4th of July
Stephen Kellogg Lyrics

She was on fire, wild, and American
She had a fierce spirit, a wild heart, and embodied the American essence.

She burns it out probably just because she can
She uses her fiery spirit recklessly, simply because she can.

And if I had a dollar for everything I should have said
If I had a dollar for every missed opportunity to say what needed to be said,

I'd probably still be busted I would throw it all away again
I'd still be broke and probably make the same mistakes again in the future.

Lightning bugs light up all across the Southern sky
Fireflies light up the Southern sky at night.

Some guys get it all and they don't even need to try
Some people are lucky and seem to get everything with minimal effort on their part.

I watched you roll away, but you didn't even say 'Goodbye'
I witnessed your departure without a farewell.

And now I hate the night, I'm guessing that's the reason why
I currently resent the night, and I assume it's because of your leave.

Got in my van, ended up in Boston
I traveled in my van until I ended up in Boston.

Thought about my friends and how easily I lost them
I reflected on my lost friendships and how quickly they slipped away from me.

I'd do it all again, I'll leave everyone exhausted
I'd repeat my past mistakes and burn bridges once again, leaving others tired and drained.

Some folks get a break, me I never got one.
Some individuals catch a lucky break, but I never caught one.

I thought of you at night when I would drink too much
I would think of you at night when I would indulge in excessive drinking.

If you thought about me too, you'd never try to get in touch
If you ever thought of me, you would not try to contact me.

Went back to school and I ran into some guys I knew
I returned to school and reunited with some old acquaintances.

We started up this band but we couldn't seem to get it through
We attempted to start a band but failed to make it work.

Did you ever think that maybe if you're not happy it's because of you?
Have you ever considered that your unhappiness is a result of your own choices?

I got a job selling ads for magazines
I acquired a job selling advertisements for magazines.

At night when I would play I would think about her constantly
At night, while performing music, I would frequently think of her.

Everything I loved, it somehow got away from me
Everything I cherished seemed to slip away from me with ease.

And suicide, I talked about it openly.
I spoke about suicide candidly.

I finally quit, or maybe I got fired, I don't know.
I either resigned or got terminated from my job, and I'm not sure which.

Doesn't matter just as long as it happened, though.
It doesn't matter which occurred, as long as it happened.

Added up the fears and doubts I'd been living with
I tallied up the fears and uncertainties I was struggling to cope with.

Songs of lightning bugs, and school, and work, and all that shit
I penned songs about fireflies, school, work, and everything else in between.

I lost a girl sometime and a couple friends
I lost a significant other and a few friendships at different times.

Small talking parties, I never could stomach it
I could never tolerate small talk at parties.

I'm old enough to say 'I remember when'
I'm at an age where I can state, 'I recall when...'

But I don't have the time for your nostalgia or your criticisms
I don't have the time to indulge in your nostalgia or criticism.

You live and learn, me well I learned to let go
You learn through life experiences, and for me, I learned to release control.

Of parents and bosses and people who don't want you to grow.
I let go of parents, authority figures, and individuals who sought to stunt my growth.

I think that anything you want to, you can do
I believe you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

And no one's gonna tell me just who the hell I should sing to.
I will determine my audience, and I won't allow anyone to dictate it.

This, this is my life on the 4th of July
This is how my life currently stands on the 4th of July.

It isn't much but at least it's mine
My life is not substantial, but it's still my own.

At least it's mine
Despite its insubstantiality, my life still belongs to me.

This is mine and nothing and nobody's ever gonna take this away
My life is mine alone, and it can't be detracted from me by anyone or anything.

It the blueprint of your life
It serves as the overarching design for your life.

It's the end result
It's the final product of all past experiences and choices.

It's the journey
It's the ongoing quest, with no single result or end goal.