Fourth Of July Lyrics

Lyric discussion by madscijr 

Cover art for Fourth Of July lyrics by Galaxie 500

I love this tune, it fits lots of situations and moods. Here's one interpretation looking back and knowing what happened to the band after they put this out...

The lines "I wrote a poem on a dog biscuit And your dog refused to look at it" could be Dean saying he recorded some nice music, but it didn't get the reception he expected even though it was the perfect fit for the people he was trying to reach.

"So I got drunk and looked at the Empire State Building It was no bigger than a nickel" could mean that in his disillusionment, he saw that his goal is far off, fleeting and maybe not all it was cracked up to be.

"And if it don't improve Then I have to move I never thought that I would end up here"

This sounds like someone disillusioned and disappointed, thinking about making a change. Like breaking up their band?

"Maybe I should just change my style But I feel alright when you smile"

But the positive feedback he gets from the fans they do have, encourage him to keep going? If so, I'm glad he stuck it out and they finished "This is our music".

"I stayed at home on the Fourth of July And I pulled the shades so I didn't have to see the sky"

People are out there celebrating and having a good time, maybe to his band's music. But he doesn't want any part of it, he just wants to block it all out.

We'll all felt like that some time, it doesn't have to be about Dean not happy in Galaxie 500 or even about the 4th of July, but that is a great metaphor & vehicle for expressing those feelings and that kind of situation.

Positive
Subjective
Enjoyment
Interpretation
Disillusionment
Music Reception
Change
Metaphor