Martina McBride: Independence Day Meaning
Song Released: 1994
Independence Day Lyrics
Though she looked a little worried and weak
She tried to pretend he wasn't drinkin' again
But daddy left the proof on her cheek
And I was only eight years old that summer
And I always seemed...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:I like this song a lot.
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 left the proof on her cheek
The young girl's mother seems fine by the morning of the Fourth of July, but tries to pretend that everything is fine and that her husband wasn't drinking again. However, he "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
The girl sees herself as just another nuisance to her father, and heads off to the fair that is in town.
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
She knew she was on the losin' end
In a small town, word does spread quickly, especially when it's by word of mouth, and the girl knows this. Her father is seen as a drunkard and a "dangerous man". They also feel sorry for the girl.
Some folks whispered some folks talked
But everybody looked the other way
When time ran out there was no one about
On Independence Day
Everyone talks, and most people whispered, but nobody does anything about the girl's bad home situation.
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
The "white dove" represents peace, love and friendship, and the Fourth of July is also seen as 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 sent me to the county home
The girl's mother, finally unable to take any more abuse, then sets the house on fire, and dies in the fire, along with her abusive husband. The firemen simply put out the flames and take some names down. As for the girl, she is now an orphan and is sent 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 the Independence Day
The girl (now a woman) doesn't condone or dislike what her mother did. The last lyric then says, "Talk about your revolution, it's the 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
This is such a great song! :) It's a very philosophical song, very deep, and thought-provoking, too. Kudos to Martina for writing this fantastic song! :) -
I just found this statement on a site regarding "Independence Day":
"According to McBride, the mother does not die in the fire, as she has now gained her independence from an abusive relationship."
This is so interesting and an eye-opener for me. I have often wondered about the mother's fate, and leaned toward the idea that she did perish in the fire. It's great to have Ms. McBride's clarity.
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I love this song very much and would echo what others have said here. I have seen comments elsewhere that question the fate of the wife/mother - some suggesting she perishes in the fire and others saying that she survives the fire and (sadly) ends up in jail. I also wonder about "Let the right be wrong." I gather that it means it's time to see those who are considered in power and "right" to be seen for what they really are - in this case seeing the husband for what he really is - powerfully dangerous and abusive. If I had my druthers, I would suggest a change to one word. The word "Though" that begins the second line seems to contradict the first line. I would have changed "Though" to "Now". A silly quibble, I know. Again, I think this song is brilliant.
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Everything people texted is so obvious...why didn't anyone tackle the ONE obvious flaw in this song...'let the right be wrong' what a mistake to put this in what otherwise would be a perfect song....it's all about the wrong being stopped.
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Independence day is about domestic violence between a family and even though the mother is trying to hide it, the little girl understands what is happening in her household is not right. The song is almost a pledge to stop domestic violence and think of the people who are impacted by it because not only did that mother get abused and then get killed by it but the daughter had to sit there watching it knowing there was nothing she could say or do to change it and she had to watch her mother die and then get sent to home, it shows how traumatic it is on the people involved
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This is one empowering liberating songs of Martina McBride that has a painful memory of Her Father and the Family situation that Bruce Springsteen's ''Independence Day'' song who brought me here on the female tale end of the coin.
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Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay, in my opinion refers to the 3 days of resurrection with the stone in place to the entrance of the tomb, and punish those who committed this sin and atrocity.
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Beautiful song. Talk about independence!! She's now a orphan due to a purposely set fire, and she can never offically call someone Mother again...
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"Roll that stone away, let the guilty pay" I think is a reference to Christianity, meaning what? I'm not sure, but it goes with the line, "I'm not sayin' it's right or it's wrong..." because God/Jesus will make that judgement. I like to think the little girl wishes Daddy gets punished by God, but maybe Momma can be forgiven. I LOVE the CMT Crossroads version of this song performed live my Martina McBride and Pat Benatar.
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This is simply one of those thought provoking songs. It's well written & beautifully executed. Say what you want, but I like it.
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A little girl is watching her mom get abused by her dad, and she couldn't watch, and felt she was always in the way, so she went the fair on the Fourth of July. People were saying the dad was a bad person -dangerous- but her mom stood strong against the criticism... Until that Fourth of July when her mom couldn't bear it and set fire to the house -with herself in it. The little girl got sent to an orphanage. That end part where she sings: "Now I ain’t sayin’ it’s right or it’s wrong but maybe it’s the only way," she wasn't denying OR accepting that what her mom did was wrong, because, as the lyrics say: "talk
About your revolution it’s independence day." -
It is about a girl who is continuously abused, and so she sets her husband and the house on fire.
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I think she is talking about her feelings toward spousal abuse and how she may have seen the atrocities personally.
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