Independence Day
Bruce Springsteen & The 'E' Street Band Lyrics

Well Papa go to bed now it's getting late
The singer's father should sleep since it's late but it's also a metaphor for accepting the end of their relationship.

Nothing we can say is gonna change anything now
It is too late for the singer and his father to make a difference in their relationship.

I'll be leaving in the morning from St. Mary's Gate
The singer will leave in the morning from the place he grew up and called home.

We wouldn't change this thing even if we could somehow
They accept that their relationship cannot be repaired.

'Cause the darkness of this house has got the best of us
The negative feelings of the father and son have taken over the house.

There's a darkness in this town that's got us too
The town also has negative feelings that have affected the singer and his father.

But they can't touch me now
The singer has moved on from their relationship and the negative feelings associated with it.

And you can't touch me now
The artist's father cannot affect him anymore.

They ain't gonna do to me
The artist is free from the negative feelings and suffering that he and his father experienced.

What I watched them do to you
The artist saw his father suffer from the negative feelings that they cannot get away from.

So say goodbye it's Independence Day
The singer and his father must say goodbye to their relationship, which has ended in a way that feels like he is gaining independence.

It's Independence Day all down the line
The artist and his father are both gaining independence and moving on from their relationship.

Now I don't know what it always was with us
The singer is unsure why their relationship became so negative.

We chose the words, and yeah, we drew the lines
The singer and his father both contributed to the negative feelings and tension that ended the relationship.

There was just no way this house could hold the two of us
The singer and his father were too different to live together peacefully.

I guess that we were just too much of the same kind
They were too similar in their negative emotions and feelings to make the relationship work.

It's Independence Day all boys must run away
Boys must separate from their fathers and gain independence from them.

All men must make their way come Independence Day
Men must grow up and leave their fathers behind to make their own way in the world.

Now the rooms are all empty down at Frankie's joint
The singer is noticing the effects of the negative feelings on their community.

And the highway she's deserted down to Breaker's Point
People are leaving the town to get away from those negative feelings.

There's a lot of people leaving town now
Many people are leaving town to start over somewhere else.

Leaving their friends, their homes
The people leaving town are leaving behind the people and places they love.

At night they walk that dark and dusty highway all alone
Those who are leaving the town may feel lonely on their journey to a new place.

Papa now I know the things you wanted that you could not say
The artist understands that his father had things he wanted to say but could not express himself.

But won't you just say goodbye it's Independence Day
The singer is urging his father to acknowledge the end of their relationship and say goodbye to each other.

I swear I never meant to take those things away
The singer did not mean to cause his father pain or take away things he wanted in their relationship.