Independence Day

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Robert Hunter

A song that Robert Hunter played in solo performances in 1978 and 1980, with very varied - often seemingly improvised - lyrics. These are the 'official' lyrics in 'Box Of Rain':

If you can't recollect the larger picture
maybe you should step back for perspective
You might swear all promise is rejected
and you can't tell what move might be effective
It's not like a major revolution
and there were no tables firmly turned around
though you might have thought there were in the confusion
My God, you would have sworn it from the sound

All you know is it's
Not like Independence Day
No, it's not like Independence Day
With the flags that wave and the bands that play
No, it's not like Independence Day

You might have heard the ongoing singer
You must have heard the ongoing song
You will admit the time was never riper
You can see without much sight how far it's gone
And it isn't only matters
that were settled long ago
And it isn't just the singer
and it wasn't just a show

All you know is it's
Not like Independence Day
No, it's not like Independence Day
With the flags that wave and the bands that play
No, it's not like Independence Day

Perhaps you remember Jack the Jester
Got so high he tried to milk the cat
The damned thing turned around and scratched his eyes out
Could be a lesson for us all in that
If it wasn't what you ordered
Would you eat it anyway?
Would you waste the time to close the barn door
after your pig, your cow, your chicken, and your tractor have all flown away?
Just say bye-bye
baby blackbird
just say bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye, bye-bye

'Cause it's not like Independence Day
No, though it might be a little
like Happy New Year
But it's not like Independence Day
with all those shooting stars
and the bands that play
No, it's not like Independence Day
Thomas Jefferson singing Not Fade Away
No, it's not like Independence Day

Robert Hunter sang it like this with the Dinosaurs on 15 July 1984:

If you can't recollect the larger picture
maybe you're suffering from too much perspective
You might swear all promise is rejected
and you can't tell what move might be effective
It's not like a major revolution
and there were no tables firmly turned around
though you might have thought there were in the confusion
My God, you would have sworn it from the sound

But it's not like Independence Day
No, it's not like Independence Day

You might have heard the ongoing singer
You must have heard the ongoing song
You will admit the time was never riper
You can see without much sight how far it's gone
It's not like a major revolution
There's a little bit like Happy New Year

But it's not like Independence Day
No, it's not like Independence Day

With the flags that wave and the bands that play
With Thomas Jefferson singing Not Fade Away
Not Fade Away, Not Fade Away

No it's not like Independence Day
No, it's not like Independence Day

Perhaps you recall Jack the Jester
Got so high he tried to milk the cat
The damned thing turned around and scratched his eyes out
Could be a lesson for us all in that
But it wasn't, isn't only matters
that were settled long ago
And it isn't just the singer
and it wasn't just a show

All you know is it's not like Independence Day
Not like Independence Day
Not like Independence, not like Independence Day
Not like Independence Day at all
Happy New Year
That's all [?]
So it [goes] and the walls came tumbling down
All the [millions of] people
All the people were singing
All over this country
All over this land
[etc]

He had earlier sang a truncated version in a solo performance on 7 February 1980:

If it wasn't what you wanted
Would you eat it anyway?
What's the point of closing
The door of the cage after the blackbird's flown away?
Bye-bye, say bye-bye (note 1)
Baby blackbird, bye-bye

You know it's not like a major revolution
And there were no tables firmly turned around
All you know is it's not like Independence Day
No, it's not like Independence Day
With the flags that wave and the bands that play
It's not like Independence Day
Though it might be a little like Happy New Year
But it's not like Independence Day
Thomas Jefferson singing Not Fade Away
Not Fade Away, Not Fade Away, Not Fade Away

On 9 October 1978 Robert Hunter sang a song listed in the setlists as "Independence Day (improvised lyrics)", though it bears very little resemblance to the lyrics above except for the "bye-bye" introduction.

Baby, bye-bye baby, bye-bye (note 1)
Ah jeepers creepers
Look at all of those leapers
Tossed up in the tide pool
Floating around on their backs all day
Out on the [?] and the sand cries
And the sun was shining down so hard that day
We're on the good ship Merry Weather
Sailing out of Baffin Bay
It's OK, it was a good day
The sun was shining down
There was flowers, flowers everywhere
There was a rainbow, a double rainbow in the sky
It was Mister Lincoln's birthday
Flores para los muertes (note 2)
A lighthouse for the sailor
A lamp to light your way there
And a heart to lay you down
Flores para los muertes
A lighthouse for the sailor
And a lamp to light your way there
And a [bay] to lay you down

Notes
(1) see Bye Bye Baby Blackbird - this was sometimes sung separately rather then as part of Independence Day.
(2) See Los Muiertos - this too was sometimes sung separately rather then as part of Independence Day.

On 10 October 1978 Hunter sang another improvised version, including much of the above and interspersed with extracts from Sugaree and Franklin's Tower, but also with additional lyrics such as:

Tossed up in the tide pool
Just waiting to drown
They can drown in the air
They can drown anywhere
They can drown on the beach
They can drown in the water
They can drown in the air
In broad daylight on Broadway
They can drown on your stares

Further Information
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography