Independence Day (Bruce Springsteen song)

Infobox Single
Name = Independence Day


Artist = Bruce Springsteen
Album = The River
A-side = The River
Released = May 1981
Format = 7-inch
Recorded = January 1980 at The Power Station in New York
Genre = Rock
Length = 4:50
Label = Columbia Records
Writer = Bruce Springsteen
Producer = Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt
Chart position =
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"Independence Day" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was originally released on his fifth album, "The River". It was recorded at The Power Station in New York February and May 1980. [ [http://www.brucebase.org.uk/8.htm BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - ON THE TRACKS V4 ] ]

"Independence Day", along with the title track, Wreck on the Highway and Point Blank, is one of the verse-chorus songs on "The River" that was essentially a short story or character sketch. [cite book|title=The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll|page=931|id=ISBN 0743201205] It is one of the darker hued songs on "The River". [cite book|title=The Ties That Bind: Bruce Springsteen A to E to Z|author=Graff, Gary|year=2005|page=305|id=ISBN 1578591570] The lyrics are about a home that can no longer hold both father and son. [cite book|title=The Ties That Bind: Bruce Springsteen A to E to Z|author=Graff, Gary|year=2005|page=349|id=ISBN 1578591570] The song is sung by the son to the father, opening with the line "Papa go to bed now, it's getting late", reversing the usual command of a father to a son. cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:h9fyxqu5ldde|title=All Music Guide "Independence Day"] The son recognizes that despite their similarilties, the father and son would never agree but just continue to argue constantly, and so it was time for the son to leave home. "Independence Day" is an unusually sad, beautiful and private song, with a slow piano and a languid saxophone solo, as well as delicate organ and acoustic guitar work. [cite book|title=Bruce Springsteen|author=Humphries,Patrick|page=38-39|year=1996|id=ISBN 0 7119 5304 X] The song has been described as Springsteen's best recorded vocal, with an unerring sincerity which fuels the song. [cite book|title=Bruce Springsteen|author=Humphries,Patrick|year=1996|id=ISBN 0 7119 5304 X]

Although released on "The River" in 1980, "Independence Day" was written in 1977 [cite book|title=Born to Run The Bruce Sprinigsteen Story|author=Marsh, Dave|year=1981|page=272|id=ISBN 0-440-10694-X] and was originally played in the Darkness on the Edge of Town tour. [cite book|title=The Ties That Bind: Bruce Springsteen A to E to Z|author=Graff, Gary|year=2005|page=303|id=ISBN 1578591570] "Independence Day" has been a reasonably popular concert song, with 181 performances through 2005. [ [http://www.brucesetlists.com/townlist.php] ] A concert version of "Independence Day" was released on the live album "Live/1975–85".

"Independence Day" was released as the B-side on the single release of "The River" in several countries.

External links

* [http://www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/IndependenceDay.html Lyrics & Audio clips from Brucespringsteen.net]

References