Songs For America!

It's the 4th of July here in America. I suppose it's that date in every country, now that I think about it. Or is it? I have no idea how the International Dateline works. Anyway, here in the USA, we like to celebrate out independence England by mimicking the explosions that set off the revolutionary war. And getting drunk and having those explosions cause the same kinds of injuries as in that war. So here are some songs to set off some illegal fireworks to while drinking watery domestic beer, grilling, and sweating.

Bruce Springsteen - 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)


There are few acts more American than Bruce Springsteen. His songs tell stories of high aspirations that are destroyed by crippling depression and the weight of the real world. Just like the American dream. His America has always been a dour place full of broken homes and economic woes. Through it all, he always finds a way to have a good time though. Here, he sings about putting aside all his troubles and just watching the fireworks with his number one girl.

X - Fourth Of July


X is an odd band. They're from the first wave of punk back when people weren't really sure what to make of it yet. Mostly their songs are loud and obnoxious the way punk should be. This song however, is a country twinged pop song. It's a quick fun song until you listen to the lyrics which are about a relationship falling apart, but who cares? Fireworks are pretty.

The Rentals - Overlee


The Rentals to many people are just the side project of Matt Sharp, original bassist for the band Weezer. There was a time when I loved Weezer and would try to experience everything remotely related to them, sometimes it worked out great, like listening to The Rentals. The song is mostly about the singer crashing with an old girlfriend, but there's a line that goes "Let's step outside and make out on the 4th of July" and that's a great line, so I included it.

Watch the movie Canadian Bacon


I know, not a song, it's my blog I'll write what I want. Michael Moore is famed for his documentaries that take a hard look at the state of America with a humorous tone. They're usually sorta unreliable because they tend to be completely biased, but entertaining none the less. However, one day he decided to write a satirical farce about what would happen if America got into a war with Canada. It's a story of patriotism gone amok with a really weak 3rd act, but it's still damned entertaining. It stars the late, great John Candy, Rhea Perlman, Alan Alda and Kevin Pollack, so how could you go wrong? Also, it features a smattering of some great, patriotic music while we're at it. "God Bless America Again," "Ballad Of The Green Berets" and a rendition of "O Canada" that breaks out into a huge fight. Truly American.