipping cold lemonade from a paper cup, it’s so sweet
Well we’re broke, we spent that last $20 on explosives
Now we’re wandering around every corner of their town
Looking for newer forms of entertainment
Well I’m leaving, on the 4th of July,
On the 4th of July, I’m leaving
Then I came to the next town over
All the kids in the city, they were pretty tired of the disorder
All the pain of cleaning up the decorations,
Well I guess it went well so we can bottle up and sell it to the next town
Well I’m leaving
credits
from 50 Songs in 50 Weeks,
released December 31, 2012
Jake Haws: Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Drum Machines, Tamborines, Shaker
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