well she seemed all right

by dawn's early light

though she looked a

little worried and weak

she tried to pretend he

wasn't drinkin'again

but daddy'd left the proof on her cheek

and i was only eight

years old that summer

and i always seemed to be in the way

so i took myself down

to the fair in town

on independence day

well word gets around

in a small small town

they said he was a dangerous man

but mama was proud and

she stood her ground

but she knew she was on the losin end

some folks whispered

and some folks talked

but everybody looked the other way

and when time ran out

there was no one about

on independence day

let freedom ring let

the white dove sing

let the whole world know that today

is a day of reckoning

let the weak be strong

let the right be wrong

roll the stone away let the guilty pay

it's independence day

well she lit up the sky

that fourth of july

by the time that the firemen come

they just put out the flames

and took down some names

and send me to the county home

now i ain't sayin'it's

right or it's wrong

but maybe it's the only way

talk about your revolution

it's independence day

let freedom ring let

the white dove sing

let the whole world know that today

is a day of reckoning

let the weak be strong

let the right be wrong

roll the stone away let the guilty pay

it's independence day

roll the stone away

it's independence day