4th of July

She's waiting for me when I get home from work
But things just ain't the same
She turns out the light and cries in the dark
Won't answer when I call her name

On the stairs I smoke a cigarette alone
The Mexican kids are shooting fireworks below
Hey, baby, it's the Fourth of July
Hey, baby, it's the Fourth of July

She gives me her cheek when I want her lips
And I don't have the strength to go
On the lost side of town in a dark apartment
We gave up trying so long ago

Whatever happened, I apologize
So dry your tears and baby, walk outside
It's the Fourth of July

This magical song, penned by Dave Alvin and first recorded by X on /See
How We Are/ while he was in the band, ranks up there with some of the
greatest pop songs in history. On initial listens, not paying attention
and all, it sounds like a summer singalong. At closer inspection,
however, it is a perfect distillation of that desperate feeling when a
relationship hits a stone wall. I think we've all been there, and
hopefully got out of it. Anyway, this song, and specifically X's
version with the John Doe/Exene harmonies, a pair who likely lived the
scenario many times, is simply classic. And it has nothing to do with
what we traditionally attribute to the 4th.