Lyrics

It all got started with a king named George
We couldn't break free so we started a war
He took our money on stamps and our tea
Sounds kinda funny - threw it in the sea

Screw the king
We don't want you messing with everything
So this is what it feels like - to be free
Nobody here to watch over me

The Revolution started my history book
Was kinda like my home, it had a similar look
Mom and Dad they got in my way
Of having my Independence Day

Screw the king
We don't want you messing with everything
So this is what it feels like - to be free
Nobody here to watch over me

After the towers, a man named George
Couldn't kill a ghost so he started a war
They started watching what we think and read
We only get change if we hit the streets

Screw the king
We don't need you messing with everything
So this is what it feels like - to be free
People still watching over me

It all got started with a king named George

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Personnel

Charlie Recksieck: piano, lead vocals
Kevin Walker: drums
Jeff Johnson: bass
Mike Mannion: electric guitar, vocals
Sierra West: vocals

Story Behind The Song

Shay and I were playing a nutty 4th of July festival up on Guemes Island in very northwest Washington state (where the cell provider is Canadian), and a couple weeks before I wanted to write some 4th of July song for the occassion. The festival turned out to be an incredible disaster, with the island's local residents totally at war with the guy running the festival (who owned the only store, gas station, restaurant on the island). We'd played there lots of times before and the locals pulled us aside to tell us how much they loved us, but they were boycotting the festival to run the owner out of town. It was an incredible, you-can't-make-this-up gig.

The song was written post Edward Snowden leaks about surveillance and the song is mostly about that, jammed in with a Revolutionary War sentiment and teen angst. Even though I was a big Obama supporter, I really didn't like how Obama got a free pass from the left about continuing Bush-Cheney era over-surveillance. Meanwhile, the Tea Party wasn't upset about surveillance until the black President did it. I never quite got the "it wasn't til the black guy that they hit the streets" lyric right, so that became "we only get change if we hit the streets."

Everybody in the band nailed this one, really bringing out the faux 1776 feel of the main intro riff. And although I somehow envisioned the song kinda sounding like Modest Mouse, it went another great direction once we all rehearsed and recorded it. Jeff's bass keeps it moving and does some really creative Jefe-bass work. Kevin was hamstrung with a military march beat and made it rock. And Mike's background vocals transformed a thin chorus melody line into something 5x better.

- Charlie Recksieck

Independence Day - Video