'SO SAY GOODBYE IT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY... THIS TIME'

On a day like today in 1776, the Continental Congress declared that the thirteen American colonies were no longer subject and subordinate to the monarch of Britain, King George III, and were then united, free, and independent states.

The Congress had voted to declare independence two days earlier, on July 2, but it was not declared until July 4.

Independence Day is the national day of the United States.

Independence Day or the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence of the United States, on July 4, 1776.

Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches, and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States.

The Grandma wants to commemorate this day talking about Independence Day, a song written and performed by her favourite singer, Bruce Springsteen.

Well Papa go to bed now it's getting late
Nothing we can say is gonna change anything now
I'll be leaving in the morning from St. Mary's Gate
We wouldn't change this thing even if we could somehow
Cause the darkness of this house has got the best of us
There's a darkness in this town that's got us too
But they can't touch me now
And you can't touch me now
They ain't gonna do to me
What I watched them do to you

So say goodbye it's Independence Day
It's Independence Day
All down the line
Just say goodbye, it's Independence Day
It's Independence Day this time

Now I don't know what it always was with us
We chose the words, and yeah, we drew the lines
There was just no way this house could hold the two of us
I guess that we were just too much of the same kind

Independence Day is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River, in 1980. It was recorded at The Power Station in New York, on April 24-25, 1980.

In 2015, Springsteen stated that he regards Independence Day, Point Blank, Stolen Car and the title track as being the heart and soul of The River album. 

Independence Day, along with the title track, Wreck on the Highway and Point Blank, is one of the verse-chorus songs on The River that was essentially a short story or character sketch.

It is one of the darker hued songs on The River. The lyrics are about a home that can no longer hold both father and son. The song is sung by the son to the father, opening with the line Papa go to bed now, it's getting late, reversing the usual command of a father to a son. The son recognizes that despite their similarities, the father and son would never agree but just continue to argue constantly, and so it was time for the son to leave home.

Well say goodbye it's Independence Day
It's Independence Day all boys must run away
So say goodbye it's Independence Day
All men must make their way come Independence Day

Now the rooms are all empty down at Frankie's joint
And the highway she's deserted clear down to Breaker's Point
There's a lot of people leaving town now
leaving their friends, their homes
At night they walk that dark and dusty highway all alone

Well Papa go to bed now, it's getting late
Nothing we can say can change anything now
Because there's just different people coming down here now, and they see things in different ways
And soon everything we've known will just be swept away

Allmusic critic William Ruhlmann said Independence Day is an unusually sad, beautiful and private song, with a slow piano and a languid saxophone solo, as well as delicate organ and acoustic guitar work.

The song has been described as Springsteen's best recorded vocal, with an unerring sincerity which fuels the song.

Although released on The River in 1980, Independence Day was written in 1977 and was originally played in the Darkness on the Edge of Town tour.

Independence Day has been a reasonably popular concert song, with 199 performances through 2015. A concert version of Independence Day was released on the live album Live/1975–85.

Independence Day was released as the B-side on the single release of The River in several countries, and as the B-side of Sherry Darling in others.

So say goodbye it's Independence Day
Papa now I know the things you wanted that you could not say
But won't you just say goodbye it's Independence Day
I swear I never meant to take those things away

More information: Bruce Springsteen

A good song takes on more meaning as the years pass by.

Bruce Springsteen